John & Susy Pint

  By John Pint Ciudad de México is the most populous city in North America, teeming with around 25 million inhabitants. There couldn’t be much green there, you’d think, but, according to Peter Winckers of Aztec Explorers hiking club in the capital, that assessment would be dead wrong. “ Believe it or not, 51% of Mexico City is still green, and nine of our favorite hikes are entirely inside the city limits,” says the Dutchman, who’s been living in the capital for over 13 years. Whether or not you are a hiker, Winckers claims that  Mexico City is much more interesting than many other big metropolises because, “Originally it started out as 21 little villages which all grouped together into the monster that is now Mexico City. In fact, you could say we have 21 Barrios Mágicos inside the city limits: Magical Neighborhoods. So our group started out doing walking tours inside the city. Then we got into hikes and finally day trips.” Winckers is...

  By John Pint Travel + Leisure magazine calls San Miguel de Allende “Mexico’s hidden treasure” and everyone I’ve spoken to agrees it’s as close to Paradise as you’re likely to find on this little old planet. It is, however, “town,” and those Sanmiguelenses who occasionally get a hankering for “country” may appreciate the advice of local resident Randy Kremlacek who is one of the leaders of the San Miguel Hiking Group. “ The group has been doing this for at least 20 years,” Kremlacek told me. “In the beginning, hikers showed up at a local gas station at 8 a.m. on Sundays. I joined them because I thought it would be a good way to meet people, and to get to know el campo , the countryside. I had zero experience hiking. “ The first time I went with them, we were walking along and suddenly they started climbing up this mountainside… and I thought: it's perfectly flat to the left; why are we doing this? So, it took me a while to learn what hiking is all about.” ...