Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. There’s no one way to experience Mexico City, just like there’s no one way to describe it. Art Deco palaces sit next to Spanish colonial buildings, while family-run taquerias share the block with trendy cocktail bars. In neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma Norte, you’ll find hip boutiques, cafes, and clubs, while in more down-to-earth quarters like Santa Maria La Ribera you’ll get a taste of local life from the markets to the plazas. Art and design lovers can visit Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, history buffs (who also like to party) can spend the day at the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, and opera fans can enjoy a performance in the historic Palacio de Bellas Artes. Top all that off with some strong mezcal and tacos de suadero (a CDMX speciality), and you’re still just scratching the surface of all the city has to offer.
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City. The city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, was settled as early as 400 B.C. and became the most powerful and influential city in the region by 400 A.D. By the time the Aztecs found the city in the 1400s and named it Teotihuacan (meaning “the place where the gods were created”), the city had been abandoned for centuries.
The city contains several large, important structures: The Pyramid of the Moon, the Pyramid of the Sun, the Ciudadela (“Citadel”) and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent).
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the world’s most famous holy sites, drawing millions of pilgrims each year12. It is located in Mexico City and is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
It has seven entrances to the front, above which there is an open chapel with a certain reminiscence of the atriums of the 16th century, from which mass can be celebrated for those present in the atrium. Above this chapel is a large cross, and above it and at the top of the roof is a monogram of Mary with another cross in the center. To prevent the settling of the land that occurred in surrounding buildings, this was built using 344 control piles.
Frida Kahlo
Frida Kahlo was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist. She is also known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.
Explore the life—and contextualize the legacy—of Mexican surrealist artist and feminist icon Frida Kahlo at Playa del Carmen’s Frida Kahlo Museum (Museo Frida Kahlo). At one of the city’s first cultural spaces, learn about Kahlo’s work, illness, and tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera by way of interactive and sensory exhibits.
Xochimilco
A trip to Xochimilco can go one of two ways. Xochimilco can be a boring tourist trap where you sit on a boat in the hot sun for a few hours. On the other hand, it can be an amazing day spent with friends boozing and cruising along an ancient Aztec waterway. I’ve had both experiences at Xochimilco. When you get it right, Xochimilco is an absolutely roaring good time. It’s one of my favorite ways to spend a day in Mexico City. Day drinking, floating lazily on the river, and surrounded by vibrant music, good vibes, and people having fun.
Each boat can fit between 12 to 15 people. You’ll want to have as close to that number as possible. When you’re on a boat for several hours, a variety of human energy is absolutely necessary so things stay lively and spiced up.
Coyoacan
Five centuries’ worth of architecture and Mexican culture are embedded in this district’s plazas and narrow cobbled streets. Start your tour of Coyoacan at the lively Jardin Centenario park which is surrounded by inviting cafes and townhouses.
