Travel Guide MONTERREY Contents

DISCOVER MONTERREY 01

MONTERREY PROFILE 02

MONTERREY ATTRACTIONS 03

MONTERREY DINING 11

MONTERREY SHOPPING 14

MONTERREY NIGHTLIFE 17

THINGS TO DO IN MONTERREY 19 DISCOVER MONTERREY

Monterrey is synonymous with industry, modernity, and progress, without forgetting its Mexican spirit and traditions. Thanks to its fantastic location for commerce, Monterrey has developed an impressive hotel infrastructure, a great variety of restaurants, and the most modern convention and exhibition center in Latin America. Nevertheless, visitors to Monterrey will also be pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of tourist and cultural attractions, as well as by the recreational areas of Mexico’s third most important city.

The famous mountain Cerro de la Silla, a peak in the form of a saddle that reaches a height of 5,100 feet above sea level, is the symbol of Monterrey and can be seen from almost any part of the city. The metropolis is well located, just 135 miles from the US border. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY Monterrey is the main industrial hub of Mexico, featuring industries from a variety of sectors, including telecommunications, automotive, aerospace, electronics, information systems, and food processing, making it a perfect city for trade. It also offers modern business parks and a cutting-edge infrastructure for world-class events and exhibitions.

ECOTOURISM IN MONTERREY Monterrey is surrounded by forests, nature parks, waterfalls, caves, and mountains, ideal for tours and outdoor sports like hiking, rappelling, and mountain biking.

1 MONTERREY PROFILE

An excellent business and industrial infrastructure with modern industrial parks

A wide variety of cultural, recreational, and tourist attractions

Home to major industrial and financial corporations

Features modern convention centers

Multiple natural attractions for ecotourism and adventure sports

Many important educational institutions

A very important city for business tourism

A popular destination for health tourism

2 MONTERREY ATTRACTIONS

Monterrey is a city that combines contrasting natural and urban settings. History and traditions converge in this metropolis, which features impressive buildings, innovative cultural and entertainment centers, and modern financial and industrial developments. Here you’ll find magnificent parks, fabulous waterfalls and canyons, as well as history and art museums, a planetarium, and fun theme parks. These attractions are just some of the reasons to come and discover a modern city, full of Mexican charm, and enjoy the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.

MONTERREY CATHEDRAL The land where the cathedral is located dates back to the foundation of Monterrey more than 400 years ago and is the seat of the local archdiocese. The construction of the cathedral took more than 100 years. In 1791 the vaults and facade as we see them today were finally finished, but the towers that have come to symbolize it weren’t completed until a century later. Due to the length of its construction, it features a combination of architectural styles, with the most predominant being churrigueresque.

The interior has sober decor and features numerous 19th century paintings from New Spain. In the interior and on the facade you can see the directives of the Franciscans, a religious order who left their mark by founding almost all the north of Mexico. While at the cathedral you can also visit the Bishops’ Mausoleum.

3 THE MACRO PLAZA The Macro Plaza or Gran Plaza is, without a doubt, the focal point of downtown Monterrey. Here you’ll find about 100 acres filled with a series of small plazas that contain fountains, benches, trees, and green areas, as well as historic buildings and monuments. The main monument is “Faro de Comercio” (Lighthouse of Commerce), which dominates its surroundings and is the tallest of its kind in Mexico. The Macro Plaza area is also where you’ll findMonterrey Cathedral, “Teatro de la Ciudad” (City Theater), “Explanada de los Heroes” (Heroes Esplanade), the Palacio de Gobierno Museum, and Neptune’s Fountain. CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM This museum, which is known locally as MARCO, displays works by some of the top artists in the areas of painting, sculpture, and graphic arts. Located in downtown, the main entrance is flanked by a stylized 4-ton, 18-foot high sculpture of a pigeon, which was made by Juan Soriano who specializes in plastic art. MARCO offers audio guides and points of reflection throughout to help visitors to understand its content.

BARRIO ANTIGUO (OLD TOWN) This area stands out for its brick and adobe buildings, which display the colonial architecture that was ever-present in Monterrey at the end of the 19th century. Many have been restored in keeping with the style of yesteryear and now house art galleries, cafes, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, making the region the cultural and social heart of Monterrey. It is highly recommended to take a tour of this beautiful place on foot or in a carriage during the day so you can feel what it was like to live in the city years ago, with its cobbled streets, lampposts, and old buildings that set the scene.

4 MONTERREY MUSEUM The main objective of the Monterrey Museum is to display the best of the city’s art. Here you can see more than 1500 modern pieces of Latin American art, with the main emphasis being Mexican. Over time the museum has put together one of the largest collections in Mexico, which shows works from different artistic styles, such as sculpture, painting, drawings, and photography. CITY HALL Built in 1908 from pink quarry stone, this site features neo-classical architecture and is classified as a National Monument by the National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH). The main facade is crowned by a statue of Victory.

VILLA DE SANTIAGO Villa de Santiago has become an important tourist destination thanks to its multiple attractions and its classification as a “Pueblo Magico” (Magic Town) by the Mexican government, in 2006. It has a romantic colonial atmosphere, while also offering lots of fun and recreation due to its location in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.

This town invites visitors to step back in time while walking around or relaxing on a bench in the main plaza, where they can admire mansions and the church of Saint James the Apostle, which was built in 1745 and stands out for the stairway that leads to the entrance. Located just 30 minutes from Monterrey, the town offers visitors a peaceful atmosphere that contrasts with the fast pace of the city.

5 FUNDIDORA PARK Considered to be the first urban park in the north of Mexico, Fundidora Park owes its name to what in 1900 was known as “Compania Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey” (Monterrey Iron and Steel Foundry Company), which was declared bankrupt in 1986 and had to close its doors. The state decided to make the most of the immense plot of land and the machinery, and to transform the old facilities of this company into what is now “Parque Fundidora”. Complete with over 300 acres of land that combine history, culture, and entertainment, the park features plazas, walkways, gardens and lakes that offer natural, safe places to have fun without having to pay for it!

The complex is home to two of the main places to host events in Monterrey: CINTERMEX, with 59,000 square feet for conventions and 200,000 square feet for exhibitions; and Arena Monterrey, an auditorium that can hold up to 17,600 people and is unique in Latin America for its “smart” facilities. The park is also where you’ll find La Casa de los Loros (the Macaw House), Museo del Acero (Steel Museum), the Mabe Fundidora Ice Rink, the theme park Plaza Sesamo, and La Cineteca (Film Archive), among other attractions. MUNDO DE ADEVERAS Set against the natural landscapes of Monterrey, Mundo de Adeveras is a theme park for children that combines knowledge and entertainment through different outdoor activities like Go Karts, paintballing, and zip-lines. One of the main attractions of the park is that it offers a scaled-recreation of the real world, with areas dedicated to the city, to industry, to the countryside, to sports, and extreme games in which your little ones can choose between 50 different professions and trades.

6 KIDZANIA KidZania is a place of fun, entertainment and education for kids between the ages of 1 and 12, where they can play at being adults in 75 different trades and professions. This is a scaled down city that features replicas of the most representative establishments, and where kids work and earn a salary in its official currency, “Kidzos”, which can be used to buy different assets and services. Here you’ll find an acting academy, a racetrack, a disco lounge, a painting faculty, an esoteric corner, an entertainment room for parents, and a whole lot more.

PLAZA SESAMO PARK This fantastic amusement park is located at Fundidora Park and features incredible rides like the Grand Prix, where you can feel like a race driver in a Go Kart, or Space Shot, the park’s main attraction, offering 180 feet of adrenaline. The park also features 17 water slides on which you can reach speeds of up to 40 mph, while you’ll find sports nets, waterfalls, and slides in the interactive pools. Admire the fantastic shows that are held in the theaters and prepare to be transported to a world of fantasy. Come and discover Plaza Sesamo Park, where the fun never ends!

PASEO SANTA LUCÍA Ever since its creation in 2007, Paseo Santa Lucia has caught the eye for its uniqueness and charm. It is a 1.5 mile-long stretch of navigable river that joins the Macro Plaza with the Fundidora Park, transporting visitors in attractive boats. There are pathways that follow the river, which are surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains that are well worth exploring.

7 ESTRELLA BIO-PARK This is a nature reserve with more than 700 species of animals from all the continents. At this park you can have fun on bumper boats or paddle boats, explore the trail that’ll take you to the Pilon River, where you can cross a waterfall using hanging bridges or go fishingat a sustainable lake. You can also visit a mini zoo that features different species of cubs, the Mammoth Museum, and the Kangaroo Forest.

The largest part of the reserve is taken up by the Serengeti Safari, where you’ll find a wide variety of wild animals in their natural habitat, including antelope, ostrich, deer, dromedaries, zebra, elephants, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and buffalo. It also has educational areas like “Mysteries of the Night”, a projection that will show you the life of bats, while “The Arctic” recreates life in the immense territory of the North Pole.

ALFA PLANETARIUM Created in 1978, and one of the pioneers in the concept of interactive museums, this museum features a cylindrical body that faces north. Its numerous recreational areas and sections for experimenting create fun for people of all ages. One of them is called Illusion and Reason, where you can play with physics and astronomy to prove different scientific phenomena. The site also has an aviary that is home to exotic birds and an extensive collection of pre-Colombian archeological artifacts from the different cultures of Mexico’s past.

One of the top attractions of the planetarium is its observatory, which is considered to be the best in the northeast of Mexico, allowing visitors to see the wonders of space and the sky through a large telescope. Equally impressive is the multi-theater with its 80-foot hemispheric screen, which wows guests with its 180-degree images and high quality sound.

8 CASCADA COLA DE CABALLO (HORSETAIL FALLS) This is a 75-foot waterfall that owes its name to its unique shape, which is reminiscent of a horse’s tail. You can take a tour to the waterfall on foot, on horseback, or in a carriage. It is ideal for hiking and mountain biking, while also being an outstanding place to take photographs. The peaceful atmosphere makes it perfect for a picnic beside the river or falls. CHIPINQUE ECO-PARK One of the main tourist attractions in the region, Chipinque is a natural paradise just 20 minutes from Monterrey. It is popular among people who love hiking, climbing, mountain biking, or bird watching, offering visitors somewhere quiet and peaceful, far from the chaos of the city. Its well-marked walkways, meandering paths and picnic areas attract lots of people every weekend, especially in summer, when the climate is not as hot as in the city. In autumn you can marvel at the different colors on show, especially in October, when thousands of beautiful migratory monarch butterflies pass through the park on their way south.

MEXICAN HISTORY MUSEUM This museum is housed in an impressive modern building that is accessed through a large plaza. It is divided into four rooms, each one displaying a different period of Mexican history from Pre-Colombian Mexico and Colonial Mexico to 19th Century Mexico and Modern Mexico.

9 RODRIGO GOMEZ “LA BOCA” DAM This is one of the most popular places for the Monterrey locals to spend the weekend and to escape the extreme temperatures of the metropolitan area. People come to this dam to have fun, either by renting horses or trying some of the wide variety of water-based activities available, which include boat tours, speed boat rentals, jet skis, and water skiing. Other activities include ATV tours, or simply relaxing and taking in the natural beauty of the mountains as you savor a traditional dish at one of the restaurants. ECOTURISMO EN MONTERREY Monterrey is not just a business city, it also offers lots of different activities for people who like to get close to nature and enjoy an adrenaline rush. Rafting, spelunking, climbing, rappelling, and hiking along narrow mountain trails, are just some of the many things to do, while there are also rural and eco tours available.

GARCIA CAVES Admire the incredible stalagmites and stalactites that you’ll find inside the Garcia Caves, which are located just 30 miles from Monterrey, in the municipality of Villa Garcia. Here you can see a stunning landscape from the start of the 1.5 mile long journey to the caves as you take the funicular train up to a height of 2,500 feet. In addition to the wonderful mineral formations you can also see conch and shell fossils, which allows us to assume that the caves, which were discovered in 1843, are between 50 and 60 million years old.

10 MONTERREY DINING

The cuisine in the north of Mexico tends to be very different to that of the rest of the country. Its semi-desert soil forced the Spanish colonizers to import cattle, starting the tradition of the cattle ranches and the consumption of meat in the region. One of the highlights is the tender cut called “arrachera”, which is very typical of the region. Unlike other states in Mexico, tortillas here are normally made from flour rather than corn, and a regional favorite is “sobaqueras”, which are huge flour tortillas. CARNE SECA (DRIED MEAT) Thanks to the dry, arid climate of Monterrey, the Tlaxcalteca people preserved the meat of the animals they hunted by leaving it to dry in the sun. Nowadays dried meat has become a common dish in the homes of the people of Monterrey, something they fry with eggs for the traditional “machaca”, or eat by itself with lime and salt, a preparation called “carne zaraza”. CABRITO ASADO (ROASTED GOAT KID) The specialty in Monterrey is goat kid slow-cooked over a charcoal fire, giving it a unique, smoky taste. The locals say that if you haven’t tried “cabrito”, it’s like you haven’t really visited Monterrey. To ensure the meat is tender and juicy, the kid is normally still a suckling, and no more than 40 days old. The dish is traditionally accompanied by flour tortillas, “frijoles borrachos” (a bean stew cooked in beer), and “pico de gallo” salsa, all washed down with an ice-cold beer.

11 EL REY DEL CABRITO There is an endless array of restaurants that sell this delicacy, but El Rey del Cabrito is, without a doubt, one of the places most popular with the locals, celebrities, and tourists seeking this famous dish. When you go in you’ll be able to see the grill to your left, with lots of goat kids roasting on stakes over the charcoal. The restaurant also serves other cuts of steak, as well as local specialty dishes.

GARCIA At this restaurant you can enjoy tasty regional Mexican cuisine. The house specialty is “machaca con huevo” (dried beef with egg). There are numerous branches of this restaurant throughout the city, with the main one located on the Monterrey-Laredo federal highway. Don’t forget to buy some of the candy and handicrafts that are also sold here!

CUAJITOS DE ZUAZUA “Cuajitos de Zuazua” comes from an old Spanish recipe, which was for a stew using the intestines and stomach of the goat. Nowadays it is prepared with the tough parts of the cow, including the chest, neck, and back, seasoning them with chili, onion, and tomato. It is boiled for eight hours, resulting in a delicious stew that’s full of protein.

ROAST PORK Almost impossible to leave off the menu of any steakhouse, roast pork is definitely a firm favorite with the locals and visitors to the city. It’s often served here as pieces of pork bathed in an irresistible marinade of dried poblano and guajillo chilies seasoned with laurel, oregano, pepper, and cumin, among other spices.

12 STEAK The weekends are made to be spent with friends and family, and the tradition of grilling outside is a fantastic excuse to get together and enjoy good company and great food. The “nortenos” (people from the north of Mexico) can choose from a wide variety of different steaks both at home and in the restaurants, with some of the most popular being arrachera, T-bone, fillet mignon, and sirloin, along with roast beef. LOS EMPALMES Originally from Zuazua, Nuevo Leon, the “empalmes” are grilled tortillas filled with beans, oregano, chili, and butter. Other ingredients can be added, such as chorizo, beef, and cheese. VILLA DE SANTIAGO The town of Villa de Santiago is well-known for the high quality and variety of its restaurants, in which you’ll find traditional dishes like roast pork, and dried meat stew, along with regional specialties like “cabrito” and grilled steaks. You’ll even see international specialty dishes, which lend a touch of modernity to this “Magic Town” located just 30 minutes from Monterrey.

13 MONTERREY SHOPPING

Monterrey features modern plazas and commercial areas where you can buy the latest fashions, handicrafts from all regions of Mexico, and folk art. You can also purchase items made of silver, wood, blown glass, pottery, and textiles, along with clay lamps and Huichol art. The abundance and diversity of leather products stands out, as does the city’s impressive inventory of cowboy boots, which is probably the largest in the country.

There are modern shopping malls located throughout the city, featuring the top stores, elegant specialty shops, and stylish decor. All of them come complete with movie theaters and first-class restaurants.

The Zona Rosa, which is next to the Macro Plaza, is the perfect place to go shopping in downtown. Here you’ll find a large pedestrian area that is very popular, mainly with the locals.

CITADEL Citadel houses a wide variety of stores selling products for the whole family. It is located in the east of the Monterrey metropolitan area.

14 GALERIAS MONTERREY

This mall has a number of famous stores selling a countless array of goods and services. This is where you’ll find the department store Liverpool and a food court where you can enjoy regional specialty dishes.

GALERIAS VALLE ORIENTE

This is the ideal place to go shopping, as it features sophisticated stores and an endless array of boutiques selling up-market goods and exclusive international brands, as well as typical handicrafts.

PLAZA MEXICO

If you go shopping in Monterrey you can’t miss out on a visit to Plaza Mexico, which is located right in the heart of the city. Its architectural design is an example of the classic facades of the city from the turn of the century. The plaza is spread out over two stories and is home to more than 100 stores and restaurants. It is decorated with a beautiful stained glass window featuring all the colors of colonial Mexico, a style that is predominant at Plaza Mexico.

LOS CAVAZOS

Located in Santiago, this is an excellent place to purchase handicrafts like wood and wrought-iron furnishings, and paper mache figures, along with pots and vases made of clay, black clay, stone, and wicker. Here you’ll find high quality horsemanship equipment including saddles and spurs, as well as food stalls selling delicious regional cuisine.

PASEO SAN PEDRO

This modern shopping mall is located in an exclusive part of the Del Valle neighborhood. It features distinguished stores selling clothes, shoes, decorative goods, and accessories, as well as a food court and a large parking lot.

15 HANDICRAFT MARKETS Visit one of these markets held by the Monterrey Handicrafts Union, which feature small stalls displaying and selling the wares of local artisans. Here you’ll find key chains carved from wood, leather hats and boots, typical candies, and a whole lot more. Colon Market and Juarez Market are both highly recommended.

PLAZA FIESTA SAN AGUSTIN Plaza Fiesta San Agustin offers a wide variety of specialist and department stores, as well as movie theaters, banks, restaurants, and cafes.

16 MONTERREY NIGHTLIFE

Monterrey is a city full of places to enjoy a wide variety of music when night falls. It offers clubs, bars, and lounges, as well as live concerts performed by famous rock and pop artists, along with classical music performers.

In Monterrey you can also discover “grupera” music, a melodious genre of music typical in the north of Mexico and in Latino communities in the US. There are a lot of nightclubs in Monterrey where you can dance to live music of this genre. CULTURAL EVENTS

The nightlife in Monterrey is not limited to music and dancing, the locals are also fanatics of good concerts, sporting events, and cultural shows. This is one of the reasons why this industrial city is home to two of the most impressive cutting-edge complexes in the state: the Arena Monterrey and Auditorio Banamex.

BARRIO ANTIGUO

A large part of the nightlife in Monterrey is concentrated in an area of cobbled streets called “Barrio Antiguo” (Old Town), which is located very close to the Macro Plaza. The neighborhood offers a unique charm for those that like a bohemian atmosphere, where the buildings, doors, windows, and ironwork are reminiscent of yesteryear. Here you’ll find nightclubs and bars offering live music, along with plenty of cafes, and restaurants. Although there are lots of other places spread throughout the city, Barrio Antiguo tends to be where the young people go and where many of the fashionable places are to be found.

17 ARENA MONTERREY This mega complex of “smart” engineering features cutting-edge technology, excellent audiovisual equipment, and all the facilities necessary to host spectacular concerts, sporting events, ice skating shows, and exhibitions. The site can hold up to 17,600 people.

SCENIC ARTS Dance and theater occupy a very special place in the hearts of the people from Monterrey. The City Theater is without a doubt the most important scenic arts complex in the state of Nuevo Leon as it features numerous rooms, including one that can hold up to 1,400 people. Others include the Art Center Theater, Casa de la Cultura (House of Culture), and Monterrey del IMSS Theater, all of which are ideal places to see folk dances, modern dance, and ballet, as well as different theater shows.

AUDITORIO BANAMEX Shaping up to be the most important auditorium in the country and Latin America for its cutting-edge technology and its facilities, Auditorio Banamex is the setting for concerts performed by top artists, Broadway-style musicals, classical orchestras, and a whole lot more. With capacity for up to 7,000 spectators, this amphitheater features VIP rooms, 2 lounge-style areas, 10 bars, and 3 souvenir stores.

18 THINGS TO DO IN MONTERREY

Visit the many museums, including the Nuevo Leon Regional Museum, the Glass Museum, Monterrey Museum, and the Modern Art Museum

Discover Estrella Bio-Park, a nature reserve with more than 700 species of animal

If you’re traveling with children, visit the theme and amusement parks, such as Mundo de Adeveras, KidZania, and Plaza Sesamo

Try extreme or adventure sports at nearby places like Chipinque Eco-Park or La Huasteca Nature Park

See fabulous canyons and waterfalls, such as the famous Horse Tail Falls.

Take a boat tour on Paseo Santa Lucia, a navigable river that unites the Macro Plaza and Parque Fundidora

Try “cabrito asado” (slow-roasted goat kid), “machaca con huevo” (dried beef with egg), and other regional specialty dishes

Visit the restaurants, cafes, bars, and nightclubs of “Barrio Antiguo” (Old Town)

Shop at the modern malls

See a concert at Auditorio Banamex or Arena Monterrey

Check the billboard and go to see a show at one of the many theaters in the city

19 www.BestDay.com