Mexico
Nevado de Toluca
Twin crater lakes at 4,200 metres, their colours shifting between jade and obsidian with the clouds.
The road climbs through pine forest, past the tree line, past where oxygen feels adequate, and dead-ends inside a volcanic crater at 4,200 metres. Two lakes — the Sun and the Moon — sit in the caldera, their colours shifting between jade and obsidian as clouds race overhead and the thin air makes everything sharp.
Nevado de Toluca (Xinantécatl) is an extinct stratovolcano 80 kilometres southwest of Mexico City, whose collapsed summit crater contains two lakes at 4,200 metres — among the highest bodies of water in North America. Unusually, the caldera is accessible by vehicle via a dirt road, making it one of the few high-altitude volcanic craters in the world requiring no technical climbing. The lakes change colour dramatically with light and weather, from emerald green to near-black. Pre-Hispanic cultures considered the crater sacred — offerings have been recovered from the lake depths. The surrounding national park supports high-altitude grassland and endemic species. The altitude means weather is unpredictable: clear mornings can become foggy within minutes, and temperatures drop below freezing year-round. Acclimatisation from Mexico City's 2,240 metres is recommended before the ascent.
Solo
Driving into a volcanic crater at 4,200 metres, alone with two lakes and thin air — this is Mexico's most accessible high-altitude solitude.
Friends
The crater hike, the altitude challenge, and the bragging rights of swimming in volcanic lakes at 4,200 metres — this is the adrenaline day trip from Mexico City.
- Two crater lakes — the Sun and the Moon — sit at 4,200m in the caldera of an extinct stratovolcano.
- The lakes change colour with the light, from jade green to obsidian black within hours.
- One of the few high-altitude volcanic craters in the world you can drive into — no technical climbing required.
Chorizo verde — bright green herbed sausage unique to Toluca — grilled at roadside stops on the descent.
Hot atole de arroz — rice porridge drink — from the village at the volcano's base, warming frozen hands.
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