Monterrey, known as the Sultana de Norte (Sultan of the North), is the capital city of Nuevo Leon and is also the 3^rd largest city in Mexico.  Located in Mexico’s northern region, 729 km (452 mi) northeast of Guadalajara and 993 km (616 mi) north of Mexico City, the climate is very hot in summer (between 35 and 45º C (95-113º F), and very cold in winter (minimum daily temperatures 0º C or below).

Monterrey is a modern commercial and industrial business centre, and therefore is a wonderful city for great shopping, superb restaurants, and top class hotels.  It also offers historical tourist attractions and beautiful colonial and contemporary architecture.  The Cerro del Obispado (Bishopric Hill) which includes the Mirador del Obispado, a scenic lookout, a wonderful Monumental flag, and the Palacio del Obispado (Bishopric Palace) which houses a museum are popular sites to visit.  La Macro Plaza, in the centre of Monterrey, is one of the world’s largest plazas and is the cultural and administrative heart of Monterrey, featuring some wonderful monuments.  The Museo de Historia Mexicana (Museum of Mexican History) houses some valuable exhibits and collections dating from pre-Columbian times, and offers an insight into the city’s 400-year history.

Monterrey’s surrounding areas offer stunning natural beauty, such as the Cascada Cola de Caballo National Park and Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. The latter is one of Mexico’s largest parks, and features the Chipinque Ecological Park, the Cañon de la Huasteca (Huasteca Canyon) and the Cerro de la Silla. The Grutas de Garcia is an extensive cave system that is reached by a scenic train-like vehicle transporting visitors to the cave’s entrance hundreds of feet above into the hillside. The stunning Colla de Cobalo (Horse Tail) Waterfall is located approximately 40 km (25 mi) from Monterrey, and is a sight not to be missed. One popular destination, only 25km (15 mi) from Monterrey, is the small town of Los Cavazos, where you will find many small family-owned restaurants serving delicious traditional Mexican and local food, small stores offering local produce, and local handcrafts.