{"id":24065,"date":"2017-12-26T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2017-12-25T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=24065&preview=true&preview_id=24065"},"modified":"2025-02-12T07:36:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T20:36:31","slug":"mexico-city-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/mexico-city-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Navigating your way around Mexico City"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mexico City \u2013 or CDMX as Chilangos<\/em> like to call it these days \u2013 is one of the world\u2019s \u2018supercities\u2019, home to almost 20 million people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having grown ten times in size since 1940, it has everything you want in a city: history, architecture, art, entertainment, and a foodie culture to rival anywhere on earth. The most difficult decision you\u2019re likely to make in Ciudad de Mexico<\/em> is how to divide your time, with so many distinct districts that Mexico City<\/a> feels more like several cities in one.<\/p>\n

Here are some good spots to get you started:<\/p>\n

Centro Historico<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>

Photo via Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Hop on the metro to one of the many stations around what locals call the Z\u00f3calo<\/em>, officially the Plaza de la Constituci\u00f3n. The main square was once the ceremonial centre of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, which you can see the remnants of in the excavated Tempolo Mayor. Today, the cobblestone streets are mostly home to colonial architecture, such as the Palacio Nacional, with Diego Rivera (Mr Frida Kahlo) murals depicting the nation\u2019s history, and the magnificent Catedral Metropolitana. Watch the military raise or lower the giant flag at 8am or 6pm, and stay for the traditional Aztec performers dressed in snakeskin and feathered headdresses, dancing to the beat of the huehuetl<\/em>. To the west, the Mercado de Sonora is a large outdoor market that features everything from lucha libre<\/em> (wrestling) masks to witchcraft potions.<\/p>\n

RELATED: THE SURPRISES AND DELIGHTS OF MEXICO CITY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This is also the place to begin sampling the delights of Mexican street food. With hundreds of taco stalls to choose from, it\u2019s simply a matter of following your nose. A full meal will only set you back a couple of dollars, so start sampling: tacos de fritanga<\/em> are shallow fried, tacos al pastor<\/em> are a local take on Middle Eastern kebabs, while flautas<\/em> are tortillas that have been rolled and fried. On the slightly less messy side are tortas<\/em>, monster sandwiches that are a world away from the kind your grandmother makes. But whatever you select, the best part is the salsa. Stands all carry several fresh, homemade varieties that will set your heart racing. There\u2019s only one thing you need for dessert: churros<\/em>, the Spanish fried dough pastry with sweet fillings that put donuts to shame.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

Photo by Damien Raggatt<\/p><\/div>\n

Chapultepec<\/h3>\n

Brush up on your Mexican history at the National Anthropological Museum, which features huge exhibitions dedicated to the many regions of the country that true buffs will want to spend a whole day exploring. Set aside some time during visiting hours to walk up the winding road to Chapultepec Castle for one of the best views of the rambling city, before taking a walk through the gardens and lakes below.<\/p>\n

La Condesa y Roma<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019ve worked up an appetite, it\u2019s only a short walk to La Condesa, or its slightly less glamorous sister suburb on the other side of Insurgentes Avenue, Roma. The district\u2019s artistic history has largely given way to its appetites, with rows of bars and restaurants serving the country\u2019s finest. Vegetarians will love Tacos Gus, a street food-style joint with over twenty meat-free options, while Mercado Roma hosts pop up bites from many fashionable restaurants. Or, with the tree-lined streets and colourful art deco architecture, go for a wander and find something a little more off track.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

Photo by Damien Raggatt<\/p><\/div>\n

You can eat your way around the country without leaving Mexico City, so look out for regional delights from Oaxaca, Puebla, and Michoac\u00e1n. Get to know your moles<\/em>, like a negro<\/em>, the dark, spicy-sweet sauce that dresses meats like pork and venison, or coloradito<\/em>, made from red chillies and usually accompanying chicken. For something lighter, a simple quesadilla<\/em> will still bring the flavour, as it\u2019s not uncommon for a restaurant to bring six or more salsas to enjoy with it.<\/p>\n

RELATED: ALL YOU CORN EAT – A MEXICAN STREET FOOD GUIDE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Zona Rosa<\/h3>\n

Let the towering Angel de la Independencia guide you to Zona Rosa, a wedge of streets in nearby Ju\u00e1rez; it\u2019s the financial centre by day and a party district by night. It\u2019s called the \u2018pink zone\u2019 after it became home to the city\u2019s vibrant gay scene in the 1960s, and also has a large Korean population with many restaurants if you fancy a break from taquerias<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t know much Spanish, you\u2019ll quickly learn that cerveza<\/em> (beer) and mezcal<\/em> (agave liquor) are indispensable, but there\u2019s no need to limit yourself. Micheladas<\/em> is a beer cocktail prepared with lime, salt, and chilli, said to cure hangovers but is equally delicious after a hot day of sightseeing, while a traditional margarita<\/em>, on the rocks or in a slushy, never goes astray. The local wine industry is booming, with a solid selection of reds and whites from the country\u2019s diverse geography. If drinking isn\u2019t your thing, the ubiquitous aguas frescas<\/em> are non-alcoholic chilled waters blended with fruits, sugar and herbs.<\/p>\n

Coyoac\u00e1n<\/h3>\n
\"Two<\/a>

Photo by Martin Ruffo<\/p><\/div>\n

A fresh head is a good idea for Coyo\u00e1can, the bohemian district in the south of the city that requires at least a full day to explore. The Frida Kahlo Museum, known as the blue house, is the most popular attraction, and it\u2019s advisable to buy your tickets online or get there early. Just around the corner, Leon Trotsky\u2019s Museum, or red house, is less busy but also worth a look; you can even enter the study where he was assassinated. Wander the Plaza Hidalgo and Jard\u00edn Centenario, surrounded by scores of places to eat and drink, and go inside Parroquia San Juan Bautista, a church and former convent that dates back to Cortes\u2019 conquest of Mexico in the 16th century. A large market, along with plenty of street performers and live music, only adds to the atmosphere of one of the city\u2019s most loved districts.<\/p>\n

Day trips<\/h3>\n

While there\u2019s more than enough to do inside the CDMX city limits, there\u2019s also plenty to see nearby. Take a day trip to climb the pyramids<\/a> of the Aztec archaeological site of Teotihuac\u00e1n, or get the metro north to see La Villa de Guadalupe that was the site of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531, which attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the Americas each year.<\/p>\n

Ready to explore Mexico City? Do it on a small group adventure<\/a> with Intrepid.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Heading to Mexico City but stumped on where you should start? Right here. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15948,"featured_media":24180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[260,1877],"class_list":["post-24065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-food-adventures","tag-mexico-city","ipf_theme-food"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNavigating Your Way Around Mexico City | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The most difficult decision you\u2019re likely to make in Mexico City is how to divide your time; here are five top spots to get you started.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/mexico-city-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Navigating your way around Mexico City\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Mexico City \u2013 or CDMX as Chilangos like to call it these days \u2013 is one of the world\u2019s \u2018supercities\u2019, home to almost 20 million people. 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