Valle de Bravo

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May 8, 2023

Valle de Bravo

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Photo by author. That's me sitting by the welcoming sign at the town center: "I love Valle de Bravo." Photo by author

Valle de Bravo is a two hour drive southwest of Mexico City. Its Lake Avándaro was man-made in the 40s as a water reservoir for the city. Like Tepoztlán, where I live, Valle de Bravo is a Pueblo Mágico (Magic City). Mexico has 132 of these that are supported by the federal government to bolster tourism.

Lake Avándaro

For me, the lake is the most attractive feature of this region. Below we see it at sunset, and from a boatyard, where my friend Oliver, who invited me to visit, is renting a boat. More about Oliver in a later section.

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Lake Avándaro at sunset. Photos by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Other views of Lake Avándaro. Photos by author

Avándaro, the Town

When I hear the name Avándaro, I get nostalgic for the original Woodstock Festival of Music. Avándaro hosted a counterpart to Woodstock in 1971, just two years later.

At the town center is a lovely park, and close by a food court. There are interesting shops catering to wealthy clientele living there.

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. A park in the center of Avándaro. Photo by author

The food court is in the town center, and within it are a demonstration of a tiny house and an indoor climbing center.

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. A food court near the center of Avánadro. Photos by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Demonstration of a tiny house in the food court. Photo by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. An indoor climbing center near the center of Avándaro. Photos by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Avándaro shops. Photos by author

This area has many more homes made of wood than where I live.

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. A small wooden house on a back street in Avándaro. Photo by author

Valle de Bravo

Driving into Valle de Bravo, I shot a video from the window.

Here are photos and collages of other interesting sights:

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. A trolley at the center of the town of Valle de Bravo. Photo by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Windows of a store. Photos by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Rubble in a street under construction as a contrast to the beauty of the rest. Photo by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Streets of the city. Photos by author

Oliver

Oliver is a friend who lived in Tepoztlán and moved to Valle de Bravo. He kindly invited me to visit him. As you'll see, Oliver is quite a varied character.

Here is Oliver's home, where I was luxuriously hosted:

While there, I interviewed him:

Oliver invited me to join him while he shot an interview for his latest film, The Black Sheep Society.

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. Oliver and Nuria, who he interviewed for his latest film. Photo by author

Valle de Bravo, Estado Mexico, Mexico. The "gang" of us out for a drink in Valle de Bravo center. Photo by author

Comments

Please email me your comments: [email protected]

I will post them here with your name unless you ask to be anon.

This is good. I have Valle de Bravo on my list of places I want to go. I really like Oliver and clicked on the link for Black Sheep and watched the clip. Saw Derrick Broze in that click, so quite certain Oliver and I are on the same page. Thanks for posting and the interview. --Alice Hesselrode

Thanks for your comment, Alice. Yes, Valle de Bravo is very beautiful in many ways. Downsides for me are that the lifestyle is very expensive and there is no public transport, only taxis.--Don