Outer Monterrey refers to the parts of the city of Monterrey beyond the Centro district. This is a very large area and includes areas north and west of el Centro (including Cumbres and Anahuac) and areas to the south and east of el Centro (including Tecnologico and Contry).
Get in
[edit]See the main article for details about getting to Monterrey.
By bus
[edit]The main bus station for all of Monterrey is in Monterrey/Centro, but some bus companies also operate secondary company-specific bus terminals in Colonia Roma, along Avenida Garza Sada. Travellers arriving in Monterrey from destinations along the Gulf of Mexico coast, including Ciudad Victoria, Tampico, and Veracruz may find these stations more convenient, particularly for hotels and other places to the south of Centro, including the Tec campus and neighborhoods in Guadalupe. All buses arriving and departing here travel via the Central de Autobuses, so be aware that even though you buy a ticket here, the buses sometimes arrive completely full. Also, there is a limited number of destinations served from this side of town (only buses traveling a specific highway will pass along Av. Garza Sada).
- 1 Transpais, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada Sur 2300, Roma, ☏ +52 834 116 1101. Modern, clean facility with buses going to Linares, Tampico and other southeast destinations.
- 2 Senda, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2202, Roma, ☏ +52 800 881 8181. Small, modern bus terminal with limited space in the waiting area but clean bathrooms.
Get around
[edit]In addition to city buses, taxis, and rideshares (see Monterrey), the Tec campus (ITESM) operates its own bus service, called Expreso Tec, between the main campus in Colonia Tecnologico (south of downtown/centro) and most residential areas throughout the Monterrey metropolitan area. The service includes nine regular routes that operate all year, and additional routes that operate limited schedules during the semester. The service is for Tec students, staff, and affiliates, but if you are coming to Monterrey for academic purposes, that might be you. A bus pass costs about M$4000 per semester.
- 3 Expreso Tec, Avenida Junco de La Vega 2523.
See
[edit]North of el Centro
[edit]- 1 Cerveceria Cuahtemoc, Av. Alfonso Reyes #2202 Nte, ☏ +52 81 8328 5355. Monterrey is a historic beer brewing center, whose beers are household names around the world. The historic 19th-century brewery is now used primarily for offices, with actual production happening in the modern plant across Avenida Cuahtemoc. Their outdoor beer garden is open daily to welcome visitors to sit down under the towering oak trees while enjoying free samples of Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Sol, or one of the other beers brewed here. Tours of the brewery are available only by advance appointment.
- 2 Museo del Vidrio, Esq. Ignacio Zaragoza Magallanes 517, ☏ +52 81 8863 1052. Inside a bustling commercial glass works is a fascinating museum that features stunningly beautiful works of hand-spun glass. Some craft glass pieces are also for sale in the gift shop.
- 3 Obispado, Calle Fray Rafael Verger, Colonia Obispado. Historical site, originally home of the Bishop de Monterrey, with excellent views of the city. Home to a small regional history museum with a clerical bent. The Obispado can be easily spotted by virtue of its enormous Mexican flag, flying proudly beside it. The neighborhood over and around the hill (Colonia Obispado) used to be home of the local high-class, and if you wander through it, you may spot some old mansions and colonial era houses. It's a steep 25 minute walk from the nearest bus stop to the top: Uber might be a better way to get there.
- 4 Puente Atirantado (Puente de la Unidad), Blvd. Rogelio Cantú Gómez. Visually stunning cable-stayed bridge designed by architect Óscar Bulnes and built in 2003. The bridge has become extremely popular with local shutterbugs as a selfie spot for their Instagram snaps.
Do
[edit]- 1 Estadio Mobil Super (Palacio Sultanes), Av. Manuel Barragán S/N, Niños Héroes, Regina, ☏ +52 81 2270 2000. 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.
- 2 Estadio Universitario (University Stadium), Niños Héroes s/n, Ciudad Universitaria (metrorrey to Niños Héroes station), ☏ +52 81 8158 6450. 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.
- 3 Arena Monterrey, Ave. Madero 2500 Oriente. 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 Parque Fiesta Aventuras ((previously Parque Plaza Sesamo)). Popular theme park on the edge of Parque Fundidora, known for its bevy of thrilling water slides. The park no longer focuses on Sesame Street characters, but its still a family-focused park with rides for the kids, shows, and an impressive array of wet and wild water attractions to help you cool off during the hottest summer afternoons.
- 5 La Estanzuela, Camino, Antiguo Camino a Valle Alto S/N, La Estanzuela (Located southeast of Monterrey on National Highway 85), ☏ +52 81 2020-4718. W-Su 08:00-17:30. A large park within the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park. Known for rock climbing, rappelling, and beautiful (steep) hikes. MX$5.
Buy
[edit]North (and west) of el Centro
[edit]- 1 Galerias Monterrey, Av. Insurgentes 2500, Col. Vista Hermosa. 11:00-21:00. Large, modern mall in the heart of Monterrey.
South (and east) of el Centro
[edit]- 2 Galerías Valle Oriente, Lázaro Cárdenas 1000, Valle del Mirador (Rio Nazas). A huge mall with many different stores and a large foodcourt. See the website for a complete listing. On the North side of the mall is a large Cinepolis movie theater including some "VIP" theaters (triple the price with large comfy seats and waiters).
- 3 Esfera Monterrey, Av. la Rioja 245, Residencial la Rioja, Monterrey (Carreterra Nacional (MEX 85), south), ☏ +52 8121340200. 11ː00 - 21ː00. Large modern mall anchored by Liverpool, Cinepolis theatres. South end of Monterrey near La Estanzuela.
Eat
[edit]North (and west) of el Centro
[edit]- 1 El Gran Pastor, Av. Gonzalitos 702 Sur, ☏ +52 81 8129 4453. Daily 07:00 - 23:00. Norteño cuisine. This is one of the better known places to try cabrito al pastor.
- 2 Mon Paris, Av. Anillo Periferico 1300, San Jéronimo (in Plaza Platino), ☏ +52 81 81 43 91 90. 08:30 - 23:00. French-inspired coffee shop known for its crepes. (There is another location nearby in Cumbres.)
- 3 Parrillada Cumbres, Cristóbal Guerra 700, Cumbres 5o. Sector, ☏ +52 81 8310 3519. 12ː00 - 01ː00. Popular restaurant serving northern Mexican grilled meats. Steaks, arracherra, huaraches and big drinks. Outdoor seating area.
- 4 La Nacional, Av San Jerónimo 1106, Miravalle, ☏ +52 81 8347 9205. 13ː00 - 01ː00. High end steakhouse with other grilled meats. A Monterrey tradition with several locations.
- 5 Los Legendarios Carnes el Carbon, Av Raúl Rangel Frías 470, Burócratas, ☏ +52 81 8371 4590. 12ː00 - 23ː00. As the name says, they specialize in charcoal-grilled meats. Very popular and very Mexican. The arracheras are always excellent and the frijoles charros are some of the tastiest in the city.
- 6 Nomada XXI, Blvd. Rogelio Cantú Gómez 1000, Las Lajas, Colinas de San Jerónimo, ☏ +52 81 2472 5216. Daily 12:00 - 00:00. Upscale temple to meats, they serve steaks, ribs, barbecue, and burgers. Innovative dishes and you can try a sampler of different meats. Outstanding bar with a wide variety of local artesanal craft beers including their own house brand. Wide selection of artesanal mezcals as well. M$350.
South (and east) of el Centro
[edit]- 7 Las Pampas, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2401, Col. Tecnologico, ☏ +52 81 8358-2127. Argentinian beef.
- 8 Tacos Fenix, Calle Filosofos 203, Col. Tecnologico. 24 hours. Clean, modern diner atmosphere serving up good, cheap tacos 24-hours per day. A location close to the TEC campus assures its popularity when late night munchies strike.
- 9 Frida Chilaquiles Contry, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada Sur 2408, Col. Tecnologico, ☏ +52 81 2169 2201. 08:00 - 16:00. Fun breakfast/brunch place, bright and colorful decor.
- 10 Santa Barbara, Av Lázaro Cárdenas 3820, Las Torres, ☏ +52 81 8478 7809. Daily 12:00 - 00:00. Traditional Mexican restaurant serving regional northern cuisine like arracherra and other grilled meats. Generous portions. Valet parking available. M$250.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Unicornio Azul, Paseo de los Leones #2329, Cumbres (Sector 2), ☏ +52 818 300-1140. 20:30 - 02:00, Thursday through Saturday. Monterrey's most popular comedy club. Draws well-known comedians featured on TV (and Netflix) like Franco Escamilla and has a regular lineup of local professional comedians. Occasional Open Mic nights for budding comedians. Light bar fare (wings, fries, tacos).
- 2 Cerveza Kapalina, C. Gobernadores 4002, Burócratas, ☏ +52 81 8029 5455. M-F 10:00 - 17:00, Sa 10:00 - 01:00, closed Su. Microbrewery with a taproom offering a variety of styles including a Belgian dubbel, a stout, a pilsner and more.
Sleep
[edit]Galerias and San Jeronimo: West of el Centro
[edit]- 1 Four Points by Sheraton Galerias Monterrey, Av. Insurgentes 3961, ☏ +52 81 8389-1600. New, corporate-style hotel next to the Galerias Monterrey shopping mall. Somewhat small pool. Spacious, clean, very modern rooms.
- 2 Hilton Garden Inn Obispado, Boulevard Antonio L. Rodríguez, Priv. Sta. María 1880. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Modern hotel that is one of the city's landmarks of contemporary architecture with its slim, high-rise design. Very comfortable, well-furnished rooms. On-site restaurant, gym, swimming pool, parking garage. Breakfast buffet available. M$2700.
- 3 Krystal Urban San Jeronimo, Av San Jerónimo 1012, San Jeronimo, ☏ +52 818 122 8000. Check-in: 03:00, check-out: 12:00. Modern hotel with spacious well-furnished rooms. On-site restaurant serves a breakfast buffet that can be included with room rate for reasonable price. On-site laundry is mismanaged and generally unusable by travelers. M$1600.
Tecnologico: South (and east) of el Centro
[edit]- 4 Fiesta Inn Monterrey Tecnologico, Av. Eugene Garza Sada 2411, ☏ +52 81 1677 0200. 201-room hotel in modern tower next door to campus. Onsite gym and small outdoor pool.
- 5 One Monterrey Tecnologico, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2408, ☏ +52 81 2525 0070. Budget chain hotel, clean, modern rooms. Free breakfast. Close to Tec campus.
- 6 Holiday Inn Express Tecnologico Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 3680, ☏ +52 81 8329 6000. Modern, clean property. Gym and pool onsite. Free breakfast. Free parking.
- 7 Hotel Boutique de Firma, Av. Revolución 312, Col. Buenos Aires, ☏ +52 81 1405 6117. Small, independent hotel in the northern part of this district, close to Parque Fundidora. With 21 rooms, modern decor, and low prices.
- 8 Econosuites Monterrey, Av Revolucion 1060 Sur, Contry, ☏ +52 81 8349 3681. Barebones no-frills motel, very low rates.
Connect
[edit]See the main article.
Go next
[edit]If you're in the southern part of Monterrey, you're already well on your way to the nearby town of Santiago, which has been designated by the Mexican government as a "Pueblo Magico". Santiago is about 32 km southeast of Monterrey on Carreterra Nacional (MEX 85). It is a popular weekend destination for people in the city. The town sits atop a hill above the highway and has a pleasant zocalo with an old church and an excellent restaurant called Las Palomas. Shop the myriad vendors along the Carreterra for a uniquely regional shopping experience, visit the Cascadas Cola de Caballo (Horsetail Falls), do a caving trip (maybe even visit the "Bat Cave" (Cueva de Murcielagos) where millions of bats fly out of their cave at dusk), or maybe kayak on the Presa de Boca. There are also myriad opportunities for outdoor adventures into the adjacent Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey (everything from extreme canyoneering to backcountry horseback rides).
Further south are the Pueblos Mágicos of Linares and Montemorelos.