Things to do in Monterrey

Things to do in Monterrey

1. DoEastern suburbs

   Arena Jose Sulaimán

   Older, somewhat run-down arena for Lucha Libre and similar events. No air conditioning, filthy bathrooms.

2. DoCentro

   Arena Monterrey

   Large modern arena seating 18,000 fans for indoor sports such as basketball and indoor soccer, as well as major pop music concerts and family shows.

3. DoOuter Monterrey

   Arena Monterrey

   Large, modern indoor arena that serves as a venue for shows and exhibitions, concerts, and indoor sports such as arena football and indoor soccer. It occasionally hosts Bullfighting.

4. DoCentro

   Auditorio Citibanamex

   Indoor concert hall hosting popular music performers. Seats about 8,000.

5. DoEastern suburbs

   Autodromo Monterrey

   Monterrey's home of NASCAR racing (and various Formula x events).

6. DoEastern suburbs

   Bosque Magico amusement park

   A few meters from La Pastora Park. It has a zombie ride, mice against police, the king loop fighter, ski flyer, etc.

7. Do

   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. Bullfights take place in the historic Plaza Monumental bullring, though events are occasionally held in other venues, including at the Arena Monterrey in Parque Fundidora.

8. Do

   Cerro de la Silla

   - Monterrey's most famous landmark is the saddle-shaped mountain that dominates the local skyline. After hiking about 25 min uphill there is already the. On the rocks you have a terrific view over the city. There are hiking trails continuing in the direction of its peak. To the you can take an Uber or city bus. Bus lines 223 and 93 go very frequently from the Zona Rosa. At the is a minimarket, where you can buy water for the hike.

9. DoEastern suburbs

   Cerro del Topo Chico

   Topo Chico is a small, low mountain in the center of Monterrey, partly within the city boundaries of Monterrey and partly within the municipalities of Escobedo and San Nicolas de los Garza. It is a protected reserve managed by the State of Nuevo Leon and offers some good hiking trails with vistas of the entire city from the peak vantage point. Up and down hikes will generally take 5-6 hours, though you may want longer if you stop to explore some of the caves or need frequent rest breaks. Wear tough shoes and bring water. There are no facilities for visitors.

10. DoWestern suburbs

    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.

11. DoCentro

    Cintermex

    Monterrey's primary venue for industrial and commercial trade shows and conventions.

12. DoWestern suburbs

    Cumbres of Monterrey National Park

    Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey is the northernmost of Mexico national parks and one of the largest, with more than 1,770 hectares (680 square miles) of rugged mountain terrain. It has become a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The park includes several of Monterrey's landmark mountains, along with sheer cliffs, rushing rivers, hidden caves, and even some lions, tigers, and bears. Okay, maybe not tigers, but they definitely have mountain lions and bears, and they do have coyotes, bobcats, and jaguars, along with snakes, birds, and lots of other things. The park can be accessed from various points in Monterrey, Santa Catarina, Guadalupe, and San Pedro Garza Garcia.

    free

13. DoEastern suburbs

    Domo Care

    Round arena that serves as a concert venue for popular music acts, once mostly norteno and tejano, today reggaeton and rap shows are likely. Popular performances have included Bad Bunny, Gloria Trevi, and Intocable.

14. DoEastern suburbs

    Estadio BBVA

    Home of the Rayados, one of Monterrey's two top-tier professional soccer teams playing in the Liga MX. State-of-the-art stadium with seating for 51,000 fanatics. This is one of the stadiums selected to host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

15. DoOuter Monterrey

    Estadio Universitario

    University Stadium

    Home of the UANL Tigres, a top-tier professional soccer team playing in the Liga MX. Known locally as El Volcan, the stadium was built in 1967 and seats about 41,000 fans (originally 52,000). A new stadium is under construction, also on the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) campus.

16. DoCentro

    Expedicion Amazonia

    Two animal attractions: lorakeets (which you can feed) and lemurs (who like to move it, move it). Rides include zip lines (tirolesa) and Xtreme bikes.

    Open now · closes 8:30 pm·M$190 (adults)

17. DoEastern suburbs

    Expo Feria

    If you're a fan of county or state fairs, you'll enjoy Expo Feria, the largest fair in Nuevo Leon. Livestock shows as well as a midway with games, rides, a beer garden, and lots of stands with sugary, fatty foods your waistline doesn't need. The fair starts in late April and typically runs throughout May.

18. DoCentro

    Ice Skating Rink

    Pista de Hielo

    Indoor ice skating rink. Rents skates by the hour. Great place to get out of the heat!

    Erratic hours, but generally includes 17:00 - 21:00·M$120+

19. DoOuter Monterrey

    La Estanzuela

    A large park within the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. Known for rock climbing, rappelling, and beautiful (steep) hikes.

    Wed-Sun 08:00-17:30·MX$5

20. DoEastern suburbs

    La Pastora Park and Zoo

    Inside the park, there is a zoo that houses different species of animals, in addition to an aviary and a herbarium.

21. Do

    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.

22. Do

    Overground trip

    You can take the overground metro for a nice view over the city. The trains of new built section are almost empty, even in rush hour, so you can sit and enjoy the view. That new section is between the metro stations Félix U Gómez and Hospital Metropolitano. The price for the trip is M$4.50 (March 2022) altogether.

23. DoCentro

    Palacio Municipal

    City Hall

    Sunday mornings at 11am and Thursday evenings at 18:30 the courtyard atrium of Monterrey's City Hall transforms into a spacious dance floor. The city provides an orchestra and the public is invited to come dance to big band sounds. While there, you can gaze up at the multi-level series of murals representing Monterrey's ever-changing political environment, with colonial imperialists on the lowest tier, the Mexican War of Independence on the second level up, and more recent events along the third level.

24. DoOuter Monterrey

    Palacio Sultanes

    Estadio Mobil Super, Walmart Park, Estadio de Beisbol

    Modern baseball stadium that is home of the Sultanes de Monterrey, the local Mexican League hometown favorites. The Sultanes also field a team in the Pacific League, which is a winter league, so you can catch a game throughout much of the year. Built in 1990 to seat over 40,000 the stadium is today configured for a crowd of about 21,000. It also hosts large concert events under the never commonly used venue name "Walmart Park".

25. DoWestern suburbs

    Parque El Capitan

    Meandering urban park with jogging trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, and dog parks. Popular for early morning workouts or yoga.

    Daily 06:00 - 22:00

26. DoEastern suburbs

    Parque España

    Similar to a YMCA, this is a park focused on fitness and family development. They have a gym, workout facilities, a large pool, an after-school program and classes for aerobics, kickboxing, karate, and more. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge crosses the Rio Santa Catarina, connecting the park to Parque Fundidora. Day passes cost M$200, or monthly plans are available.

27. DoEastern suburbs

    Pipo Park

    Park dedicated to "Pipo", the local clown. It has walks along the river and various green areas.

28. DoWestern suburbs

    Rufino Tamayo Park

    Parque Rufino Tamayo

    Rolling hills with hiking/biking trails, exercise stations, and shady patches. Popular place for early morning joggers and afternoon dog walkers. Parking available on Av. Eugenio Garza but it has a complicated payment system requiring obscure apps.

    Daily 06:00 - 22:00·Free

29. DoCentro

    Santa Lucía Riverwalk

    An artificial river with a wide walkway, running 2.5-km (1.5-mi) between the Mexican History Museum and Parque Fundidora. Pontoon boats glide along the route giving interpretive local history tours and giving you plenty of photo opportunities. En route, you'll find a pleasant sidewalk bar and restaurant, Las Tenerías, where Argentinian food can be enjoyed with a few drinks and occasional live music.

30. DoWestern suburbs

    Showcenter Complex

    Entertainment venue for concerts, broadway musicals, ballet, theatre and similar events.

31. DoCentro

    Teatro de la Ciudad

    City Theatre

    Monterrey's showcase for the performing arts is the Teatro de la Ciudad, in the heart of downtown. The theatre presents dramatic works, musical performances, and dance. It is the home venue for the Monterrey Ballet which typically performs 4-5 shows per year. The 2025 season will include La Fille Mal Gardée, Convergencia, Swan Lake, Giselle and The Nutcracker. Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster for shows in the Gran Sala (Great Hall) or through the theatre's ticket office.

    Varies·Varies

32. DoOuter Monterrey

    UANL Teatro Universitario

    Orquesta Sinfonica UANL

    The UANL Symphonic Orchestra has been performing since 1960. They are the premier classical music performances in Nuevo Leon. They host 3 separate seasons of concerts (each about 2 months in length) at their concert hall at the UANL campus. They also perform at the Teatro de la Ciudad en Monterrey/Centro.

    M$200

33. DoEastern suburbs Not mapped

    Abasolo and El Carmen

    Two adjacent small towns that might be interesting for people who have already seen "everything" in Monterrey. Abasolo is a typical dusty Nuevo Leon town with a pleasant zocalo bordered by an historic church, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, which has an oil painting of the Virgin that was painted in 1760. El Carmen might be just a tad larger than Abasolo and is the site of an abandoned mine referred to as "Minas Viejas". It's not a touristic destination though Monterrey adventurers like to go there with a flashlight and helmet (there are no lights and no tour guides to lead you). A vigorous hike takes you to the mine.

34. DoEastern suburbs Not mapped

    Cerro de la Silla

    The icon of the city of Monterrey is in the municipality of Guadalupe. It is used by athletes for climbing and it is also a pleasant but fairly strenuous family walk.

35. DoWestern suburbs Not mapped

    La Huasteca climbing area

    Parque La Huasteca is the first established climbing area in the city and is one of the most popular attractions in the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. With nearly 300 bolted routes with grades from 5.4 to 5.14, it is the favorite place for weekend climbers. There are no entrance fees for most of the climbing areas. There is a Via Ferrata route that has led to deaths of inexperienced climbers.

36. DoCentro

    BCPK Bike Shop

    Full range of bike services, repairs, sales, rentals.

    Mon-Sat 11:30 - 20:00, closed Sun

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Monterrey (CC BY-SA 4.0).