Mexico City Hotels

You are in for a cultural treat when you visit Xochimilco. This ancient site features waterways created by the Aztecs to irrigate crops and provide drainage for lakes surrounding Mexico City. Visitors enjoy Mariachi bands cruising in colourful boats and peruse lovely floating gardens. As one of Mexico City's most celebrated landmark buildings, Torre Latinoamericana provides a stunning view of the entire city and features an aquarium on the 38th floor. At 225 metres tall, Torre Mayor is the second tallest skyscraper in Latin America.

If you cannot resist tacky tourist attractions, you can get your fix at the Frida Kahlo Museum. This impossibly vivid blue house is where the legendary painter was born and later lived with renowned muralist Diego Rivera. You can also check out Zona Rosa,a former hipster hangout area that is now a hot spot for tourists and Mexico City's gay community. While you are there you can stop at the Ciudadela market to buy local arts and crafts from all over Mexico.

Mexico City Top 10

Another excellent option for knowing what Mexican popular traditions are is to visit either the "Arena Coliseo" or the "Arena Mexico" to watch the Lucha Libre. Masked and quirky wrestlers fight and amuse locals with rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers called "llaves" as well as "high-flying" movements known "lances". An excellent option for attending this show is to hire a Lucha Libre Tour.

Mexico City Events

The NASCAR Mexico Corona seriesrace is held every year at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

Recorridos Dominicales are free, guided walking tours held every Sunday. The tour commentary is entirely en espanol, but this should not hinder one's enjoyment. While there is no fee, it is customary to tip your guide at the end.

Cuauhtemoc Day celebrates the last Aztec Emperor to fall to Cortez when the Spanish invaded the New World. This event has many festivities including dances and parties.

Fiesta de Santa Cecilia celebrates the patron saint of musicians every November in the Plaza Garibaldi. It is a memorable evening that includes Mariachi performances, dancing, and plenty of drinking.

Teatro Metropolitan hosts the Festival de México, featuring the annual jazz festival each March in downtown Mexico City.

The International Film Festival takes place in March at the Cineteca Nacionalin Mexico City. This prestigious event features independent films from all over the globe.

Wise Men's Day is 6 January, and it is celebrated with cakes stuffed with treats and presents for all the Mexican children.

The Independence Day "Yell" takes place on 15 September in Zocalo, Mexico City. The President stands on the Presidential Palace balcony over a festively decorated square and salutes the citizens, rousing the time-honoured “Viva Mexico!” cheer from the crowd. This kicks off the local Independence Day festivities.

The Mexican Independence Paradetakes place every September on the 16th. The Mexican armed forces unite for a military parade, and upwards of 30,000 soldiers participate in this grand show.

Dia de los Muertos, or ‘Day of the Dead’, takes place on the first two days of November. This is the time when Mexicans honour their departed loved ones by erecting alters in the cemeteries and holding parades and other festivities.

When to Go

Mexico City is generally mild all year long because it is on a plateau. The elevation makes it much more pleasant than the hot, low-lying plains of Mexico.

The winters are cooler than summer, but it rarely gets colder than 40°F (4°C). The summer high temperatures are in the upper 70s F (20s C).

It rarely rains in Mexico City from October through May. In the summer it rains almost daily, but the showers will typically last a few hours at most.

Getting There

Benito Juarez International Airport is the main airport in Mexico City. You can catch flights there from most major airlines, and there are plenty of taxis waiting at the terminal to take you to your lodgings.

You can take the extensive metro subway system to just about any site you want to visit in Mexico City. The fares are very cheap at about 3 pesos for one trip with unlimited transfers.

The city buses are another cheap alternative for vicinity travel. The fares for full-sized buses will cost a couple of dollars or a few quid, while the privately owned Microbus fares are typically 3.5 pesos per trip.

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Mexico City - General information

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