Living in Pedregal

A house is the real Pedregal: a walled garden built into the lava, mature trees and a quiet street, minutes from San Ángel and Ciudad Universitaria. Few come up for rent, since owners mostly hold or sell, and they concentrate in Jardines del Pedregal, Barragán's original colonia in Álvaro Obregón, and in the Tlalpan colonias like Fuentes del Pedregal near Perisur. What you get is space and calm that little else in the south of the city offers.

What to consider before renting

A large garden on lava rock is the whole point of a Pedregal house, and it needs real upkeep, so picture the maintenance before you sign. Many of these homes date to the colonia's founding decades, worth asking about for the state of the installations. There is no Metro inside the zone and the curved streets were drawn for driving, so plan on a car. When nothing fits, the señorial houses for rent in San Ángel next door are the closest match in feel.