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About 18.8 million hectares of the national territory are counted as protected natural areas. This points out very clearly the weighty ecological importance that Mexico has as a habitat for hundreds of animal, vegetable and mineral species.

More than 10% of all Mexico?s territory is under federal protection due to its utterly rich biodiversity which allows the existence of various fauna and flora populations. This percentage is divided in different categories depending on their own particular characteristics: biosphere reserves (the largest and best conserved areas), special biosphere reserves, national parks (the most numerous and old areas), national monuments, national aquatic parks, protected areas of natural resources and protected areas of flora and fauna, along with urban parks and sanctuaries.

Although many of these places are accessible only with a special permission, most of them are generally open for the public. One of them is el Desierto de los Leones, one of the oldest national parks in Mexico, which is located in the vicinity of the capital city.  In Baja California, the archipelago San Lorenzo together with the biosphere reserve of Isla Guadalupe are the most recent national parks, both founded in 2005. The biggest National Park of the country, el Arrecife Alacranes (the Scorpion Reef), in the state of Yucatán, takes up an area of 334,000 hectares whereas the smallest one, El Sabinal in Nuevo León covers only 8 ha. Amongst the most spectacular biosphere reserves stand out Monte Azul and the Tacaná volcano (6,378 ha) in the state of Chiapas, as well as El Vizcaino in the territory of Baja California.