• Valle de Bravo is a town and municipality located in Estado de México. It is located on the shore of Lake Avandaro, approximately 156 km southwest of Mexico City and west of Toluca . It takes about 2 hours to drive from Mexico City to Valle de Bravo

• The first to arrive to the area were the who settled mostly in the present-day communities of Santa Maria Ahuacatlán, La Peñaand Otumba

SANTA MARÍA AHUACATLÁN LA PEÑA

• In 1937, the Federal Commission on Electricity began plans for an electrical plant called Ixtapantongo, later called the "Miguel Alemán" hydroelectric system. Construction began in 1938 and ended in 1947 ending with a Villa Victoria Dam that flooded 2,900 hectares, creating the current reservoir which extends all the way to the state of Michoacán. The electrical plant generates 458,775 kilowatts per hour and forms a part of the water system supplying Mexico City

• With the creation of the lake came the development of exclusive resort facilities such as hotels, golf clubs, country cabins, sailing clubs and a myriad of restaurants

• The town's principal economic activities center around tourism. It is a very popular location for weekend visits, especially from residents of Mexico City and Toluca. Holidays such as New Year’s Eve and SemanaSanta bring large numbers of visitors to the town leading to strong recommendations to arrange lodging well in advance.

• Other yearly events include the Festival Vallesano (March) where people participate in sporting, horseback-riging, art exhibitions and food-tasting events as well as cultural and musical performances

• the largest annual celebration is thecultural festival known as the Festival delas Almas (Festival of the Souls) which hasoccurred each of the last five years in lateSeptember or early October.

• events centered on film, dance, artexhibitions, music, literature, workshopsand theater, as well as Day of theDead altars.

Tourist attractions

• Temple of Santa María Ahuacatlán

The Parish of Saint Francis of Asis

The Jardín Central

The Joaquín Arcadio Pagaza Museum

SANTA MARÍA