Matlalcueitl

Extremely tough hike and not for the faint hearted. The altitude really takes its toll and you get towards the top. One of our party had to turn around. Lots of dangerous rocks on the way almost to the summit so you have to be extremely careful. Views at the top were nice. The decent was just as perilous with lots of loose rock and deep deep sand in some parts. Not a hike for one If you have bad knees or ankles. Plenty water is required. Stray dogs everywhere along the hike, even at the summit ! Most are freindly and just looking for food. There are definitely nicer and safer hikes in Mexico.

The hike is pretty hard, steep and with altitude. The park is open 7am to 7pm. We took Uber from Puebla and were stopped about 15 mins from the park at 6am. So the earliest you can realistically start is 7:30am. If you take a combi from Apizaco, the only direct one starts at 8:20am from Apizaco. The trail starts easy with mellow steepness until the road stops. Then it gets pretty steep but the ground is firm, still pine forest. When you reach the sandy arenal, the trail gets a little dangerous, with shifting sand and gravel, so you have to be careful. This section is where a guide would have helped, since they take you up and down the most efficient paths. Going down is pretty perilous with steep, shifting ground. If you have bad knees, take into account that going down is going to be just a little faster than going up, unless you can run down the steep parts. There is signal at the top of the mountain but not at the bottom. So you have to take the last 5 pm combi to Apizaco. No water on the mountain, we had 5.5 liters for 2 people and we ran out. When we hiked on March 31st, it was a beautiful, sunny day so did not need any of the rain gear or gloves that we had brought along. Still hazy though, could not see Popo clearly. If you want to see sunrise, you need to stay at the cabins in Centro Vacacional Malintzi. FYI There are some dog packs that follow hikers up the mountain. They are generally friendly, but a few get aggressive when you are eating.

Amazing place! We took the road to start the climb very early with our own car and we reached a gate where the rangers only allow the access at 7AM (no need to pay anything, they just ask your name and qty of person for control). Myself and my wife are experienced climbers and took us 4 hours to reach the summit and 2 and a half hours to go back. There are some parts with soft sand where nice boots and poles are very welcome. When you're around 300 meters from the summit, there are many rocks you need to climb, so be extreme carefully because a fall there will definitely hurt you a lot. If you're willing to see the sunshine from the top, you'll have to camp inside the park.

It's an amazing one day hike! Be sure to take the right path, that can safe you a lot of energy. Don't litter!! It's crazy what people are able to bring with them, but don't take back with them.. My guide was one of the few trying to protect the environment by reducing the damage floods are doing to the lower parts of the mountain and cleaning up all the litter. If your looking for an affordable guide which is also looking after the nature than I definitely recommend you to go with Luis. You can write him a message on Instagram: luislopez5673

This volcano is beautiful. It´s not big like other volcanoes in the country but is comfortable, There are many big trees. There´s a lot of nature. I like to walk, and you have to walk a lot on Malinche. You can see the beautiful landscape from the peak of the volcano. It is a good place for family weekends. You don´t need to eat at the restaurants in the mountain, you can take your food.