This trip to Mexico has been a long time coming. Not because I had it all planned and COVID made me cancel it (looking at you, Costa Rica), but because I always knew that I would visit, and that I would love it. And I also knew that you don’t just go to Mexico once hoping to see everything. So I divided my time between Mexico City and other “nearby” cities, with the intention of returning someday to the Yucatan Peninsula area.
I spent 6 full days in Mexico City, and just barely felt like I saw everything I wanted to, and only because a few things, such as the Palacio Nacional, the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico, and the Museo Dolores Olmedo, were still closed due to the pandemic. Mexico City is a sprawling metropolis of more than 21 million people in the greater CDMX area, and spans more than 16 neighborhoods, which is how I organized my days.
Day 1: Historical Center – This included the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Zócalo (main square), the Museo del Templo Mayor (indigenous ruins found a few decades ago), the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Casa de los Azulejos, Alameda Park, and the Museo Mural Diego Rivera (houses one of his most famous murals). I also went to the Pastelería Ideal, which was amazing—you went around and filled a tray with the pastries you wanted and then they wrapped them up for you. I finished the day by going up the Torre Latinoamericana to watch the sunset.
Day 2: Coyoacán – This is where the famous Casa Azul is located, birthplace of Frida Kahlo. You must buy your tickets online beforehand, and when I arrived close to my time of entry there was already a line. After touring the house and spending too much at the gift shop, I continued on to the center of Coyoacán to the main square, the market, and the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares, which detailed the culture and present livelihoods of several indigenous groups, and then went to the Museo Anahuacalli, which had free entry with my ticket to the Casa Azul, and also great views of the surrounding area. I took an Uber (it was necessary in order to get to a lot of these places) over to the UNAM campus to see have a rest on the lawn and marvel at the Central Library building and called it a day.
Day 3: Guided Tour of Teotihuacán Pyramids and the Basilica of Guadalupe – The Pyramids of Teotihuacán, referred to as the pyramids of the sun and the moon, are actually taller than the ones in Chichen Itza but don’t get nearly as much attention. The prices of tours were pretty cheap (about $35 for the whole day) and on the way back to CDMX we also stopped at the Basilica de Guadalupe, which is where the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego on his cloak and filled it with roses. There are two basilicas on the site, the old one, which is actually sinking into the ground, and the new one, built to house the actual cloak.
Upon returning to CDMX, I went to the Monumento a la Revolución because it was near the drop-off point. It had a little history exhibit in the basement, then you take the elevator to the top and get a view of the city.
Day 4: Chapultepec – To the west of the city on top of a small hill sits the Chapultepec Castle, which now houses the Museo Nacional de Historia. Surrounding it is a small lake and huge park, and across the street is the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which is probably the best museum I went to. I learned just how much I don’t know about the history of Mexico and its many indigenous groups. I could have spent two full days there, but after a while my brain couldn’t handle anymore information, so I ate some churros and went to Frida Inmersiva, which is the first immersive art experience featuring her art! It was beautiful.
Day 5: San Ángel neighborhood – Located here is the house portrayed in the movie Frida, which is basically two houses, one for Frida and one for Diego, connected by a bridge from rooftop to rooftop. This house, now a museum, was disappointing for me because it was centered around Diego; in fact, the only place Frida was at all in either half was in the bathroom (huge eye roll). Also in this neighborhood was the Saturday Bazaar, featuring art in the park and tons of handicrafts in the actual market, and the Templo y Museo de El Carmen.
I finished the day with a visit to the Soumaya Museum, in the northwest part of the city, which had lots of both Mexican and European art as well as a unique architectural design. (see pics!)
Day 6: Miscellaneous day in the center – I used my final day to hit some places in the center, including the Museo Nacional de las Culturas, the National Art Museum (MUNAL), and the Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela.
What else can I say? I ate tacos, fajitas, tortas, flautas, quesadillas, pozote, cochinita pibil, mole, tostadas, chilaquiles, sopa azteca…I am lucky that I like mostly everything in terms of food, so I would just pick random things to try each day. And it was all delicious.
My next post will be about the other cities I visited in Mexico: León, San Miguel de Allende, Querétaro, and Dolores Hidalgo. Stay tuned!