Nepopualco

The Parque de los Venados Nepopualco is one of the most important public spaces in the very north of Nepopualco. This tiny little town sits on the southern edge of the Chichinautzin Biological Corridor that runs across the south of Mexico City and the very north of the State of Morelos. While the park welcomes deer and wildlife from all over the corridor, it's also an inviting space for human visitors. 

They come for family outings and picnics. The space has green areas, playgrounds, and paved walking paths, and it's likely most famous for the penned deer seeking refuge here. It's a good space to see them up close and to enjoy some of the other parts of the park. The biological corridor is enormous, and only bisected by a few highways. Views of the northern mountains and distant volcanoes are breathtaking, but you've got to stop in the park to really take them in. A well-known cabin rental area, there are multiple opportunities for overnight stays, camping, and more. 

Because the biological corridor is a federal protected area, rules within the park have to be fairly strict. It's an environmentally sensitive area and part of the mission of the park is to protect the environment and all of its non-human inhabitants. 

Nepopualco is a tiny community said to have been originally named by wandering non-Nahua tribes of people. The area was later contested by Xochimilca peoples and their rivals from ancient Tenochtitlan. The Augustinians settled in nearby Totolapan and started one of their very early Monasteries about 15 minutes to the southeast. The entire area is mountainous, wild, and natural and so for visitors it's usually a treat just to be passing through. 

The Deer Park is likely the best-known part of Nepopualco. Local residents do much of their shopping and errands in slightly larger Totolapan. But getting here is part of the fun. From Mexico City Taxqueña, it's about two hours to the south. From Cuernavaca, the trip takes about 2.5 hours.