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

Mexico City History

• Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución) – This is one of the largest city squares in the world and serves as Mexico City’s main square.
• Templo Mayor – This Aztec temple was discovered in the heart of Mexico City in 1978, which prompted its excavation and a subsequent museum.
• National Anthropology Museum – Found in the Chapultepec Park, this museum houses the most incredible collection of Mesoamerican artefacts.
• Palacio Nacional – This formidable government building has been used by Mexico’s ruling class since the Aztecs.
• Teotihuacan – The most-visited Mexican archaeological site contains ancient pyramid structures.

Mexico City Art & Culture

• Palacio de Bellas Artes – This wonderful theatre is home to murals and works of art by well-known Mexican artists.
• Frida Kahlo Museum – The Blue House is located in Coyoacán and was home to the famous artist for the last 14 years of her life.
• Plaza de las Tres Culturas – This public square contains examples of pre-Columbian, colonial and modern architecture.
• Sala Ollin Yoliztli – Home of the Mexico City Philharmonic and offering regular concerts.
• Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) – Large parades shut down the streets of Mexico City for this annual cultural festival, which takes place in early November.

Mexico City Shopping

• Plaza Loreto – An attractive shopping centre in Mexico City with patios, courtyards, a mini amphitheatre, cinemas and an excellent selection of shops and eateries.
• Mercado La Ciudadela – A great place to find Mexican crafts from the different cultural groups found throughout Mexico.
• Premium Outlets Punta Norte – These outlet stores offer global luxury brands at discount prices.
• Centro Comercial Santa Fe – The third-largest shopping mall in Latin America is home to a wide selection of stores.
• Somos Plata – The place to go for a great selection of silver jewellery made by Mexican designers.

Mexico City Gay & Lesbian

• Biatch – A wonderful place to have fun in the centre of the city that features mainly English pop music.
• Salon Marrakesh – This popular, chic gay bar in the Centro Historico offers a night club/cantina atmosphere.
• Lipstick – Considered one of the hottest places of its kind, it features a lounge, terrace and video bar.
• Cabare-Tito Neon – A popular spot for drag shows and cabaret.
• Kashbah Disco Club – Located in the heart of Mexico City, this is a highly established bar.

Mexico City Outdoor

• Chapultepec Park – This park running along Paseo de la Republica offers lovely places to walk, bike or visit one of its museums.
• Coyoacan – Historic district with colonial arts and much to explore, making it great for a day-time walking excursion.
• Torre Latinoamericana – This tower is one of the country’s most important landmarks, looming 183 metres over Mexico City for amazing panoramic views.
• Parque Mexico and Parque España – These parks stand side by side and are popular spots for an evening walk, exhibits and concerts.
• Xochimilco – This borough offers colourful boat rides down canals alongside the “floating gardens” of the Aztecs.

Mexico City Sport

• See the Pumas football team play at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario.
• Catch a baseball game at the Foro Sol.
• Get your fill of indoor sporting events, including basketball, at the Palacio de los Deportes, host to the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games.
• Cheer on bullfighters (or the bulls) on Sundays at the Plaza Mexico.
• Check out the Arena Mexico for the lucha libre Mexican style of wrestling.

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 as "lances". An excellent option for attending this show is to hire a Lucha Libre Tour

For the adventurous, a good option to get to know the Mexican way of life, is to visit the so called hoteles de paso which are the Mexican version of the love hotels in Japan. These hotels offer rooms per hours for those couples seeking privacy and intimacy, in a place where both elements are scarce.

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.

General Information

Attractions

Events

Climate

Mexico City official guide

HotelClub Blog

Mexico City on Wikipedia

Weekly Travel Q&A: Is Mexico City Safe?

A Memorable Mexico City Day Trip: The Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan

6 of the Most Exotic Markets in the World