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Monterrey
—  City  â€”
City of Monterrey
Downtown Monterrey
Nickname(s): Sultan of the North, The City of the Mountains
Motto: Work Tempers the Spirit
Coordinates: 25°40′N 100°18′W / 25.667°N 100.3°W / 25.667; -100.3
Country	Mexico
State	Nuevo León
Founded	20 September 1596
Government
- Mayor	Fernando Larrazabal (PAN)
Area
- City	860.70 km2 (332.3 sq mi)
- Metro	5,346.80 km2 (2,064.4 sq mi)
Elevation	537 m (1,762 ft)
Population (2005)
- City	2,056,538
- Density	2,532/km2 (6,557.8/sq mi)
- Metro	3,700,903
- Metro Density	923/km2 (2,390.6/sq mi)
- Demonym	Regiomontano(a)
Time zone	Central Standard Time.[1] (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central Daylight Time[1] (UTC-5)
Website	Página Oficial del Gobierno de Monterrey (Official Website of the Government of Monterrey)

Monterrey (Spanish pronunciation: [monteˈrei]  ( listen)) (also known as "Sultana del Norte" (Sultan of the North), is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León.^[1] It has the second largest metropolitan area in Mexico, after Mexico City.^[2] The demonym of Monterrey is Regiomontano(a).

Monterrey is located in northeast Mexico, at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental. The recorded history of Monterrey starts in 1596, with the foundation by Diego de Montemayor. In the years after the Mexican Independence War, Monterrey became an important business center. With the establishment of Fundidora Monterrey, the city experienced industrial growth. Monterrey is an important industrial and business center, serving as operation host for an array of Mexican companies, including CEMEX, Vitro and Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma^[3][4] and also for international companies such as Carrier, Daewoo, General Electric, Gamesa, LG and Teleperformance, among others.^[2][5][6] Monterrey is known for its hot weather in summer reaching 40 Â°C (104 Â°F) or more for three consecutive months, being one of the warmest major cities in Mexico.^[7]

History

See also articles in the category History of Monterrey

Cerro de la Silla, the city's most recognized landmark.

Prehispanic history

Prior to the European foundation of the city, there was no established population, instead consisting of indigenous semi-nomad groups that are collectively called Chichimecas. Carved stone and cave painting in surrounding mountains and caves have allowed historians to identify four major groups of Chichimecas in present-day Monterrey: Azalapas, Huachichiles, Coahuiltecos and Borrados.^[8]

Foundation

Foundation of Monterrey by Crescenciano Garza Rivera. The city was founded on 20 September 1596 by Diego de Montemayor.

The Episcopal Palace, c. 1700

In the 16th century, the valley in which Monterrey is located was known as the Extremadura Valley, an area largely unexplored by the Spanish colonizers. The first expeditions and colonization attempts were led by Alberto del Canto, naming the city "Santa Lucia", but were unsuccessful because the population was attacked by the natives and fled. The Spanish expeditionary Luis Carvajal y de la Cueva negotiated with King Philip II of Spain to establish a territory in northern New Spain, which would be called Nuevo León, the "New Kingdom of León". In 1580 he arrived in the newly granted lands but it was not until 1582 that he established a settlement called San Luis Rey de Francia within present-day Monterrey. The New Kingdom of León extended westwards from the port of Tampico to the limits of Nueva Vizcaya ("New Vizcaya", now State of Chihuahua), and around 1,000 kilometers northwards.) For eight years Nuevo León was abandoned and uninhabited, until a third expedition of thirteen families led by Diego de Montemayor founded Ciudad Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora de Monterrey ("Metropolitan City of Our Lady of Monterrey") on 20 September 1596, next to a water spring called Ojos de Agua de Santa Lucia, where the Museum of Mexican History and Santa Lucía Riverwalk are now located.

Gen. Mariano Escobedo

During the years of Spanish rule, Monterrey remained a small city, and its population varied from a few hundred to only dozens. The city was a place that facilitated trade between San Antonio (now in Texas), Tampico and from Saltillo to the center of the country. Tampico's port brought many products from Europe, while Saltillo concentrated the Northern Territories' trade with the capital, Mexico City. San Antonio was the key trade point with the northern foreign colonies (British and French).

After Mexican Independence (19th century)

In the 19th century, after the Mexican Independence War, Monterrey rose as a key economic center for the newly formed nation, especially due to its balanced ties between Europe (with its connections to Tampico), the United States (with its connections to San Antonio), and the capital (through Saltillo). In 1824, the "New Kingdom of León" became the State of Nuevo León, and Monterrey was selected as its capital. However, the political instability that followed the first 50 years of the new country allowed two American invasions and an internal secession war, during which the Governor of the State annexed the Coahuila and Tamaulipas states, designating Monterrey as the capital of the enlarged state.

In 1846, the earliest large-scale engagement of the Mexican-American War took place in the city, known as the Battle of Monterrey. Mexican forces were forced to surrender but only after successfully repelling US forces during the first few advances on the city. The battle inflicted high casualties on both sides, much of them resulting from hand-to-hand combat within the walls of the city center.

Most of the generals in the Mexican War against France were natives of the city, including Mariano Escobedo, Juan Zuazua and Jerónimo Treviño.

Contemporary history

Palace of the State Government

During the last decade of the 19th century, the city of Monterrey was linked by railroad, which benefitted industry. It was during this period that José Eleuterio González founded the Hospital Civil which is now one of the best public hospitals in the northeast of Mexico, and serves as medical school support to the School of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León (UANL). Vicente Ferrara founded the Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey,^[9] a steel-producing company that accelerated the already fast industrialization of the city and became one of the world's biggest at its time.

In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert caused great damage to the city; the Santa Catarina River overflowed, causing about 100 deaths and severe economic damage.

The city has hosted international events such as the 2002 United Nation Conference on Financing for Development with the participation of more than 50 Heads of State and Government, as well as other ministers and senior delegates from over 150 countries. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Monterrey Consensus, which has become one relevant reference point for international development and cooperation. In 2004, the OAS Special Summit of the Americas was attended by almost all the presidents of the Americas. In 1986, several official games of the 1986 FIFA World Cup were hosted.

In 2007, Monterrey held the Universal Forum of Cultures with four million visitors.

In 2008, Monterrey held the FINA WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Governance

Monterrey City Hall

Monterrey and its metropolitan area are municipalities each of them governed by a democratically elected Presidente Municipal (Municipal President) or Mayor for a period of three years with no right to reelection. The political environment is one of civility and in the last decade political parties have been alternating office. The current Mayor of Monterrey is Fernando Larrazabal.

The City Council of Monterrey (Cabildo de Monterrey) is an organ integrated by the Mayor, the Regidores and the Síndicos. The Mayor is the executor of the determinations of the City Council and the person directly in charge of the public municipal administration. The Regidores represent the community and their mission is to collectively define the city policies in all the subjects affecting it. The Síndicos are in charge of watching and legally defend the city interests, as well as in charge of watching the City Treasury status and the municipal patrimony.^[10]

The political parties with representation in the city are the Institutional Revolutionary Party or PRI, the National Action Party or PAN, the Party of the Democratic Revolution or PRD, the Labor Party or PT, the Green Party, Convergence, Socialdemocratic Party and Nueva Alianza.

Public safety

Monterrey was ranked as the most secure city in Latin America^[11] and Mexico in 2005, and one of the two most secure in 2006. However, the city has experienced violence related to turf battles between warring drug cartels in Mexico.^[12][13][14]

There are two police departments guarding the city, the Police of the City of Monterrey (locally known as the Policía Regia),^[15] dependent of the municipal government, and the State Public Safety.^[16] The Policía Regia protects the city's downtown and main areas, while the State Public Safety is in charge of the farthest areas.

The state governor is considered the "mayor" of the metropolitan area of Monterrey (A group of several municipalities, forming Monterrey city) since the city accounts for about 95% of the state population.

Geography

Monterrey Metropolitan Area

Apodaca

Escobedo

García

Guadalupe

Juárez

Monterrey

Salinas Victoria

San Nicolás
de los Garza

San Pedro
Garza García

Santa Catarina

Santiago

NUEVO LEÓN
STATE

COAHUILA
STATE

The city of Monterrey is located at 25°40′N 100°18′W / 25.667°N 100.3°W / 25.667; -100.3, and 530 metres (1,740 ft) above sea level in the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. The Santa Catarina River—dry most of the year on the surface but with flowing underground water—bisects the city.

Monterrey is adjoined to San Nicolás de los Garza, García and General Escobedo to the north; Guadalupe, Villa de Juárez and Cadereyta Jiménez to the east; Villa de Santiago to the south; and San Pedro Garza García and Santa Catarina to the west.^[17]

Monterrey lies north of the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. A small hill, the Cerro del Topo and the smaller Topo Chico are located in the suburbs of San Nicolás de los Garza and Escobedo. West of the city rises the Cerro de las Mitras (Mountain of the Mitres), which resemble the profile of several bishops with their mitres.

Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain) dominates the view east of the city. Cerro de la Loma Larga—South of the Santa Catarina river—separates Monterrey from the suburb of San Pedro Garza García. At the summit of the Cerro del Obispado, north of the river, is the historic Bishopric Palace, site of one of the most important battles of the Mexican-American War.

Monterrey has a semi-arid climate (Koppen climate classification BSh). Its weather, is warm in spring and autumn, is extremely hot in the summer, it can reach 40 Â°C (104 Â°F) and overnight lows of 23 Â°C (73 Â°F) and sometimes it can reach 25 Â°C (77 Â°F); the average high reaches 35 Â°C (95 Â°F) in August, with an average low of 23 Â°C (73 Â°F). Winters are mild. The average January high is 16 Â°C (61 Â°F) and the average low in January is 7 Â°C (45 Â°F); however, temperatures below freezing are rare.^[18] Rainfall is scarce, but more prominent during May through September. Monterrey is very extreme in weather change, sometimes reaching 26 Â°C (79 Â°F) in January and February, the coldest period, this is seen frequently. Most extreme weather change occurs with rainfall in summer, which changes extreme heat to cooler temperatures, and the absence of northern winds in winter, sometimes causing extreme or abnormally high temperatures. Seasons are not well defined, the warm season can start in February and last until November. Snowfall is a very rare event, the last was in December, 2004.

Natural areas

The mountains surrounding Monterrey contain many canyons, trails and roads that cross deserts and forests. Suitable trails are available to the general public. The Sierra Madre Oriental mountains south of the city are included in the "Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey" (National Park), which was added to UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program of Biosphere Reserves in 2006.^[19]

Cumbres de Monterrey includes:

• Parque Ecológico Chipinque,^[20] which contains forested areas (oak and oak-pine mainly).^[21][22][23]
• La Estanzuela state park, about 7 km (4 mi) south of Monterrey, a river and forested area.^[24]
• La Huasteca, west of the city, in the municipality of Santa Catarina.
• El Potrero Chico Climbing Area, north east of the city, in the municipality of Hidalgo.

Cityscape

Monterrey has several neighborhoods. They include:

• Independencia
• Valle Alto

Demographics

The city has grown from a population of 7,000 in 1798 to 1,133,814 in 2005, of which 559,877 were men, and 573,837 were women. According to the national INEGI population census, of the total population of the state of Nuevo León, 27% lived in the municipality of Monterrey.^{[25][25][26][27][28][29]}

The Monterrey metropolitan area is the third most populous city in Mexico with more than 3.7 million. It is composed of the adjoined municipalities of Apodaca, Escobedo, García, Guadalupe, Juárez, San Nicolás de los Garza, San Pedro Garza García, and Santa Catarina.^[30]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Unity Bridge at night.

See also articles in the category Transportation in Monterrey

Monterrey is connected with the USA border, the sea and inland Mexico through different roads, including the Carretera Nacional (also known as the Panamerican Highway) that runs from Nuevo Laredo to Mexico City and south, and the Carretera Interoceánica connecting Matamoros with the port of Mazatlán on the Pacific; it is also crossed by highways 40, 45, 57. The divided highway Monterrey-Saltillo-Matehuala-Mexico City is the main land corridor to interior Mexico.

There are several between-cities bus lines at the bus station downtown. There are arrivals and departures into deeper Mexico, to the U.S. border and into the United States.

Monterrey is also connected by at least three important railroad freight lines: Nuevo Laredo-Mexico City, Monterrey-Tampico, and Monterrey-Pacific (Mazatlán).

The city has a rapid transit system called Metrorrey, which currently has 2 lines.^[31][32]

Airports

There are two international airports: General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (served by major international carriers and moving more than 6.5 million passengers in 2007)^[33] and Del Norte International Airport, a primarily private airport.

Monterrey is linked through frequent non-stop flights to many Mexican cities and to key United States hubs (Atlanta, Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston-Intercontinental, JFK/New York, and Las Vegas). Monterrey is the second most important city for the operating routes of Aeroméxico.^[34]

General Mariano Escobedo International Airport

Five airlines have their operational bases and headquarters in Monterrey, Aviacsa, Aeroméxico Connect, Viva Aerobus and Magnicharters. There is no public transportation from Monterrey International Airport to the city. However, a cartel of taxi services link the airport with the city and charge around $20 US for a one-way ride to the city. From this airport, there is a bus shuttle to nearby Saltillo. Inter-city bus services run daily into the interior, as well as north to the US border and points beyond.

Health

Monterrey has some fine hospitals,^[35] including three with Joint Commission accreditation -^[36] the Joint Commission is a private healthcare accreditation group. There are both public and private hospitals. The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) has two major regional hospitals in the city, the Specialties Regional Hospital # 33 and the Gynecology and Obsterics Regional Hospital, serving also the northeastern states of Coahuila and Tamaulipas. Several smaller IMSS hospitals can be found such as the Traumatology and Orthopedics Hospital and the General Hospital # 25. State government owns the Metropolitan Hospital, located in the suburb of San Nicolás de los Garza and the Hospital of the Children and Mother Care in Guadalupe suburb.

The University of Nuevo León runs the public University Hospital, with a high-level shock-trauma unit and a specialized clinic for child cancer treatment. It is recognized as the best public hospital in the city and the UANL School of Medicine as one of the best in the country. On the other hand the Tecnológico de Monterrey runs the Hospital San José-Tec de Monterrey private hospital.

Monterrey has healthcare standards above the average for Mexico.^[37] It has several hospitals, including CHRISTUS Muguerza, San José-Tec de Monterrey, OCA Hospital - the largest private hospital in the city,^[38] the Santa Engracia Hospital, Hospital Cima of the International Hospital Corporation, San Vicente Hospital and the San Lucas Hospital (Plastic Surgery). Its convenient location, low prices and quality of medical care have made of Monterrey a very popular medical tourism destination for United States patients.^[39]

Economy

La Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma.

Monterrey is a major industrial center in northern Mexico, producing a GDP of 78.5 billion US dollars^[40] (2006). The city's GDP per capita in 2007 was 21,788 US dollars. The city was rated by Fortune magazine in 1999 as the best city in Latin America for business and is currently ranked third best by the América Economía magazine.^[41]

Because of its strong steel industry, it is often called "the Pittsburgh of Mexico".^[42] The city has prominent positions in sectors such as steel, cement, glass, auto parts, and brewing. In 1999 Fortune magazine recognized Monterrey as the best city in Latin America in which to do business.^[41] The magazine attributes its economic wealth in part to its proximity with the United States-Mexican border and mentions Monterrey as a significant city with economic links to the United States.^[43]

Office buildings in the municipality of San Pedro Garza García

Industrialization was accelerated in the mid 19th century by the Compañia Fundidora de Fierro y Acero Monterrey a steel-processing company.^[44] Today Monterrey is home to transnational conglomerates such as Cemex (the world's third largest cement company),^[45] FEMSA (Coca-Cola Latin America), Alfa (petrochemicals, food, telecommunications and auto parts), Axtel (telecommunications), Vitro (glass), Selther (leading mattress and rest systems firm in Latin America), Gruma (food), and Banorte (financial services). The FEMSA corporation owns a large brewery, the Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma that produces the brands Sol, Tecate, Indio, Dos Equis and Carta Blanca among others. By the end of the same year, there were more than 13,000 manufacturing companies, 55,000 retail stores, and more than 52,000 service firms in Monterrey.^[46]

The metals sector, dominated by iron and steel, accounted for 6 percent of manufacturing GNP in 1994.^[47] Mexico's steel industry is centered in Monterrey, where the country's first steel mills opened in 1903. Steel processing plants in Monterrey, privatized in 1986, accounted for about half of Mexico's total steel output in the early 1990s.^[47]

Monterrey was ranked 94^th worldwide and fifth in Latin America in terms of Quality of Life according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting (2006),^[48] and was ranked second in 2005 and fourth in 2006, according to America Economia.

Some of the shopping malls in the city include Paseo San Pedro, Plaza Fiesta San Agustín, Galerías Monterrey, and Galerías Valle Oriente, which distribute goods and services to the Mexican population.

Education

Main entrance of the ITESM

Monterrey has an estimated 3.7% rate of illiteracy. In 2005, from an estimated 983,359 inhabitants above 6 years of age, 36,689 were illiterates.^[49]

In 2005, the city had 72 public libraries, with 298,207 books available, serving an estimated 478,047 readers.^[49]

Monterrey is also the headquarters of the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Studies, ITESM or "Tec de Monterrey").^[50]

Headquarters of the UANL

The Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Autonomous University of Nuevo León, UANL), is the third largest Mexican university and is ranked by the Reader's Digest-AC Nielsen Survey 2005 as the top public university in northeast Mexico.^[51] Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria (University City), covers approximately 67,630,000 square metres (17,000 acres).^[52] The UANL system comprises 26 colleges (faculties), 22 graduate divisions, 24 high schools, 1 center of bilingual education and 3 technical high schools. The medical school of the UANL is considered one of the most advanced in Latin America.^[53]

Founded in 1969 with the support of local leading multinational corporations such as Cemex, Alfa, Femsa, Gamesa, Protexa & CYDSA, the Universidad Regiomontana is a private university offering high school, undergraduate and graduate programs. With agreements with more than 200 universities across the globe, it is member of GATE (Global Alliance for Transnational Education), FIMPES (Federación de Instituciones Mexicanas Particulares de Educación Superior) and holds an ISO 9001 Certification. Its urban campus attracts many working professionals who complement and enrich the academic experience.

The Universidad de Monterrey was founded by the religious congregations of the Sisters of Immaculate Mary of Guadalupe, the nuns of the Sacred Heart and the Marist and La Salle brothers, all of them supported by an association of catholic citizens.^[54] On December 2001 was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to deliver bachelor and master level educational programs.

The city is home to the Monterrey College of Music and Dance, which offers degrees in performing arts.

Culture

Food

Cabrito (kid goat) is Monterrey's most popular traditional dish

The most traditional dish from Monterrey is cabrito,^[55] kid goat cooked on embers based on the Jewish cuisine of the founders of the city. Other local dishes and customs that perhaps date back to the Crypto-Judaism of these founders are the "semita" (bread without leavening), the capirotada dessert (a mix of cooked bread, cheese, raisins, peanuts, and crystallized sugarcane juice), and the relative absence of pork dishes. Another famous local dish is machacado con huevo.

Carne asada on weekends remains a tradition among Monterrey families. It is usually served with grilled onions, baked potatoes and sausages or chopped as tacos. Locally brewed beer and cola are an almost mandatory part of the weekly ritual. The traditional desserts, "glorias" and "obleas," made from goat milk are both traditional candies from Nuevo León.

Sports

See also articles in the category Sport in Monterrey

Rayados play in the Estadio Tecnológico stadium.

Monterrey has two soccer teams in the Mexican league, the Club de Fútbol Monterrey, known as Rayados de Monterrey, which uses Estadio Tecnológico, a facility owned by the ITESM rented to the team, to host matches. And the UANL Tigres, owned by CEMEX,^[56] which hosts matches at Estadio Universitario, at the main campus of the UANL. Both teams are related to the city on the derby, called Clásico Regiomontano. There was a proposed project to build a stadium for both teams, the "Estadio Internacional Monterrey",^[57] but the idea was dropped out by both teams. The project is still being promoted, and the city is giving a positive view of it, but the UANL Tigres have yet to finish their stadium contract and the Rayados are planning a stadium of their own. Club de Fútbol Monterrey plans to build a new stadium able to sit a crowd of 50,000. It is scheduled to be finished by 2011, named "Estadio de Fútbol Monterrey". The new stadium is to be financed by the club's managing firm, FEMSA, and will remain the club's property for fifty years before becoming property of the government.^[58] The city hosted 8 matches during the 1986 FIFA World Cup.^[59]

In addition, two professional indoor soccer teams were hosted in the past, the Monterrey La Raza, members of the Continental Indoor Soccer League and World Indoor Soccer League and the Monterrey Fury, members of the current Major Indoor Soccer League. The city was awarded another franchise to begin play in the fall of 2007 in the MISL.

Interior of the Monterrey Arena

Baseball has a long history in the city, where it became the most popular sport during the early 20th century. Monterrey has been champion of the Little League World Series three times (1957, 1958 and 1997), and has been host of US Major League Baseball games. In the Mexican Baseball League, the Sultanes de Monterrey are one important team every season and have won the national title several times. In the year 2003, the city unsuccessfully attempted to buy (and relocate to Monterrey) the Montreal Expos franchise of the US Major League Baseball.The Sultanes de Monterrey, are a Mexican League baseball team based in Monterrey, Mexico. They are in the Northern Division. The team was formed May 20, 1939 as Carta Blanca (A local beer brand, owned by Cerveceria Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma which owned the team). The team was also known as the gray ghosts. Soon, they became one of the most important teams in the league, winning its first championship in 1943. The Sultanes play in the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey, the largest baseball stadium in Mexico.^[60]

There are two professional basketball teams: Fuerza Regia that plays in the national league, Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional and the Monterrey Venom that plays in the minor league American Basketball Association. Fuerza Regia plays at the Monterrey Arena while the Monterrey Poison plays at the gymnasium of the ITESM.

Champ Car race at the Fundidora Park.

The city has hosted the Champ Car race in Fundidora Park from 2001 to 2005 and hosted the A1 Grand Prix of Nations on February 2006.

In 2004 Monterrey hosted the World Karate Federation Senior World Championships. In April 2004, Monterrey's Arena Monterrey became the first city to host WWE in Mexico. In 2007 Monterrey hosted the Women's WTBA World Tenpin Bowling Championships

The city has two college Football teams, the Auténticos Tigres (UANL) and the Borregos (ITESM) that play in the National College League (ONEFA). There is also a local children's league called AFAIM.

People can also find golf, fishing, camping, and extreme-sports outdoors near the city (bungee jumping at Cola de Caballo, rock-climbing, hiking, mountain bike). In particular there is international-level rock-climbing places like la Huasteca, Potrero Chico and many other canyons.

Starting 2009 the Monterrey Open is held at Monterrey. This is a professional women's tennis tournament. The event is affiliated with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and is be part of the International tournaments on the WTA Tour.

In 2010, Monterrey will host the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World U18 Championship at the Monterrey Ice Complex.

Contemporary music

See also articles in the category Musical groups from Monterrey

Starting in the 60's Monterrey has been known for "Norteño" music which is the trademark music of the city, bands like Ramon Ayala, Pesado, Duelo and other Mexican "Regional" music bands perform at the different clubs in the city. Monterrey, Nuevo León has witnessed the birth of several bands that have become internationally acclaimed. Their genres vary considerably. Bands include Plastilina Mosh, Control Machete, Kinky, El Gran Silencio, Jumbo, Panda, Genitallica. The song "Los Oxidados" by Plastilina Mosh opens the 2005 movie "Mr. & Mrs. Smith". Kinky performed at the 2004 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, along with Radiohead, The Cure and The Killers.

Landmarks

The Macroplaza

Santa Lucia Riverwalk

The Lighthouse of Commerce

• Santa Lucia Riverwalk, an artificial river built between 1996 and 2007. It currently joins the Macroplaza with the Fundidora Park.
• The Cerro de la Silla (Saddle Mountain).
• La Macroplaza, one of the world's largest plazas,^{[citation needed]} is the cultural and administrative heart of the city featuring remarkable monuments, green areas and buildings.
• Faro del Comercio (Lighthouse of Commerce), another trademark of the city. This monuments beams a green laser around the city at night.
• Barrio Antiguo (old neighborhood), area where bars, cafes, art galleries and restaurants can be found. On November of every year the Festival Cultural Barrio Antiguo took place with national and international artists and performers, but now is replaced with the Festival Internacional de Santa Lucia, which now takes place in September.
• The Museum of Modern Art is a post-modern Mexican architecture designed by Ricardo Legorreta with the objective of creating different ambiances for artists and visitors from all around the world.
• Monterrey's Inukshuk is one of only a handful of authentic examples to be found outside Canada of these stone monuments from the high Arctic. The sculpture was created in situ by the renowned Inuit artist Bill Nasogaluak in 2007 and was a gift to the state of Nuevo León from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Canada.
• Fundidora Park is a large urban park that contains old foundry buildings, 120 hectares of natural ambiance, artificial lakes, playgrounds, alternative cinema (Cineteca), museum (Photo Collection, the State Plastic Arts Collection, Exhibits and Spaces), hotel, auditorium and convention center.
• Puente de la Unidad (sometimes called Puente Atirantado) is a suspension bridge that crosses the Río Santa Catarina and joins San Pedro Garza García with Monterrey.
• The Alfa Planetarium is the first IMAX dome built in Latin America and fourth in the world.
• The Government Palace of Nuevo León is a pink marble of Neoclassical architecture where the governor's office is located.
• El Cerro del Obispado (Bishopric Hill) which includes a public, scenic lookout called Mirador del Obispado, a Monumental flag and the museum inside the Palacio del Obispado (the Bishopric Palace).
• ITESM, ITESM has two distinctive buildings CEDES which houses the administration of the ITESM nationwide system and the CETEC which houses the main computer classroom and other offices.
• La Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, with its XIX century buildings and where the national Baseball Hall of Fame (Salón de la Fama) is located.
• The Cola de Caballo (Horse tail) waterfall, on the mountains near the towns of Santiago and El Cercado, about 35 km (22 mi) south.
• On the way to the Cola de Caballo waterfall (Carretera Nacional going to Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas), in Santiago, the Presa Rodrigo Gomez or "La Boca" ("La Boca" Dam)^[61][62] lays nested between green hills.

Broadcasting and media

Monterrey is an important producer and broadcaster of media and entertainment in Mexico. Grupo Multimedios operates 2 television channels in the city, one of them broadcasting also to the Mexican states of Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Chihuahua and Guanajuato, and to several cities in the United States. Televisa and TV Azteca, the two only national television networks, have local stations in the city.

Grupo Reforma, one of the most widely read newsources in Mexico originated in the city with the newspaper El Norte. Milenio Diario de Monterrey, published by Grupo Multimedios, is another newspaper of high distribution, daily printing local editions in the most important Mexican cities. Other local newspapers include El Porvenir and ABC. Northern Mexico's weekly business newspaper Biznews is also headquartered in Monterrey.

Monterrey also has several radio stations broadcasting news, music, entertainment, and culture for the city. The main radio broadcasting groups are Multimedios Radio, Grupo Radio Alegría and Nucleo Radio Monterrey.

There are 11 Air TV channel broadcasting in the city:

International development

The 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures was an international cultural event held in Monterrey from September 20 to December 8, 2007.^[63]

Also the city wanted to bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics,^[64] but the Mexican Olympic Committee rejected to support it.^[65] The city council are now bidding for the 2020 Olympic games.^[66]

Proposed logo for the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics bid

Backed by a young people's movement, students of the universities of Monterrey formed the Monterrey 2014 Foundation with the purpose of hosting the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics. In 2009 the Mexican Olympic Committee gave the bid to Guadalajara wich later on withdrew the bid late January of 2010.^[67] The Monterrey 2014 Foundation declared it will bid for 2018 since Guadalajara lost the 2014 bid.^[68]

Notable people

See also articles in the category People from Monterrey

Notable people from Monterrey include:

• Adal Ramones, Mexican comedian, Television Host.^[69]
• Alfonso Reyes, Mexican writer, intellectual, poet and essayist, also known as El Regiomontano Universal.
• Alicia Villarreal, singer.
• Antonio de Nigris, international football player.
• Federico Cantú, Mexican painter, engraver and sculptor^[70] also known as EUlises de Cadereyta.
• María Luisa "Loreley" Garza, Mexican writer, intellectual, poet and essayist, also known as La novia de Nervo.
• Eduardo Martínez Celis, Journalist, author and politician, also known as El Abate Sieyés.
• Eloy Cavazos, bullfighter.
• Ely Guerra, singer/songwriter.
• Erika Buenfil, actress.
• Ernesto Enkerlin Hoeflich, Conservationist.
• Eugenio Garza Lagüera, businessman.
• Eugenio Garza Sada, businessman and philanthropist.
• Fernando Canales, businessman, and Mexican politician.
• Fernando Elizondo, Mexican politician.
• Gabriel Zaid, writer, poet and intellectual.
• Giovani dos Santos, football player of Tottenham Hotspur, England.
• Jonathan dos Santos, football player of FC Barcelona Atlètic, Spain.
• José A. Muguerza, businessman and philanthropist.
• José Eleuterio González, a medical doctor and professor.
• José Marroquín Leal Clown and children TV show host.
• José Woldenberg first President of the Federal Electoral Institute.
• Kat Von D, Tattoo Artist
• Lorenzo Zambrano, businessman and billionaire.
• Mauricio Fernandez Garza, businessman, politician and millionaire.
• Manuel Uribe, world's fattest man.
• Servando Teresa de Mier, Roman Catholic priest
• Ramiro Peña, Major League Baseball player
• Silvia Priscila Perales Elizondo,Miss International 2007
• Gloria Trevi, singer^[71]
• Javier Treviño, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Mexico.
• Jorge de la Rosa, MLB player for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, and the Colorado Rockies
• Bianca Marroquin, Musical theatre actress known as the first Latina to play in a starring role on Broadway
• Anagabriela Espinoza Marroquin,Miss International 2009

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Monterrey is twinned with:

References

Further reading

• Michael Snodgrass, Deference and Defiance in Monterrey: Workers, Paternalism, and Revolution in Mexico, 1890-1950 (Cambridge University Press, 2003) (ISBN 0-521-81189-9)

External links

Coordinates: 25°40′N 100°18′W / 25.667°N 100.3°W / 25.667; -100.3

• Government of the City of Monterrey
• Monterrey and Nuevo Leon state government tourism website

State of Nuevo León Monterrey (capital) Topics Architecture | Climate | Cuisine | Culture | Demographics | Economy | Education | Geography | Government | History | Literature | Politics | Sports | New Leonese | Transportation | Tourist Attractions Municipalities/ towns Abasolo  Â· Agualeguas  Â· Allende  Â· Anáhuac  Â· Apodaca  Â· Aramberri  Â· Bustamante  Â· Cadereyta Jiménez  Â· El Carmen  Â· Cerralvo  Â· China  Â· Ciénega de Flores  Â· Doctor Arroyo  Â· Doctor Coss  Â· Doctor González  Â· Galeana  Â· García  Â· General Bravo  Â· General Escobedo  Â· General Terán  Â· General Treviño  Â· General Zaragoza  Â· General Zuazua  Â· Guadalupe  Â· Hidalgo  Â· Higueras  Â· Hualahuises  Â· Iturbide  Â· Juárez  Â· Lampazos de Naranjo  Â· Linares  Â· Los Aldama  Â· Los Herrera  Â· Los Ramones  Â· Marín  Â· Melchor Ocampo  Â· Mier y Noriega  Â· Mina  Â· Montemorelos  Â· Monterrey  Â· Parás  Â· Pesquería  Â· Rayones  Â· Sabinas Hidalgo  Â· Salinas Victoria  Â· San Nicolás de los Garza  Â· San Pedro Garza García  Â· Santa Catarina  Â· Santiago  Â· Vallecillo  Â· Villaldama  Â· Regions of Nuevo León Monterrey metropolitan area  Â· Peripheral Region  Â· Northern Nuevo León  Â· Salinas Valley  Â· Citrícola Region  Â· Pilón Valley  Â· Southern Nuevo León  Â· Río Blanco Valley  Â·

Monterrey Metropolitan Area Monterrey Â· Apodaca Â· Escobedo Â· García Â· Guadalupe Â· Juárez Â· Salinas Victoria Â· San Nicolás de los Garza Â· San Pedro Garza García Â· Santa Catarina Â· Santiago

Mexican state capitals Aguascalientes (Aguascalientes) Â· Mexicali (Baja California) Â· La Paz (Baja California Sur) Â· Campeche (Campeche)  Â· Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Chiapas) Â· Chihuahua (Chihuahua) Â· Saltillo (Coahuila) Â· Colima (Colima) Â· Mexico City (DF) Â· Durango (Durango) Â· Guanajuato (Guanajuato) Â· Chilpancingo (Guerrero) Â· Pachuca (Hidalgo) Â· Guadalajara (Jalisco) Â· Toluca (Mexico State) Â· Morelia (Michoacán) Â· Cuernavaca (Morelos) Â· Tepic (Nayarit) Â· Monterrey (Nuevo León) Â· Oaxaca (Oaxaca) Â· Puebla (Puebla) Â· Querétaro (Querétaro) Â· Chetumal (Quintana Roo) Â· San Luis Potosí (San Luis Potosí) Â· Culiacán (Sinaloa) Â· Hermosillo (Sonora) Â· Villahermosa (Tabasco) Â· Cd. Victoria (Tamaulipas) Â· Tlaxcala (Tlaxcala) Â· Xalapa (Veracruz) Â· Mérida (Yucatán) Â· Zacatecas (Zacatecas)

From Wikitravel

Monterrey is proud of its industrial heritage.

Mural depicting the founding of Monterrey.

Monterrey is the third largest city in Mexico and the capital of the state of Nuevo León. It is the commercial, industrial, educational, and transportation hub of northern Mexico, also third in economic importance after Mexico City and Mexico State. Although it is historically an industrial and commercial city (in fact most foreign visitors come for business purposes), tourists will be surprised at the wealth of cultural and entertainment attractions that the city has to offer.

Understand

Monterrey traces its modern history to its founding in 1596, when Diego de Montemayor founded the city, together with 12 first families. The story is told by a mural on one of the modern grey concrete and black glass government office towers downtown, just off the Macroplaza. The mural seems odd in its juxtaposition of Spanish conquestadors set next to a modern city of skyscrapers and factories. It does capture the spirit of Monterrey though --- a city that isn't so much a product of its past as it is a product of its future.

Monterrey is an aggressively modern city, unlike most destinations in Mexico. Although it does have some colonial era sights, and its Barrio Antiguo district preserves a sense of Monterrey as it was in its once "sleepy town" days, the city is very much a product of the industrial age of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, Monterrey has a culture that values education and business ethics. Often referred to as "an industrial giant", the label is more true in the imagination than it is in reality. Monterrey's big steel and iron works have been shut down for almost two decades, and even the concrete, glass, and brewing industries don't dominate the economy as they once did. Instead, people in Monterrey are today more likely to work in retail, in banking, in telecommunications, or in health care or education.

The city enjoys one of Mexico's highest standards of living, and the population is more educated and cultured than average.

Monterrey is also a large city. The central downtown has a population of about a million, but the metropolitan area that includes all of its adjacent suburban municipalities brings its total city population to just under 4 million --- similar in size to the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S.

While it is true that visitors seeking the traditional flavor of colonial Mexico find little to love about Monterrey, the city has emerged as a leading cultural center: it likes cutting edge contemporary architecture (like the visually stunning Puente Atirantado or Puente Viaducto de la Unidad in San Pedro Garza Garcia, the new circular Tec business school in el Valle, or the physics-defying twin leaning bookends look of that shocking white concrete and black glass building that you see as you drive past the ITESM campus). It's also a youthful city that tends to prefer cutting edge rockeros like Plastilina Mosh or Kinky to the cowboy-hat wearing cumbia groups that built the city's music industry in the '70s and '80s. Monterrey is a city where international cuisine finds a welcoming reception, and where high-speed broadband internet connections are actually becoming more commonplace than in many U.S. communities. Monterrey is a progressive, modern city that likes to learn, likes to work, and likes to live for the weekend.

Map of the Monterrey Metropolitan Area

Faro Comercio is a monument to Monterrey's business culture.

Monterrey is a large city with a wide variety of transportation options. Bus, plane, or personal car are the most practical ways to get to Monterrey.

By plane

Monterrey has two airports. All commercial flights use Monterrey International (MTY) -- the city's main airport. Private and cargo carriers use Del Norte Airport.

Monterrey's new MUNE museum opened September 2007.

• General Mariano Escobedo International Airport (IATA: MTY) (ICAO: MMMY), Tel: +52 (81)83-45-44-34. Daily international flights to Chicago, New York, Madrid, Orlando, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. It has several flights a day to all major Mexican destinations, including Mexico City, Guadalajara, Toluca, Cancun, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Tijuana. Several low cost airlines fly from Monterrey to different parts of the country, including Volaris, Interjet, and Viva Aerobus. The airport is located about 20 minutes from downtown in the suburban municipality of Apodaca. The usual fare to go from the airport to the city and vice versa is about US$25.
• Del Norte Airport (ICAO: MMAN), Tel: +52 (81) 80-30-90-90. Private planes flying to Monterrey can use the smaller Del Norte Airport. Simply put, there is no bureaucracy involved in entering Monterrey through this airport. There are various FBOs that will be glad to assist you with your every need, and the hospitality of every single employee of the airport and the FBOs give you a very warm welcome to Monterrey. The FBOs can get you in contact with a car rental company or can take you to your hotel. This airport is also in Apodaca but it is a little closer to the city than the Mariano Escobedo Airport.

Ground transportation to/from MTY

• If you are in the city, any taxi will take you and the fare will be the same from any point of the city to the airport. In the airport you have to locate a special counter inside the terminal where you have to pay for the fare to the city. Once you pay you are given a ticket that has to be shown to the driver in order to be let into a cab.

• There is a service call SKYBUS, the oneway fare is a little bit less than US$10 it can take you from tha airport to downtown (25 minutes with no traffic) or Valle Oriente in San Pedro (35 minutes with no traffic). The bus is very comfortable with internet wireless and the personel is just the kindest there is a bus departing from the airport every hour on the hour. You can find the SKYBUS counter next to the domestic arrivals or visit the website to make your reservation. www.skybus.com.mx

• Rental car counters are located inside the terminal building and just outside the domestic arrival area (to your right as you exit customs from the international arrivals door). Rates are no higher than in the U.S., and you can book online through any major car rental company web site. Companies with rental locations on-site at MTY airport include: National, Advantage, Europcar, Thrifty, Alamo, Payless, Hertz, Budget, and Avis.

Airlines serving MTY

• International Service: U.S. airlines serving MTY include American, Continental, Delta, and Northwest.

• Both International and Domestic Service: Aeromexico, Aviacsa, Mexicana, Aladia, and Viva Aerobus.

• Domestic Service Only: Aero California, Aeromar, Avolar, Interjet, Alma, Magnicharters, and Volaris

By bus

Monterrey's Central de Autobuses is the hub of bus transportation in the city and is the largest bus station in northern Mexico. The station has bays for more than 100 buses to simultaneously load or unload. It is served by more than a dozen first-class bus lines and dozens more second-class bus lines. Trans-border buses go between Monterrey and cities throughout the United States while long distance buses go from Monterrey to other major Mexican bus hubs and to every notable city in northern Mexico.

Monterrey's Central de Autobuses, Metrorrey subway line running overhead.

Bus lines operating between Monterrey and Texas and other southern U.S. state destinations include (among others):

• Adame
• Americanos and Amigos [1]
• El Conejo [2]
• El Expreso [3]
• Autobuses Garcia
• Tornado
• Turimex Internacional [4]

First-class and executive-level bus lines operating between Monterrey and other Mexican cities include (among others):

• Estrella Blanca (Turistar, Futura, Chihuahenses, more), [5]
• ETN, [6]
• Grupo Senda (Sendor, Tamaulipas, Coahuilenses, more), [7]
• Olimpia [8]
• Omnibus de Mexico, [9]
• Transportes del Norte

Some bus lines also have small company-specific bus stations on the outskirts of the city, for example, Grupo Senda has a stop near the Cintermex, which can be convenient for passengers arriving by way of the McAllen/Reynosa border crossing.

Location: Central de Autobuses is located in the heart of Monterrey on Av. Colon. You can get to the Central de Autobuses using the Metrorrey subway system. The main phone number for the bus station is (81) 8372-9324.

By car

Monterrey is about 200km south of the U.S./Mexico border. The most common border crossings, both in South Texas, used to get to Monterrey are Laredo/Nuevo Laredo and McAllen-Hidalgo/Reynosa. The travel time from either Reynosa or Nuevo Laredo is about two hours. Many regios (As residents of Monterrey are nicknamed) drive to San Antonio and all points north through Puente Colombia outside of Nuevo Laredo, as Nuevo Laredo has descended into anarchy and criminal chaos.

From points in the United States, take Interstate 35 south. The highway ends at International Bridge 2 in Laredo. The Aduana office for handling vehicle import paperwork is on the river road in between Bridge 1 and Bridge 2. Mexican auto insurance can also be purchased there. From Nuevo Laredo, take Mexico Highway 85 south and it brings you right into Monterrey.

Guia Roji maps to Mexico are indispensible for drivers in Mexico. You can buy them online ahead of time, or they are sold in every Sanborns store in Mexico. You will need a map to drive in Monterrey because the city is large and complex.

Get around

Taxis and walking are the best choices. Buses are common but hard to use. The subway is good, but has limited coverage.

Taxis

Taxis are the easiest way to get around Monterrey. The green and white Eco-Taxis are most common, and they are both affordable and plentiful. Taxis use meters in Monterrey, and to avoid overcharges, insist that the driver use the meter. The average fare for an in-city trip will be about 50 pesos. The fare from downtown to the airport will be about 200 pesos.

Bus

The buses in Monterrey go through the city numbers 1-199 go in a certain part of the city.Numbers 200-300 go to most part of the city.And 300-502 are minibuses. Also there is a metrobus service in Guadalupe and San Bernabe area.Theres three routes in San Bernabe and one in Guadalupe. For more info go to Metrorrey website. .

Map of Monterrey subway system.

The Metrorrey subway system is clean, modern, and very inexpensive, though the coverage is not extensive. It can be used to go between downtown areas like Macroplaza or Barrio Antiguo and the Central de Autobuses bus station. It also stops near the Cerveceria Cuahtemoc and the Coliseo and is a good choice if you are staying in the suburban municipality of Guadalupe. The useful stops for a tourist include:

• Central: main bus station, Coliseo
• Cuahtemoc: transfer point, low-end shopping, brewery tours
• Padre Mier: shopping near Morelos (Zona Rosa), Holiday Inn Centro
• Zaragoza: Macroplaza, Barrio Antiguo, Howard Johnson, Fiesta Americana, Santa Rosa Suites
• Parque Fundidora: Parque Fundidora, Cintermex, Arena Monterrey, Holiday Inn Fundidora
• Universidad: Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León, Parque Niños Héroes, Estadio Universitario

Street near the Macroplaza in downtown Monterrey.

Renting a car is a possibility, though it can be expensive and navigating the streets can be a bit tricky. As with any major metro area, parking is always an issue, though parking is generally easier in Monterrey than in other cities of similar size. Many downtown hotels offer free parking and free valet parking for their guests. A large public lot under the Macroplaza usually has spaces available.

Downtown Tourism Transportation

In the downtown area, there is a tourist trolley that does regular circuits around the Macroplaza and Barrio Antiguo areas.

Riverboats on the Paseo Santa Lucia can be used to go between the Macroplaza area and Parque Fundidora. The boats leave from the waterway below the Museo de Historia Mexicana, near the Palacio del Gobierno.

Museo de Historia Mexicana in downtown Monterrey

• Cerro de la Silla - Monterrey's most famous landmark is the saddle-shaped mountain that dominates the local skyline. There are also hiking trails to its peak, if you're athletically inclined.
• Cerro del Obispado - Historical site, originally home of the Bishop de Monterrey, with excellent views of the city. Home to a small regional history museum with a clerical bent. The Obispado can be easily spotted by virtue of its enormous Mexican flag, flying proudly beside it.
• Cerveceria Cuahtemoc, Centro. Tours and sample of Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Sol, or one of the other beers brewed here.
• Macroplaza - In the east of the Zona Rosa is Mexico's largest zocalo, or central plaza, a stretch of green space lined with fountains, statues, gardens, and monuments. Ringing the park are many historical buildings and museums, including the Monterrey Cathedral, the Mexican History Museum, the Monterrey Contemporary Art Museum, and the former palace of the governor.

• Puente Colgante San Pedro - Futuristic suspension bridge set against a dramatic backdrop of nearby mountains.

• Safari Parque Estrella - Located about 30 minutes from Monterrey this wildlife safari park features treks through the Serengeti, a petting zoo, and a variety of attractions for the whole family. [10]
• Cascadas Cola de Caballo - Take a day trip out to the park and see the waterfalls, just a few miles outside Monterrey.
• Presa de la Boca, (Using the highway to Laredo). This is one of the dams that provides the water supply for the city. Located just on the outskirts, this is a popular recreational spot for the local population. Here you will find lots of traditional products, handcrafts, regional cuisine and some other goods. It is recommended for its traditional atmosphere. Also you may hire a service to do horse riding, sailing, karting or biking.  edit

Commencing the bull fight, Plaza Monumental, Monterrey

• Fuerza Regia (basketball) - Professional basketball seems to be taking off in Mexico and the Fuerza Regia play in the massive, ultramodern new Arena Monterrey. [11]
• Sultanes(baseball) - Monterrey's AAA-level Mexican League Baseball team is the Sultanes --- one of the best and most enduring teams in Mexico. Kick back in the 40,000 seat Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey on any summer evening, have a couple ice cold Carta Blancas, and cheer when the Sultanes smack in another jonron! [12]
• Rayados (football/soccer) - The Rayados (sometimes also called La Pandilla) are one of two professional soccer teams --- both very good --- playing in Monterrey. Games are played in the 41,000 seat Estadio Tecnologico. [13]

Salon de la Fama Beisbol Profesional Mexicana

• Tigres (football/soccer) - The Tigres are Monterrey's "other" first-division professional soccer team, playing at the 43,000 seat Estadio Universitario. The biggest game of the year is the Clasico Regiomontano, pitting the two hometown teams against each other. [14]
• Borregos Salvajes (football/american) - College football with a Mexican accent, the Borregos Salvajes are the team for ITESM (also known as "Tec de Monterrey"). [15]
• Autenticos Tigres (football/american) - College football with a Mexican accent, the Autenticos Tigres are the team for UANL.

Bungee jumping at the mesa, Parque Ecologico Chipinque, Monterrey

• La Huasteca - Dramatic canyons cut through the mountains on the edge of Monterrey with sheer rock cliffs and an impressive display of nature's power.
• Chipinque Ecological Park - Chipinque is one of the white-faced mountains towering over Monterrey, this one over the suburban municipalities of San Pedro and Garza Garcia. Drive up to the mesa where you can picnic while your kids enjoy the playground. Go hiking or mountain biking on the rugged trails that go up through the mountains to a fire-spotting station, or onwards toward the reservoir near the outlying town of Santiago. There is a rustic mountain lodge offering affordable family lodging and a restaurant serving traditional Mexican cuisine in a setting with unparalleled views of the city below. [16]
• Matacanes - Matacanes is a Mecca for the rugged outdoors sportsman, it's a narrow, whitewater river rushing through the Sierra Madres, cascading over waterfalls, and forcing its way with all due haste towards the Gulf of Mexico. People come to Matacanes to hike the verdant green mountain trails, to swim in the cool pools, to rappel down sheer cliff faces, and to see a side of Northern Mexico that few guide books take the time to explore.
• El Potrero Chico an internationally renowned rock climbing area 1 hr ride outside the city. It is also great for biking and trail running.

• Parque Plaza Sesamo - Popular theme park featuring all your favorite Sesame Street characters, from Elmo to Big Bird. There's rides for the kids, shows, and an impressive array of water slides to help you cool off during the hottest summer afternoons. [17].
• Lucha Libre - If WWE is too tame for you, check out Lucha Libre --- the original professional wrestling. Tuesday evenings at 7pm seem to be the best time to catch some wrestling action. It happens at the Coliseo, across the street from the Central de Autobuses.
• Bull Fights - Some people find it bloody and barbaric, but it's an authentic slice of Spanish heritage and the bullfights in Monterrey feature top-tier professional matadors. [18]
• Rio Santa Catarina - The dry river bed of the Santa Catarina runs through downtown Monterrey along Avenida Constitucion. On the river bed are soccer fields, a big go-kart track, the occasional traveling circus, and an enormous flea market, called the "pulga".
• Casa Tec - Monterrey's ITESM is the largest and most highly regarded private university in Latin America. Often considered a privilege for Mexico's affluent young adults, the school aggressively seeks to open its doors to talented minds of all income levels through an amazingly rich scholarship program, funded by periodic raffles of multi-million dollar mansions, fully furnished right down to his-and-her luxury cars in the garage and enough cash to pay all taxes and household maintenance for the first years. Homes for the next raffle are open for public tours and its great fun to stroll through the home, seeing how you could live if only your number came up. The raffle is called Sorteo Tec and the home tours are in San Pedro, in the Valle Oriente part of Monterrey. [19]

Inside the MARCO Museum.

The shopping scene in Monterrey is excellent. You'll find many international labels and designer houses in the upper-end malls. There are two artesanal cooperatives that cater to the tourist souvenir market (one on Morelos near the Macroplaza, the other on Hidalgo near the Holiday Inn Centro), as well as UPS stores in several major shopping malls.

The upper-end malls consist of four very large, modern malls. These malls are not unlike malls elsewhere in the world, and they're usually anchored by both Mexican (Liverpool, Palacio del Hierro, etc.) and U.S. (Sears, JCPenny) department store chains. The major malls in Monterrey include:

• Galerias Monterrey
• Plaza Fiesta San Agustin
• Galerías Valle Oriente
• Plaza Cumbres

Morelos, also known as the Zona Rosa, is a pedestrian friendly street lined with busy shops, small malls, shopping arcades, and filled with street vendors and musicians.

Local character is on display on the Carretera Nacional, heading out of the city towards the Cola de Caballo. A 1-mile stretch of highway near the town of Santiago is lined with small open-air shops, restaurants, and marketplaces. You can get great deals on rustic furniture, clothing, household goods, homemade food products, and just about anything else you can imagine. Parking can be difficult on weekends, but the selection is at its best and the atmosphere is the closest thing you'll find to the big outdoor markets boasted by cities in the rest of the latin world.

Although Monterrey is not known for any specific types of popular folk art, their regional candies are widely sold throughout the city and make excellent gifts to bring back home. Look for any kind of "leche quemada", especially the deliciously carmelized "Glorias", crusted in chopped pecans.

In the beer garden at the Cerveceria Cuahtemoc.

Monterrey is a paradise for spicy food lovers and anyone who loves the smoky flavor of fresh meats grilled over smoldering wood embers will be right at home in any restaurant serving authentic Northern Mexican cuisine. Worthwhile local delicacies are:

• cabrito - Whole kid goats are splayed over hot coals and slow roasted for hours. Usually served with hot tortillas, fresh sliced onions, and house salsa.
• machacado - Breakfast in Monterrey often includes machacado con huevo, dried salted beef is shredded into a pan and lightly braised, then eggs are scrambled in --- serve with warm tortillas and salsa.
• atropellado - Dry meat with tomato, onion and peppers, really good!
• cafe de olla - Rustic-style coffee brewed with a touch of cinnamon. Delicious!
• arracherra - What's known as fajitas in some places is arracherra in Monterrey --- grilled marinated skirt steak topped with melted white cheese and served with hot tortillas and caramelized onions.
• leche quemada - Nuevo Leon is famous for its succulently sweet caramel candies made from scorched sweetened goat milk. The candies are available in several forms, including small balls dusted with fine granular sugar, rolls, and of course, Glorias --- the queen of leche quemada, with a healthy dollop of chopped pecans to enhance its already nutty sweet flavor

Some good restaurants for authentic Northern Mexican food include:

• La Huasteca
• El Regio
• El Rey del Cabrito

Good downtown restaurants include:

• Ianilli's (italian cuisine)
• La Casa del Maiz (traditional Mexican)
• El Tio (traditional Mexican)

Cheap eats:

• Dona Tota (gorditas)
• Taqueria Las Monjitas
• Cafe Florian

Monterrey is a famous brewing city and is the home for popular brands like Dos Equis and Bohemia. You can stop by the beer garden in front of the brewery anytime during the day for a free glass of beer under the towering oak trees. If you like craft beers, stop by the Sierra Madre Brewing Company (now with four locations throughout the city, each featuring fresh beer and brick-oven pizzas).

By day, the Barrio Antiguo has stylish colonial charm, at night, it's a club-hopper's scene.

The clubbing scene in Monterrey is very hot. Nightclubs range from the typical "dive bar" to the very expensive, valet-please-park-my-Lamborghini places. Because Monterrey is home to the top colleges in Mexico, thousands of young people from all over Mexico party as early as Wednesday. You will surely find a club that suits your taste. There are 2 major clubbing areas to know about, downtown known as the Barrio Antiguo and the Centrito, in the Colonia del Valle.

• Barrio Antiguo (Old Town) is probably your best option if you are only in the city for one night, especially on weekends. You will find plenty of bars with live music that open until early in the morning. Make sure you visit Bar-Rio Antiguo and Zocalo (its courtyard hosts 4-5 clubs), located on Padre Mier. Keep an eye out for people handing out "No Cover" passes on the street, as well as flyers advertising events, cover fee, and special offers (example: 2x1 on bottles before 12 a.m., girls 50% off cover fee before 11 p.m.) at the different nightclubs. La Tumba is a good club for people who want to party to the tropical sounds of Cuban salsa.

• The Centrito had seen a steady decline in its night scene, until world reknown clubs like Dubai and El Clásico opened in the city. You can find El Clásico in Playa del Carmen near Cancún. Now as you can imagine Centrito is one of the best bets right now when it comes to clubbing. If you choose you can still go to the top notch clubs in calzada de San pedro, they are calledHavana which is located in Avenida San Pedro or the Privatt.

• Casino gambling is not permitted, but off-track horse race betting is. If gambling is your game, head to Caliente. The larger, nicer location is near Galerias Monterrey, just off Gonzalitos by the Hampton Inn. Another location is downtown in the Macroplaza area, on Zaragoza next door to the Howard Johnson.

• A night out is not complete until you finish eating "breakfast" at a local taqueria or hot dog stand. It is very common to find outdoor grills going full-tilt on city streets at 4am. Tacos del Julio and Tacos del Güero are two of the most sought-out establishments for this purpose.

• The traffic fine for being caught driving under the influence can reach up to US$2,500 or three days imprisonment. Police roadblocks on Saturday nights are common. It's not worth the risk.

• Hotel Fundador, Diego De Montemayor, Monterrey, Mexic. A clean, quiet, cheap, air-conditioned hotel in the heart of the Barrio Antiguo. Very comfortable and clean, and prices are similar to La Casa Del Barrio ($10 to $15 per person a night).  edit

• La Casa Del Barrio, 1221 Col Centro Barrio Antiguo, Monterrey, Mexic, ☎ 52 81 8341800, [20]. A hostel in the center of the Barrio Antiguo. It is away from most of the bars, but is still noisy (windows of rooms face a loud courtyard, and it echos). Owner is often absent, so guests cannot get into rooms. Charge for use of stove, charge for breakfast, charge for laundry. Routinely overbooks, so you may not get your room of choice (or any room at all). Beds vary in comfort levels.  edit

Budget lodging

Monterrey has a wide variety of options for the backpacker or extreme budget traveler. There are several very cheap hotels clustered within a few blocks of the bus station, though many feature dubious cleanliness. Hostels are a better option, and there are at least three hostels operating in Monterrey - these offer clean bunks for as cheap as US$10 per night. Several new budget hotels have opened in Monterrey since 2004: these new properties include a CityExpress on the southern side of the city, an Ibis in San Pedro, and another Ibis at the airport --- rooms can be had at all of these for under US$50 per night.

Contact

High-speed broadband internet is widely available and most hotels provide wi-fi hotspots. Cyber cafes provide short-term internet access for about US$1 per hour. There are many of these cyber cafes around Monterrey, and you can usually find one on the side alleys off Morelos (the pedestrian-only shopping area downtown).

Newspapers in Monterrey include:

• El Norte [21]
• El Porvenir [22]
• Milenio [23]
• El Sol
• El Regio [24]
• Crucero [25]

Stay safe

According to América Económica magazine, Monterrey has ranked as the safest city in Latin America along with Santiago de Chile. Violent crime against tourists is not common. It is perfectly safe to walk outside even in the night. Petty crime, such as pickpocketing is also rare. Taxis are generally trustworthy in Monterrey and as long as you are aware that meters should always be used, cheating rarely occurs. However, as in any metropolitan area in the world, it still has some crime issues, mainly related to drug traffic. Also avoid poorer areas that you may spot easily in some hills and the surroundings. Just keep in mind to maintain some minor precautions as you would do in any major city.

• Take a trip to see the waterfalls at "Cola de Caballo".
• Take a trip to Grutas de Garcia (about 40 min away) and see the caves, there is a cable car that takes you to the entrance. Then you have to pay for a guided tour that lasts for about an hour.
• Take a day trip to Presa de la Boca. The shops are magnificent. An elegant lunch can be enjoyed at Las Palomas in the town of Santiago, up on the hill.
• Take a day trip to Saltillo --- just an hour to the west.
• Take a safari at the Bioparque Estrella.
• Pack a picnic lunch and go exploring in La Husteca, Matacanes, Chipinque, or one of the other nearby parks.

From LoveToKnow 1911

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