Nevado de Toluca
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| Nevado de Toluca | |
|---|---|
 Nevado de Toluca |
|
| Elevation | 4577 metres (15,016 ft) |
| Location | México, Mexico |
| Range | Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | volcano |
| Easiest route | road, hiking trail |
The Nevado de Toluca is generally cited as the fourth highest of Mexico's peaks, after the Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl, and Iztaccíhuatl. (By some measurements, however, the Sierra Negra is slightly higher.) It is often called Xinantécatl, which is probably from the Nahuatl chinām(itl) 'cornstalks' + tēcatl 'lord of', though other etymologies have been suggested. It is an extinct volcano located in central Mexico. This volcano has its higher summit at 4577 metres and in good weather it is clearly visible from the Mexican city of Toluca. An unusual feature of this mountainous formation is the existence of two lakes in small extinct craters within the caldera, the cold water Sun Lake and the Moon Lake. A road runs into the caldera, making this perhaps the most accessible major Mexican peak.
From the southeast, as in the information-box picture, the Nevado looks flat-topped, like shoulders without a head. A Nahuatl legend, which can be found in the Popocatépetl entry, explains why.
