Mexico City, Mexico
When visitors come to Mexico City for the first time, they tend to expect to find an overcrowded, polluted, dangerous city. Then the scales fall from their eyes. It won’t take any first-timer long to discover that in fact, Mexico City is a green city, full of parks and plants; a cultural city, full of museums and delicious food; and a safe city, no more dangerous than New York or Paris. Of course, you’d do well to keep your wits about you and your eyes peeled in any big city, which is doubly true here – by opening your eyes, you’re allowing yourself to be amazed by what you see.
Know Before You Go
Garden State
Very few people arrive in Mexico City expecting to find this many parks and gardens. Roma and Condesa are among the greener areas in town, thanks to Parque Mexico, Parque España, and various tree-lined boulevards. But there are plenty of other opportunities to get in touch with nature: Check out Parque Alameda Central, located in the very heart of the city, or the massive Chapultepec Park, which is almost three times bigger than Central Park and home of a botanical garden, a couple of museums, and the only royal castle in all of Latin America. Whew!
Local Eats
The vibrant food scene here – from mom-and-pop shops and pocket-sized eateries to some of the best ranked restaurants in the whole world – means that the possibilities are never-ending for those whose main interest is food. To fully immerse yourself, immerse yourself in both the high-end dining scene and the endless world of street eats and casual restaurants. You will dream of the meals you have for the rest of your life.
Museums
Brace yourself for a crazy fact: Mexico City has at over 150 different museums. (Can anyone even name 150 museums in the entire world?!) From modern and contemporary art to pre-Columbian culture and even one that’s completely dedicated to Mezcal and Tequila, there’s a museum immersion for everybody in this city. If you stop learning new things in CDMX, you’re doing something wrong.
Markets
We’re firm believers in the idea that there’s no better way to understand a new city than to experience the hustle and bustle of its local markets. In Mexico City, there are over 300 options to choose from – and even though some specialize in a certain product (like candies, flowers, plumbing, and even witchcraft), most markets function as a one-stop-shop, selling meat and poultry and vegetables and fruits and flowers and plants and furniture and clothing. Who needs a supermarket when you can have a mercado?
Xochimilco
Truly unforgettable, xochimilco is one of those experiences you have to try at least once in your life. To be onboard a rainbow-colored boat, navigating through a vast network of canals, sipping on enormous micheladas, and munching on amazing food sold out of tiny canoes – and, of course, listening to the also-floating mariachi and norteño bands surrounding you – is just something that cannot be missed.
The Pyramids
Teotihuacan pyramids are always at the top of everyone’s lists when they visit Mexico City, and for good reason: Even the locals will tell you they’re not be missed. Finding yourself in an archeological site that was once an ancient Aztec temple, and then climbing up its steps just to get a glimpse of what was once the place with the largest population of the Americas in pre-Columbian times, it’s quite simply life-changing.
Can’t-Miss Neighborhoods
Coyoacán
Coyoacán is one of the oldest and most vibrant parts of the city. With its colorful walls, cobblestone streets, beautiful courtyards, and churro sellers on every corner, it’s the perfect place to have an easy Sunday stroll. If that weren’t enough reason to drop by, it’s also home to the iconic Blue House, the museum that’s dedicated to the life and work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. There are also several artisan markets in Coyoacán, each one sure to present you with a day’s worth of “take my money!” purchase options.
Roma-Condesa
Most travelers have opted to stay around the Roma-Condesa area for years, and it’s still one of the beast places to visit. These adjacent neighborhoods play host to some of the best restaurants in town, interesting art galleries, beautiful architecture, and gorgeous green areas and parks full of dog walkers so skilled and so dog-laden, you could watch them maneuver for hours. This area has. nearly always been the hipster heart of the city, yet it’s in constant evolution, always ready with a new favorite thing to discover.
Juarez
The past couple of years have seen a surge of creative and unusual bars and restaurants pop up in Juárez, from casual dining to natural wine spots, various speakeasies, world-class bakeries, authentic Korean eateries, and even a bean-to-bar (read: chocolate) joint. With a central location right above Roma and next to the Paseo de la Reforma, if you’re looking for a night out where the food and the drinks are anything but dull, Juarez is the obvious choice to those in the know.
When to Go
Weather-wise, there’s nothing to fear; Mexico City has very mild temperatures all year round, ranging from 43ºF to 80ºF, very rarely below 37º or above 86º. And even though there is a wet season from June to September, it really only rains for around an hour before the skies dry and the sun returns.
If you’re looking to experience Mexico City’s holidays and cultural events, consider arriving a few days prior to Day of the Dead (November 1) to celebrate one of the most beautiful and meaningful Mexican traditions. You’ll get to see and smell marigolds in every corner, you’ll be able to try incredible seasonal dishes, and you’ll surely start to navigate around the city in the search of the best altars in town. To many, it’s the best time of year in CDMX.
Featured Local:
Anais Martinez
Anais is a Mexico City native and graduate of gastronomy school, where she learned possibly all there is to know about food, from the administrative side of the culinary industry to food sciences, chemistry, humanities, and, of course, how to cook just about everything. After working in the restaurant business for years, she realized she didn’t love it – but she did still love food. A bit of research showed Anais that food tours was an actual career choice, which she leapt into with both feet and has been doing ever since – over six years and counting.
Anais’s Must-Dos
El Vilsito
One of the most popular tacos al pastor in town, El Vilsito has been on almost every food TV show that's filmed in the city – and still they continue to be my ultimate favorite. A car workshop during the day and a taquería at night, their pastor spits are some of the biggest I've seen and they serve their pineapple-topped, small-in-size-but-huge-in-flavor tacos until 3 a.m. Start with three tacos and then add at least two; if possible, hold your drink, plate, and taco all while standing and eating right in front of the spit.
Mis Mezcales
No visit to Mexico would be complete without doing some mezcal sipping – but if you want to take this precious spirit back home, hitting this shop is your best option. Owner Omar Trejo knows every producer behind each one of the bottles he has for sale and can tell you the details about the making, the family, region, type of agave, label design, and so much more. Don't worry if you don't know much about liquors; Omar can also take it slow and give you an easy introduction to the amazing world of Mexican spirits.
More of Mexico City
Café Almanegra
The pioneers of Mexico City's third-wave coffee scene are still going strong. At Almanegra, not only do they offer great espresso-based drinks like the famous Gibraltar with a 1:1 ratio of coffee and milk; each one of their drips is made and served with the care, passion, and precision it deserves. Try their nitro cold brew and pair it with one of their chocolate layered croissants, specially made for them by the bakery Costra.
Expendio de Maiz Sin Nombre
The name of this place literally translates as "corn shop with no name." This beautiful little spot takes no credit cards and has no menu: As soon as you sit down, someone from their staff will come sit with you and ask about potential food restrictions. Then they'll go back to the kitchen and bring back the daily creations made with fresh ingredients, brought in from the southern state of Guerrero. Be careful, as tacos and portions in general here are quite big – you'll be in great need of one of their Guerrero mezcals as a digestif.
La Rifa
This cute little spot is located in the aforementioned charmer of a neighborhood known as Juarez. Aside from selling amazing, award-winning chocolate bars with mostly 70 percent cacao, they also serve cacao-based drinks mixed with either with milk or water, hot or cold, and served in a beautiful gourd. They work with mostly small producers from the state of Chiapas and examine each cacao batch to determine the type of process and roasting that will be used in order to get its best flavors out. The food is just as good. Try their chalupitas with guacamole and topped with grasshopers, or the clotted cream tamal with cacao foam and fresh fruit.
