INCIDENTALS Hotel Address Km. 19 Carretera Pachuca-Mineral del Chico Mineral del Chico, Hidalgo, México Hoteles Ecoturísticos (Corporate Offices) Ibsen No. 43 Desp. 601 Col. Polanco México, D.F., México Tel. (5) 281-60-50 Fax (5)281-57-87 Reservations (771)54-812, 50-190; Fax (771) 55-659 paraiso@mexline.com La Montaña Bar-Restaurant Lobby Bar Boutique 250-person Conference room Beautiful Gardens, parks and lawns In-room safes Child-sitting services Environmentally friendly housekeeping options OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES Guided hikes Archery Mountain Biking Volleyball Rock/Mountain Climbing* Rappelling/Tyrolean Traverse* Trout Fishing* Horseback Riding* Automobile Tours* *additional charge HOTEL EL PARAÍSO The young man fancied himself an archer, a gentleman, a wine connoisseur, a rock climber and well, he just plain fancied himself. Living in Mexico city, he wanted to impress his young wife from the U.S. He fancied a place where they could have quiet strolls, a place where he could show off his good taste. He fancied teaching her to love the outdoors. And of course, he fancied making himself look good. He found all of his fancies at Hotel El Paraíso, a five-star accommodation nestled in the mountains of the Parque Nacional del Chico and just up the street from the incredibly quaint old mining town of Mineral del Chico. He strolled with his young bride, he showed off his archery, climbing, and fishing skills. He showed her what good taste he had at La Montaña, the bar-restaurant at El Paraíso. He impressed her, and El Paraíso impressed him. Not an easy thing to do. Mineral Del Chico is roughly 20 kilometers from Pachuca, Capital of the state of Hidalgo, and an hour and a half from Mexico City. The town was founded by the Spaniards in the late 1560s and had as many as 100 active mines in that period. Currently the town has a population of roughly 500 with an economy which relies primarily on agriculture, crafts and eco-turism. El Chico National Park is located on the eastern side of the Sierra de Pachuca mountains and ranges in altitude from 2,320 meters to a height of 3,090 meters above sea level. In 1898 it became the first national park decreed a natural reserve. The park covers an area of 2,739 hectares and is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and rock-climbers who come to scale its rocky peaks, including "La Ventana", the highest point in the park, just outside of Mineral del Chico. Sandcruiser Sez (1 shell=very bad, 3 shells=average/expected, 5 shells=it doesn't get any better than this) Cleanliness Location Value Atmosphere Service Activities Relaxation Potential Overall Rates (as of 8 Feb, 2001): Room $150 single/dbl- rates lower on weekdays, slightly higher during Christmas season El Paraíso is a five-star hotel with all of the amenities you expect from a high-class establishment. On weekends and in the summer you'll find that they are booked for weeks in advance by well-heeled Mexicans looking to get away from the capital, which is just an hour and a half away. If you are looking for a bit of luxury after a day of hiking beautiful mountains, this is a good place to find it. If you like seconds-old fresh trout, try one from the on-site trout ponds. If El Paraíso is booked, or if you are looking for something a little lower-priced, or just closer to the heart of town, try the Posada del Amanecer just down the road.