There are no words to describe how much I love my mom’s hometown of Mexico City, usually referred to as CDMX (Ciudad de México). It’s a huge city- with over 20 million people living in the metropolitan area- filled with so much culture, food, museums and historical landmarks. A week’s visit is barely enough time to see everything the city has to offer, so I always recommend two visits to get the full experience. The list below is not exhaustive, just my favorites, listed by neighborhood.
Bosque de Chapultepec / Polanco
- Bosque de Chapultepec– home to most of the city’s major museums and the zoo, Mexico’s version of Central Park is a great place to spend one of your days in CDMX (just not on Sundays when these attractions are free to residents and the lines are longer)!
- Museo Nacional de Antropología– widely recognized as one of the world’s best museums, it houses thousands of artifacts from Mexico’s ancient cultures.
- Castillo de Chapultepec– formerly an imperial and presidential palace, this majestic castle was converted to a history museum and offers some of the best views of the city.
- Museo Soumaya– a private museum that contains thousands of Mexican and European works. Worth a visit not only for its expansive art collection, but also the building’s unique façade.
Centro Histórico
- Palacio de Bellas Artes– one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, this cultural center hosts fine arts performances and is home to several of Diego Rivera’s murals.
- Zócalo– the city’s main square that is adjacent to the 3 sites below.
- Catedral Metropolitana– the country’s largest cathedral and part of the Centro Histórico UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Palacio Nacional– the Mexican President’s residence as of 2019 that also has some of Diego Rivera’s most well-known murals.
- Templo Mayor– the main temple of Tenochtitlán (former Aztec capital, buried beneath modern CDMX) has been gradually excavated since its discovery in 1978. The on-site museum has a large collection of archaeological artifacts on display.
Coyoacán
- Frida Kahlo Museum– former residence of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and current home to some of her most famous works of art.
- Mercado de Coyoacán– located in one of the cutest neighborhoods, you can shop for souvenirs and art, and eat at one of the food stalls.
Other Popular Sites
- Xochimilco– (pronounced soh-chee-meel-co) hop on a colorful boat for a ride through the city’s canals.
- Museo de Arte Moderno– small art museum that is home to The Two Fridas (Frida Kahlo).
- Torre Latinoamericana– city skyscraper near the Centro Histórico which offers a 360-degree view of the city.
- Parque la Mexicana– modern, urban park in the city’s upscale Santa Fe neighborhood that has plenty of bike-riding trails, cool sculptures and grassy areas to lounge for an afternoon.
- Papalote Museo del Niño– I don’t remember much from my visit to CDMX when I was 7 years old, but what I do remember was the day I spent here. There are so many interactive activities for kids, including educational workshops and demos on a variety of topics.
- Plaza de las 3 Culturas– plaza in the Tlatelolco neighborhood that has structures from the pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial and modern-day eras. It’s also where the Mexican military and police killed unarmed civilians protesting the 1968 Olympics just days before the Games started.
- Museo Jumex– contemporary art museum in the Polanco neighborhood (and adjacent to the Soumaya Museum) that has rotating exhibits.
- Cool Neighborhoods– Roma and Condesa. I haven’t spent a considerable amount of time in either, but from what I hear, there are a lot of cool shops and locally-owned eateries worth visiting.
Shopping
- Artisan markets– La Ciudadela, Mercado San Juan and Bazaar del Sábado.
- Upscale shopping– Avenida Masaryk (street lined with designer stores), El Palacio de Hierro (large department store, kind of like the Harrods of Mexico), and Antara mall are all in the Polanco neighborhood.
Food!
- El Moro– CHURROS!!! Established in 1935, visit one of the famous El Moro locations for delicious churros and a hot beverage.
- El Cardenal (San Angel location)- as a breakfast fanatic, this is one of my new favorites! The service here is incomparable- the servers are quick, attentive and you get a generous portion of food for the price.
- El Bajío (Polanco location)- my second favorite for breakfast! If you’re in the city during the fall and winter months, order the champurrado, a chocolate-based drink made from the same corn flour used for tamales. As an alternative, order the café de olla, which is coffee brewed with cinnamon and piloncillo (raw form of cane sugar). I’m also obsessed with the restaurant’s décor; the walls are covered with classic Mexican tapestries and trinkets.
- Los Panchos (Anzures location)- for classic, homemade-style Mexican food, visit this restaurant founded by the Rodriguez family in 1945. The portions are generous, and they are well-known for their carnitas tacos and fresh chicharrón.
