Why go
The peaks south of the city make its mountain setting easier to understand. Cruz del Marqués and Pico del Águila belong to the volcanic ranges of central Mexico, while the changing vegetation shows how much elevation matters within a landscape close to the capital.
The full story
Ajusco forms part of the Sierra de Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin, within the volcanic belt crossing central Mexico. Its higher summits rise to around 3,900 metres, far above the floor of the Valley of Mexico. Pine-oak woodland and high mountain grassland are the main landscape contrasts to keep in mind. The forest is more varied than those two labels suggest. Firs, junipers and strawberry trees also occur, and the combination of valleys, canyons, steep slopes and different slope directions creates changing habitats. This helps explain the area’s importance for species associated with central Mexico’s volcanic mountains. National park protection began in 1936. The proximity of Mexico City also places the landscape under pressure from urban expansion. Seen in that context, Ajusco is both a mountain backdrop to the capital and a reminder that its forested highlands form part of a much larger ecological system.