Valle de Bravo, west from Toluca, the road towards Morelia and the state of Michoacán is truly spectacular. Much of this wooded, mountainous area as far as Zitácuaro is given over to villas inhabited at weekends by wealthy refugees from the capital, and nowhere more so than the small colonial town of Valle de Bravo, reached by turning off to the left about halfway. Set in a deep, pine-clad valley surrounded by low mountains, the town sits on the eastern shore of an artificial lake, Lago Avandaro. Its main attraction is the dam or pond, where they perform a variety of water sports. The place is known for its typical, traditional architecture of the colonial era and attracts many tourists. It is a place between mountains and center of several sports such as mountain biking, motorcycling cross country (Enduro, motocross, ATVs), gliders, paragliders and hanglider (Wings delta) and horseback riding, you can practice in a highly recommended place grandiose landscapes. Also, sport fishing Lake rainbow trout, tilapia and carp Israel, sailboat racing and water skiing are practiced. Moreover, the population also has three championship golf courses of eighteen holes and a host of excellent restaurants with typical, international, Italian and French food, shopping malls arts, crafts and decorative items. On the Day of the Dead (November 2) organized a great festival called the Festival of Souls. There is also a Spirituality Center Carmel Maranatha or purpose is to offer a space to favor personal encounter with God through silence and spiritual retreats. Folk dance, dance, theater and photography exhibitions as well as short films, performance of regional and foreign groups, Mexicans, etc. Each year the Festival of Souls and the music festival and ecology, international festivals of various activities, such as are held.

With terracotta-tiled roofs, iron balconies affixed to many of the older buildings and a mass of whitewashed houses all huddled together, it is an immediately appealing place, something that has drawn a coterie of artistic refugees from the big city. They mostly keep to themselves, leaving the water’s edge for weekenders who descend for upmarket relaxation: boat trips, sailing, swimming, water-skiing, riding, paragliding, hiking and golf. The town itself isn’t that pricey and it does make for a very relaxing break provided you come during the week, when fewer people are about and some of the hotels drop their prices. The zócalo, ringed with restaurants and centred on a twin-towered church, sits on a rise a fifteen-minute walk from the waterfront, where there’s a small tourist information kiosk (Mon–Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 10am–9pm, Sun 10am–6pm), and a wharf (embarcadero) from which you can take boat rides: either rent one, or join a lancha colectiva. The main tourist office is in town at the Auditorio Municipal on Porfirio Díaz (off Juárez between 16 de Septiembre and Independencia).

Valle de Bravo has been called the “Switzerland of Mexico.” Ringed by pine-forested mountains and set beside a beautiful lake, Valle de Bravo is a 16th-century village with cobblestone streets and colonial structures built around a town plaza. Like San Miguel de Allende, Taxco, and Puerto Vallarta, Valle de Bravo is a National Heritage village; new construction must conform to the colonial style of the original village. The village’s cobbled streets, small restaurants, hotels, spas, and shops are full on weekends—this is a very popular retreat from Mexico City. Some shops and restaurants may be closed weekdays. The crafts market, 3 blocks from the main square, is open daily from 10am to 5pm, and colorfully dressed Mazahua Indians sell their handmade tapestries daily around the town plaza.

Sailing, windsurfing, bass fishing, and water-skiing are popular on the lake. Boats of varying speeds can be rented (along with a driver and water-ski equipment) at the dock for between 200 and 400 pesos per hour; look for the sign that says yate cristal y lanchas. Excursions from Valle de Bravo include a trip to the nesting grounds of the monarch butterfly between November and February. It can be very rainy and chilly September through December, in addition to the summer rainy season. The neighboring town of Avandaro, 6km (33⁄4 miles) away, is a popular place for weekend homes for well-to-do residents of Mexico City.

With one of the loveliest colonial centers in Central Mexico, the pueblo magico of Valle de Bravo is an utter charmer and a wonder-fill spot for an escape from Mexico City. A long, winding and occasionally stunning mountain road runs the 85km west from Toluca, taking you to shores of (artificial) Lake Avandaro, the result of the construction of a hydroelectric station. The setting here is reminiscent of the northern Italian lakes, with thickly wooded, mist-clad hills and red terracotta roofing used throughout the town. Valle, as it's known, is famous for being the weekend retreat of choice for the capital's well-connected upper classes.

The views at the lakeside are stunning, but the beguiling and largely intact colonial center is arguably the real draw here. Boating on the lake is very popular as well, as are hiking and camping in the hills around the town. Valle is set up well for visitors. There's a tourist info kiosk on the wharf, and essential services, including ATMs and internet cafés, are found around the main plaza, a 10-minute walk up-hill from the waterfront. In late October or early November, the weeklong Festival de las Almas international arts and culture extravaganza brings in music and dance troupes from all over Europe and Latin America.

Near Valle de Bravo and Acatitlán, bound for Los Alamos, there is the Great Stupa for World Peace. Stupas are the object of worship for Buddhists. They are monuments that symbolize the spiritual journey to enlightenment, because they represent a clear mind of Buddha or Buddhahood that we can all achieve. Through its perfect form, these structures have important energy manifestations, increasing harmony, peace, prosperity and welfare of those in their vicinity. The Stupa in Valle de Bravo, in Los Alamos, is the largest that has been built in the West; It has a height of 36 meters and an area of 400 sqm. It is a suitable place for meditation and contact with the nature. It is also another Stupa in Avándaro way to the 'Bridal Veil' waterfall in Cerro Gordo. From the road, between the tops of the trees, the lake, whose still waters serve as recreation space swimmers and athletes. On reaching the village, the houses of gabled roofs with tiles, white walls and cobblestone streets invite you to walk. Like their immaculate walls, forests surrounding the area provide a haven of peace and a chance to visit the sanctuaries of the Monarch butterfly found in the State of Mexico. If visiting the area between November and March, Orange migration from the forests of Canada, offers a unique spectacle. The neighboring town of Los Saucos is the closest to Valle de Bravo to watch the butterfly’s sanctuary, whose weight reaches even fold the branches of firs. Moreover, for visitors who love the arts and culture, the Regional Cultural Center of Valle de Bravo "Joaquin Arcadio Caspian" is a good choice to approach the local and national painting and photography, as in their facilities exhibitions and presentations of these arts are mounted, in addition to teaching fine arts, music and dance.