Parque Tangamanga I is one of the largest urban parks in Mexico — over 420 hectares of woodland, sports facilities, artificial lakes, and open space a couple of kilometres southwest of the historic centre. It is where the city breathes: joggers, cyclists, picnicking families, and football games fill the park on weekend mornings, and the artificial lakes attract wading birds and rent rowboats.
The park contains an open-air theatre, a small zoo, a planetarium, and the Museo de la Cultura Potosina, which focuses on regional natural history. The tree-lined paths are a pleasant contrast to the dense colonial city centre, and the park gets considerably less foreign visitors than the historic zone — making it a good place to see how the city actually relaxes. Get there early on weekends to find parking or take a taxi from the centre.