PC Guide to Mexico City

I had a really great feature in the Boston Globe over my recent trip to Mexico City. While the article focused more around the scares of traveling, which we had when we initially planned our trip, I’m so glad we went. The city could not have been more vibrant and I felt completely safe. Since I’ve had some inquiries around my trip, I decided to put a quick guide together for anyone that’s planning a trip.

Frida Kahlo House in Mexico City
Frida Kahlo Museum

The first thing to know is all the attractions are spread apart so there’s no one prime area to stay in if you’re trying to do it all. On the upside, Uber is super cheap and your car arrives in minutes so that helped with everything. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what the city but alas I’ll go back!

Frida Kahlo Museum AKA Casa Azul- Visit the iconic cobalt blue house of artist Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera you have to go. This is also a great area to walk around with parks and markets. You only need about an hour at the museum but the area is a great place to spend an afternoon. Here’s a trip advisor article on all the attractions, definitely hit the market and also Vivero Coyoacan, which is the most epic forest/park!

La Condesa and Roma Norte border each other and are similar funky neighborhoods that are more artsy with great coffee shops and restuarants. La Condesa especially has quite a nightlife and bar strip if you’re looking to go out.

Chapultepec Park and Chapultepec Castle – get lost in this amazing and massive park before heading to Chapultepec Castle, which is located in the middle on a hill, which was a sacred place for the Aztecs.

Plaza de la Ciudadela – we weren’t in town for the market days but heard if you’re looking for souvenirs this is the spot.

Zocalo – This is the city center, main square in Mexico City and it’s beautiful! Walk all the way around it. This is where the famous opening scene of James Bond Spectre takes place. There are side streets with restaurants.

Palacio de Bellas Artes – An absolutely beautiful building and world famous venue. Make sure to head to the second floor to see the exceptional murals.

Polanco – If malls are your thing, this open space shopping center is a top destination of Mexico City. Lined with Designer stores and restaurants, if you need some retail therapy this is your cure. There are also many other attractions if you’re in the area.

Teotihuacan Pyramids – We were dying to do this but didn’t have enough time! This is a day trip out of the city that looks amazing!

SIDE BAR: I posted some photos on instagram and got a bunch of recommendations on places and here are some of the amazing suggestions I got. Definitely goolge them since I didn’t make it to most but these are on my radar for next time I visit:

Places to eat: San Angel Inn, Pujol, Fonda Mayora, Quintonil and Cantramar.

Places to Drink: La Clandestina and Jules Basement.

Places to Shop: Carla Fernandex and The Good Folk.

Other destinations: Casa Virginia, and  Azul Historico.