Mountains and Volcanoes of Mexico: Orizaba, Colima and Toluca

Most of Mexico's highest mountains are volcanoes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Pico de Orizaba is the highest of all; the Nevado de Toluca holds two crater lakes; Colima is one of the most active volcanoes in the country; Cofre de Perote rises in Veracruz; and Ajusco is the highest point of Mexico City. In the far south, Tacaná sits on the border with Guatemala.

Pico and sierra are Spanish words found in many peak names. Cofre and Colima both start with CO.

Mountains of Mexico Vocabulary: 8 Words to Find

Words run across, up and down; 4 of the 8 read backwards. The longest word is Orizaba, with 7 letters.

Ajusco: A 3,930 m volcano, the highest point of Mexico City.
Cofre: Cofre de Perote, a 4,282 m volcano in Veracruz, Mexico.
Colima: The Volcán de Colima, one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico.
Nevado: Nevado de Toluca, a 4,680 m volcano with two crater lakes, the Sun and the Moon.
Orizaba: Pico de Orizaba, or Citlaltépetl, at 5,636 m the highest mountain in Mexico.
Pico: Spanish for "peak", as in Pico de Orizaba.
Sierra: Spanish for a mountain range, as in the Sierra Madre of Mexico.
Tacana: A 4,060 m volcano on the border of Mexico and Guatemala.

How to Solve the Mountains of Mexico Word Search

"Orizaba" has the only Z and B and is the only word that runs down. "Ajusco" has the only J and reads backwards, like "Cofre" and "Pico". "Sierra", with its double R, is the only word that runs upward.

Mexico Geography Activities

Mark each volcano on a map of Mexico.
Ask what pico, sierra and nevado mean in English.
Compare the height of Orizaba with the highest mountain where you live.