Valle de Bravo -- Eco-Tourism Capital of Mexico:
Valle de Bravo is known for its outdoor activities: paragliding, mountain biking, hiking, sailing, horseback riding, motocross, golf, and water-skiing, with an eco-tourism resort nearby, Rodavento. You don't need to bring any equipment with you to Casa Cantil: you can rent mountain bikes in town (with a guide), rent boats on the lake (sailboats and motorboats), rent horses or ATVs, etc. From November to March, 300 million monarch butterflies converge in the nearby butterfly sanctuary (a park ranger is stationed at the outskirts of town to slow traffic because the air is thick with butterflies). You can of course swim in our pool, which we can heat for a fee. There is a colorful open-air market with fresh produce every day and an artisan market. In the summer dramatic thunderstorms sweep in across the lake in the late afternoon. The weather is great year-round. You can lie out in the sun and swim year-around in our pool & yet it is cool at night, ideal for lighting fires and sleeping.
Valle de Bravo -- a paragliding Mecca:
Valle de Bravo is world-famous among paragliders and hangliders for its thermals and spectacular views (Valle hosted the 2009 FAI Paragliding World Championships). You do not need any experience to enjoy this sport as they can send you out on a piloted tandem jump with a professional instructor -- my 67-year old mom jumped for the first time this way. At 1pm she called Fly Mexico (one of the local outfits) and by 3pm she was floating over the town. It cost about $100. If you'd like to play golf, we can try to arrange an invitation to play at one of several private clubs: Club de Golf Avandaro, Rancho Avandaro, Izar, or El Santuario Golf and Spa Resort. The best times of year to visit are Semana Santa, Semana Pascua, or around Christmas as all the shops and restaurants remain open midweek and there are lots of things to do. Valle also hosts numerous festivals and sporting competitions (like the Scappino Cup) throughout the year which draw lots of international entertainers and visitors.
Getting to Valle de Bravo:
You don't need a car to visit Casa Cantil, especially since we are walking distance to everything in town.
Valle itself is a 2-3 hour drive west from Mexico City (MEX). If you fly into MEX, we can arrange a car to meet you at the airport and drive you to Casa Cantil. Toluca airport (TLC), a regional airport, is even closer -- just 90 minutes. Recently, TLC has become a hub for two discount airlines, InterJet and Volaris, which service all of Mexico's beach resorts. In addition, Volaris just started flying to LA, San Diego (TIJ), and San Francisco, so if you happen to live in those cities, you're in luck -- it's cheap and easy to fly directly to Valla via Toluca. Some of our guests like to combine a trip to Valle with a guided sightseeing tour of Mexico City and the Teotihuacan pyramids, or take advantage of the proximity to Toluca to mix in a few days at a beach resort. Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and the Mayan Riviera, and Los Cabos are all a cheap, two-hour flight from Toluca.
Golf:
There are several clubs in the area which are members-only but we have managed to obtain access for our guests. The well-known local clubs include Club de Golf Avandaro, Rancho Avandaro, Izar, and El Santuario Golf and Spa Resort.
Other Activities:
butterfly watching
Learn more about this vacation rental at the owner's website:
