Adventure Travel & Ecotourism in Mexico City

Mexico continues to develop both government offices and private industry groups to promote ecotourism, but these are still nascent. A good starting point for information is the Asociación Mexicana de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo (AMTAVE, Mariposa 1012-A, Col. General Anaya. 55/5688-3883; 01800/654-4452 toll-free in Mexico. www.amtave.org), a group of ecotourism and adventure-travel providers. The association produces an annual catalog and a bilingual (English-Spanish) Web site.

Aventura Vertical (Juan Bautista 450, Col. La Nopalera. 55/5863-3363. www.aventuravertical.com) offers weekend courses and trips for rock climbing, ice climbing, camping, and canyoneering, among other sports, with certified bilingual guides. Equipment is provided or you can bring your own.

A number of adventure-travel agencies have sprouted up to entice both tourists and locals out of the chaos of Mexico City for a weekend of white-water rafting, rappelling, or biking. One of the best is Río y Montaña Expediciones (Guillermo González Camarena 500, at Manuel Chávez, Col. Centro de Ciudad Santa Fe. 55/5292-5032. www.rioymontana.com), which organizes trips to the nearby State of Mexico and to other popular states like Veracruz and Oaxaca.