La Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico City — whatever you want to call it – is a force to be reckoned with. A force by its sheer size and population of 20 million people. A cultural force with concerts, theater, dance, opera, art exhibits and over 100 museums. And a culinary force with outstanding restaurants of every cuisine along with a vibrant street food culture.
The Zócalo or main square is the meeting place for the city and is surrounded by outstanding buildings including the Catedral Metropolitana.
When I started planning a trip to the colonial mountain towns of Mexico it was quickly apparent that most of our flight options were going to go through Mexico City. I had read and heard a few favorable travel reports about Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) but wasn’t sure just how much time we would want to spend there. In the end we decided it deserved at least 4 of our 20 nights. In retrospect that really wasn’t enough but then again, there’s never really enough time when you’re traveling.
First off let’s dispel the Mexico City is not safe myth. Our State Department issues travel warnings for U.S. citizens and State Dept. employees traveling abroad. While there are warnings for 5 of Mexico’s 32 states, none of the warnings are for Mexico City and most of the warning spots are because of drug cartel activity and not due to crime directed at tourists.
I lived in New York City for a couple of years and I took the same precautions there as I did in Mexico City and any other big city I visit. Don’t flash money or jewelry, don’t get so wasted that you are out of control, don’t walk down unlit streets or corridors and remember that nothing good happens after midnight. As a student in NYC I regularly broke the after midnight and out of control rules and still, I never had any problems. Yes, there are neighborhoods you should not visit in Mexico City after dark and there is a potential for pickpockets on crowded subways but we felt totally safe everywhere that we went.
In the Zócalo you will find spontaneous shows of Aztec dancing and music performed in native dress.
CDMX is not only Mexico’s biggest city but it is also the capital of the country. And so like Washington DC is for the USA it is a showplace for the world. The President lives here, the government meets here, the most important museums are here and there are lots of sites to see. To get around we walked and used Uber which worked smoothly and was a bargain. But you’ll find that traffic can be very slow at times.
The National Palace is one of the other grand buildings which line the main square and it is worth a visit (free) if only just to see the impressive mural “History of Mexico” painted from 1929 to 1935 by Diego Rivera. If you don’t know who Diego Rivera or Frida Kahlo are then I suggest you rent the movie “Frida” before you visit Mexico City. If not, you’ll be wondering why there are so many images of a striking dark haired woman with a unibrow everywhere you turn.
Diego Rivera Mural Detail - Click image to enlarge
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This Rivera mural at the National Palace is massive and it cascades down two stairwells in addition to the portion pictured above. I found two spots that looked like Rivera painted in Frida for posterity. In the left hand picture above wedged in behind the bald head of the monk there appears to be a unibrowed Frida peeking out. In the right hand picture behind the woman in the foreground in a red top it looks like Frida is pictured there in a green dress. Where’s Waldo? Where’s Frida!
Not too far from the Zocalo you will find the magnificent building and grounds of the the Palacio de Bellas Artes and next to it Alameda Park. With its multi colored dome and and statues both on the building and the grounds it does truly look like a palace. The building contains beautiful murals by Rivera and others artists and hosts all kinds of artistic exhibitions from music to dance to theater to opera. Major Mexican and international exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography are regularly held at the Bellas Artes.
Walking around many parts of Mexico City, like Alameda Park pictured above, you’ll feel like you are strolling through Paris or Madrid – it just felt very European to us.
Tree-lined Avenida de Paseo de la Reforma cuts through a portion of the park.
Chapultepec Park or Bosque de Chapultepec (Bosque means forest) is often called the lungs of Mexico City and it is easy to see why – it is massive. You think Central Park is big at 800+ acres? Chapultepec is over 1600 acres and visiting on a Sunday it was obvious the city dwellers here love their park.
The park contains museums, including the highly regarded National Museum of Anthropology.
In addition to nine museums the park contains a zoo, walking paths, lakes, fountains, commemorative sculptures, the fabulous Castillo de Chapultepec and trees, lots of trees.
And if you make it to Chapultepec Park don’t miss the Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec). It’s a little bit of a hike up the hill to the castle but the way is paved and it’s not too steep but you might feel the thin air since the city is at 7000 feet. Once up there you’ll have a view over the expanse of trees in the park and to the Mexico City skyline.
The castle site on the hill was once a sacred place for the Aztecs. The buildings at the top of the hill have served several purposes over the years, including that of Military Academy, Imperial residence, Presidential home, observatory, and presently, the National Museum of History (Museo Nacional de Historia).
The museum is well done with lots of interesting artifacts, paintings, and period rooms. The minimal entry fee includes the outstanding views, the gardens and beautiful grounds.
The corridor of stained glass featuring the Four Seasons was my favorite photo opportunity.
Parque Mexico in the Hippodrome neighborhood.
When you scan a map of Mexico City you can see that it is broken up into distinct neighborhoods and exploring these different neighborhoods and their attractions occupied a couple of our days in the city. Our favorite barrio was La Condessa with its wide tree-lined avenues full of boutiques, bars, cafes and lots of art deco architecture.
Tostadas de Coyoacán does a brisk business in tostadas of every flavor at the Coyoacán Mercado – we had the ceviche on the tray – tasty.
The Coyoacán neighborhood is anchored by the Coyoacán Market (Mercado). Coyoacán is one of the older neighborhoods and it comes alive with visitors on the weekends when the market is busiest. We’ve found that foreign markets are not only fun to wander through but are usually great spots to grab a lunch.
Coyoacán Market - Click image to enlarge
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The Casa Azul – the Frida Kahlo Museum, is the other anchor for the Coyoacán neighborhood. Get there early for tickets or better yet buy your tickets to the Museum on-line ahead of time. The museum lets you look into her living space – her bedroom, kitchen, and studio – each reflecting her unique sense of style. In addition to several of her paintings and photos you get to see her wardrobe, her garden, and her death mask. There is also a cafe and gift store at the site.
Casa Azul - Click image to enlarge
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Some other sites we came across in our wanderings:
The Museo Templo Mayor is a museum and an ongoing excavation of a sacred Aztec site located right near the main plaza.
At 220 feet tall, the Monument to the Revolution (Monumento a la Revolución) is listed as the tallest triumphal arch in the world. Many of Mexico’s revolutionary heroes are buried here.
The House of Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) building is an 18th-century Baroque palace covered on three sides by beautiful blue tiles.
With 20 million people you can bet there are a lot of young girls turning 15 and needing a Quinceañera gown – here’s your store.
The street vendors and little restaurants tucked into nooks and crannies serve up delicious food at bargain prices.
The organ grinders are a Mexico City institution that make sure that days downtown are never silent. This organ grinder was showing off his Day of the Dead look.
I feel like we hardly scratched the surface of all this city has to offer and I expect our travels will pass through Mexico City again and we’ll take another four days and afterwards we will still have lots left over to explore on the next visit!
Adios amigos!