Mexico: Mexico City

May 28, 2026
Mexico City
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Mexico City: Everything You Didn’t Expect and Quite a Lot You Did

Mexico City is one of those places that hits you like a wet flannel the moment you step off the plane. And I mean that in the best possible way. It is enormous — home to around 22 million people depending on who’s counting and how generously they’re drawing the boundaries — which makes London look like a pleasant market town. It sits at an altitude of about 2,240 metres above sea level, which means your first day will involve a mild but persistent headache and the inexplicable breathlessness of a man who has done nothing more strenuous than walk to the hotel reception. My advice: drink water, take it steady, and resist the heroic urge to march off purposefully to see everything on day one. The city will still be there tomorrow. It has been here, in various forms, since the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán in 1325. It can wait half an hour while you sit down.

What nobody tells you — or at least nobody told me — is how extraordinarily cultured this city is. The museums are world class. The architecture ranges from pre-Hispanic ruins to colonial baroque to mid-century modernism, sometimes all within the same block. The streets are busy in that particular Latin American way that feels like organised chaos rather than the British sort, which is just chaos with queuing. The air quality is, it has to be said, not great. On bad days you can see it, which is never a reassuring sign. But here’s the thing: Mexico City gets under your skin. After a couple of days, even a confirmed miserable Englishman who has been quietly grumbling about the altitude, the traffic, and the fact that his hotel room didn’t have a window finds himself thinking: actually, this is rather brilliant.

The city divides itself into colonias — neighbourhoods — each with its own distinct character, which is enormously helpful if, like me, you find cities of this scale slightly overwhelming. The historic centre, or Centro Histórico, is where you’ll find the grand cathedral, the vast Zócalo square, the ruins of Templo Mayor, and the sort of colonial grandeur that makes you wonder why nobody in Britain ever built anything quite so theatrically magnificent. Then there’s Polanco for upmarket boutiques and galleries; La Condesa and Roma for tree-lined streets, outdoor cafés and the kind of relaxed neighbourhood feel that makes you briefly contemplate the logistics of simply staying; and Coyoacán, a former village absorbed by the city in the 19th century but which somehow managed to keep its cobblestones, its plazas, and its general air of not really being Mexico City at all. That variety alone is worth the flight.

Overview of Things to Do

🏛️ Marvel at the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Zócalo

The Plaza de la Constitución — universally known as the Zócalo — is one of the largest city squares in the world, and standing in the middle of it gives you that slightly vertiginous feeling of being somewhere that history has been made rather than merely observed. The square has been the heart of the city since Aztec times; the ruins of the Templo Mayor sit immediately adjacent, which is a genuinely striking juxtaposition. Dominating the north side is the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Americas, construction of which began in 1573 and took — in the characteristically unhurried fashion of grand ecclesiastical projects — until 1813 to complete. The result is a magnificent, slightly lopsided baroque and neoclassical pile that has been slowly subsiding into the soft lake bed beneath it for centuries, giving it a pleasantly wonky character. Inside, the scale is breathtaking: vast gilded altarpieces, a Baroque organ, and chapels dedicated to various saints line the walls in a way that makes a Church of England parish church look rather apologetic. The whole complex, including the adjacent Sagrario Metropolitano, is one of the great architectural achievements of colonial Latin America, and you can wander in for free. The sinking is monitored and corrected; it is not, apparently, about to disappear. Probably.

📍 Location: Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo), Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX
🌐 Website: catedralmetropolitana.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5521 7185
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Daily 7:00am – 7:00pm
💰 Fees: Free

🗿 Step Back 700 Years at Templo Mayor

Right next to the cathedral, which was in fact built using stones pillaged from it, lies the Templo Mayor — the great temple of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán. It was rediscovered by accident in 1978 when workers laying electricity cables hit something rather more significant than a pipe, and excavation has been continuing more or less ever since. The site is remarkable. What you’re looking at is not one temple but seven, each one built over the previous iteration as successive rulers expanded the structure to reflect their growing power and ambitions. The temples were dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun, and Tlaloc, the god of rain — a practical pairing if you think about it. The associated museum is genuinely excellent, housing the extraordinary Coyolxauhqui Stone discovered during those initial cable works — an eight-tonne carved disc depicting the dismembered goddess of the moon — along with thousands of artefacts retrieved from the site. It is one thing to know, intellectually, that a great civilisation flourished here before the Spanish arrived in 1519 and decided they knew better. It is quite another to stand on the actual stones of it and feel the weight of what was lost. We spent a couple of hours here and could easily have stayed longer.

📍 Location: Seminario 8, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06060
🌐 Website: templomayor.inah.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 4040 5600
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Tue–Sun 9:00am – 5:00pm; closed Mondays
💰 Fees: Approx. 85 pesos (roughly £3.50); free on Sundays for Mexican nationals

🎨 Discover Diego Rivera’s Murals at the Palacio Nacional

The National Palace on the east side of the Zócalo is the seat of the Mexican federal executive and has been the centre of political power here since — with characteristic historical continuity — it was built on the site of Aztec emperor Moctezuma II’s palace. You can walk in off the street, which still slightly surprises me, and the main reason to do so is the extraordinary series of murals painted by Diego Rivera between 1929 and 1951, covering the grand staircase and upper gallery. They depict the entire sweep of Mexican history from ancient pre-Hispanic civilisations through the Spanish conquest, the colonial period, and the wars of independence — all in a style that is simultaneously monumental and teeming with human detail. Rivera was a committed communist, which gives the murals a particular political edge, but you don’t need to share his convictions to be utterly absorbed by the work. The scale alone is staggering. These are not paintings you view from a polite distance with a programme in your hand; they surround you completely. We craned our necks for a very long time indeed. There is no charge to enter, which feels slightly improbable given what’s inside.

📍 Location: Plaza de la Constitución s/n, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06066
🌐 Website: palacionacional.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 3688 1600
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am – 5:00pm
💰 Fees: Free

🏠 Gawp at the House of Tiles — Casa de los Azulejos

On the pedestrianised Avenida Madero, a short stroll from the Zócalo, stands a building that stops you dead on the pavement and makes you think someone has got slightly carried away with the decorating. The Casa de los Azulejos — the House of Tiles — is a late 16th-century colonial palace whose entire exterior is covered on three sides in blue, white, and yellow Talavera tiles from Puebla, arranged in geometric patterns that catch the light in a manner that is frankly showing off. The origin of the tiling is the subject of competing legends, the most satisfying of which holds that a young count, having been told by his dismissive father that he would never amount to enough to build a house of tiles — a tiled house being a recognised mark of success at the time — promptly covered his entire palace in them the moment prosperity arrived. That is a magnificent piece of spite by anyone’s standards, and entirely worth commemorating. The building passed through various aristocratic hands until 1917, when two Californians called Sanborns turned it into a restaurant and pharmacy chain and, in doing so, accidentally preserved one of the city’s finest colonial interiors for the benefit of everyone who came after. The covered inner courtyard, with its Moorish fountain, stone columns, and a 1925 mural by José Clemente Orozco on the staircase, is quite remarkable. You can walk in off the street and wander about at no charge. The tiles on the exterior were, according to Lonely Planet, mostly produced in China and shipped over on Spanish galleons, which is an extraordinary logistical detail that nobody mentions nearly enough.

📍 Location: Av. Francisco I. Madero 4, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06040
🌐 Website: sanborns.com.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5512 9820
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Daily approx. 7:00am – 11:00pm
💰 Fees: Free to enter and wander

✉️ Post a Letter from Mexico’s Most Extravagant Post Office — Palacio Postal

Just across the road from the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and designed by the same Italian architect, Adamo Boari, stands the Palacio Postal — the main post office — which is either a glorious testament to civic ambition or the most alarming use of a stamp budget in recorded history, depending on your disposition. Built between 1902 and 1907 under President Porfirio Díaz, who had a fairly consistent policy of making everything as grand as possible regardless of its function, it represents the flagship of Mexico’s brand new national postal system — the first time the entire country had been united under a single postal agency. Nobody, apparently, suggested that a working post office might not strictly require this level of architectural theatre. The exterior blends Gothic, baroque, Venetian, and Renaissance elements into something that could generously be called eclectic and accurately be called jaw-dropping. Inside, the golden central staircase is the centrepiece: ornate ironwork railings, marble floors, gilded detailing, painted ceilings, and an antique lift that still operates with a human attendant. There is a small museum on the upper floors dedicated to the history of the Mexican postal service, including the very first stamp Mexico ever issued, which is apparently among the most thrilling postal relics anywhere in the world, if that particular subject is your thing. The building remains a fully functioning post office to this day, which means you can, in the middle of all this architectural theatre, actually buy a stamp and post a card home to someone who will almost certainly receive it after you have already returned. I did it anyway. It felt oddly satisfying.

📍 Location: Calle de Tacuba 1, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06000
🌐 Website: correosdemexico.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5521 5531
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Mon–Fri 8:00am – 7:30pm; Sat 10:00am – 4:00pm; Sun 10:00am – 2:00pm
💰 Fees: Free to enter; small charge (approx. 50–100 pesos) may apply for upper floors

🎭 Admire the Palacio de Bellas Artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes — the Palace of Fine Arts — is the sort of building that stops you dead on the pavement and makes you stare upwards with your mouth slightly open, possibly for longer than is entirely dignified. Construction began in 1904 under Porfirio Díaz, who presumably wanted a cultural jewel to announce Mexico’s arrival on the world stage, and it took so long to complete — delayed by revolution, sinking foundations, and the general difficulty of building something this ambitious — that it didn’t open until 1934. The exterior is an extraordinary combination of art nouveau and neoclassical white marble, topped with a dome of iridescent Talavera tiles; the interior is pure art deco, with a breathtaking stained-glass curtain above the stage depicting the Valley of Mexico, designed by Tiffany Studios in New York. The building houses permanent murals by Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros — the three great Mexican muralists — and the ticket prices for temporary exhibitions are, by any international standard, extraordinarily good value. Even if you don’t go in for a performance or exhibition, walk past it at night when it is lit up against the dark sky. Some buildings are so beautiful they make the effort of getting here feel immediately worth it. This is one of them.

📍 Location: Av. Juárez s/n, Centro Histórico, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06050
🌐 Website: museopalaciodebellasartes.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 8647 6500
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00am – 6:00pm; closed Mondays
💰 Fees: Museum approx. 85 pesos; performances vary; free on Sundays for Mexican nationals

🏺 Spend a Morning at the Museo Nacional de Antropología

If you visit only one museum in Mexico City — and given the competition that would be a genuine sacrifice — make it this one. The Museo Nacional de Antropología in Chapultepec Park is, without question, one of the great museums of the world, and I say this as someone who has been dragged around more museums than most people have had hot dinners. Opened in 1964, it was designed by architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and covers the full breadth of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic cultures across 23 permanent exhibition rooms arranged around a central courtyard dominated by a vast concrete umbrella supported by a single column, down which water cascades in wet weather in a manner that is simultaneously practical and dramatic. The Aztec Hall is the centrepiece, housing the famous Aztec Sun Stone — commonly but incorrectly called the Aztec Calendar — along with a reconstruction of the burial of the Red Queen of Palenque. The Maya rooms, the Olmec rooms, the Oaxacan cultures galleries — all are extraordinary. Budget at least three hours, accept that you will still feel you have only scratched the surface, and strongly consider going twice. We did.

📍 Location: Av. Paseo de la Reforma & Gandhi s/n, Bosque de Chapultepec, Polanco, Ciudad de México, CDMX 11560
🌐 Website: mna.inah.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 4040 5300
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Tue–Sun 9:00am – 7:00pm; closed Mondays
💰 Fees: Approx. 85 pesos; free on Sundays for Mexican nationals

🏰 Explore Castillo de Chapultepec

Chapultepec Park — at over 680 hectares, one of the largest urban parks in the world — sits in the western part of the city and contains within it not just the anthropology museum but an actual castle. Not a metaphorical one. A proper castle, perched on a rocky hill with views across the entire city, originally built as a military academy in the late 18th century and subsequently used as the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Carlota during Mexico’s brief and turbulent imperial period in the 1860s. It is the only royal castle in the Americas to have been used as a residence by a reigning monarch, which is either a dinner party fact of the highest order or a neat illustration of Mexico’s extraordinarily complicated 19th century, depending on your inclinations. Maximilian, installed by Napoleon III and then briskly deposed by Benito Juárez, was executed in 1867 at the age of 34, which one suspects was not quite what he had in mind when he accepted the throne. The castle itself is beautifully maintained, with period rooms, sweeping murals, and views from the battlements over the sprawl of the city that are genuinely something on a clear day — which, given the air quality situation, you should not take for granted.

📍 Location: Bosque de Chapultepec, Sección 1, Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de México, CDMX 11580
🌐 Website: castillodechapultepec.inah.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 4040 5211
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Tue–Sun 9:00am – 5:00pm; closed Mondays
💰 Fees: Approx. 85 pesos; free on Sundays for Mexican nationals

🖼️ Lose Yourself in MODO — the Museum of Everyday Objects

If the big canonical institutions are beginning to feel like hard work — and after the Anthropology Museum and Bellas Artes there is a reasonable chance they might — then MODO, the Museo del Objeto del Objeto in Roma Norte, is a very pleasant antidote. It occupies a handsome 1906 art nouveau mansion that was once the home of a collector called Bruno Newman, who spent 40 years accumulating around 30,000 objects — food packaging, vintage pharmaceuticals, soda bottles, old electronics, toys, cosmetics, advertising materials, shoe polish, and much else besides — before concluding that his warehouse was simply too full and converting the house into a museum instead. Sensible man. The collection has since grown to somewhere around 140,000 objects and now runs under the auspices of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, making it the country’s first museum dedicated entirely to design and communications. What makes it work is not the objects themselves — though they are frequently fascinating — but the curatorial intelligence brought to bear on them. Past exhibitions have explored Mexican history through colour, the psychology of broken relationships, health, and human connection. It is the sort of place that reminds you that ordinary things, accumulated and contextualised with care, can tell you more about how people actually lived than any number of grand thrones and battle standards. You can do it comfortably in an hour or two, and the Roma Norte neighbourhood around it is excellent for a wander afterwards.

📍 Location: Colima 145, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06700
🌐 Website: elmodo.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5533 9637
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Wed–Sun 10:00am – 6:00pm; closed Mon–Tue
💰 Fees: Approx. 60 pesos; concessions available; under-12s free

🎨 Walk Among the Murals and Street Art

Mexico has one of the great mural traditions on earth, and it didn’t stop with Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros in the 1920s — it is alive, evolving, and covering walls in every direction across the city as we speak. Understanding this distinction is useful: the Mexican muralism movement of the post-revolutionary period was monumental, politically charged, and mainly found inside government buildings and museums. The contemporary street art scene is something different — looser, more international, more immediately responsive to the world — but rooted in the same conviction that public space belongs to everyone and that walls are there to be used. The best areas to explore on foot are Roma Norte, where Calle Zacatecas in particular rewards a slow wander up and down its length, and La Condesa next door, where side streets yield murals of considerable ambition alongside the more expected café terraces. Colonia Doctores, further south, clusters some of its best work around the Museo del Juguete Antiguo México — a toy museum whose exterior and surrounding streets are covered in large-scale pieces by local and international artists. If you want a more structured experience, several outfits offer guided bike or walking tours taking in pieces you would never find independently, with guides who can explain the context and the artists. We did one of the bike tours and found it entirely worthwhile, partly for the art and partly because cycling is, with the possible exception of the metro, the most sensible way to move through this city.

📍 Location: Calle Zacatecas, Roma Norte; La Condesa; Colonia Doctores — self-guided or by tour
🌐 Website: Various operators; try getyourguide.com for guided tours
📞 Telephone: Varies by operator
✉️ Email: Varies by operator
🕐 Opening Hours: Outdoor art viewable any time; guided tours operate daily, typically 9:00am – 1:00pm
💰 Fees: Street art is free; guided tours from approx. 350–600 pesos per person

⛪ Make a Pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

This one is, by some margin, the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the entire world — more visited even than Rome or Lourdes — drawing upwards of 20 million people a year, which puts even the most popular National Trust property firmly in its place. It sits on the Hill of Tepeyac in the north of the city and its significance stems from the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego, an indigenous convert, in December 1531. According to the account, she appeared to him several times and asked that a shrine be built in her honour; during one appearance, her image was miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s rough cactus-fibre cloak, or tilma, a cloth which is displayed to this day inside the basilica. The original 16th-century Old Basilica still stands — a handsome colonial structure — alongside the vast modern New Basilica, completed in 1976 and designed to accommodate enormous congregations. You view the tilma from a series of moving walkways beneath it, which has the slightly surreal effect of conveying you steadily past one of the most sacred objects in the Catholic world as though you were at a particularly devout airport. Regardless of your own spiritual views, the atmosphere here is extraordinary: people arriving on their knees having crawled the last stretch of road as an act of devotion, families gathered on the feast day of 12th December in numbers that are simply staggering. We visited on an ordinary weekday morning and it still made a powerful impression.

📍 Location: Plaza de las Américas 1, Villa de Guadalupe, Gustavo A. Madero, Ciudad de México, CDMX 07050
🌐 Website: virgendeguadalupe.org.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5577 6022
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Daily 6:00am – 9:00pm; note closed Mondays for the Guadalupe Museum
💰 Fees: Free; donations welcome; small admission for the Guadalupe Museum

🏟️ Face Three Civilisations at Plaza de las Tres Culturas, Tlatelolco

The Plaza de las Tres Culturas — the Square of the Three Cultures — is, after the Zócalo itself, probably the most historically layered single space in Mexico City, and it receives a fraction of the visitors it deserves, partly because it sits north of the centre in a district that most tourists never reach. The name refers to the three civilisations visibly present in the one square: Aztec ruins, a Spanish colonial church from the 17th century, and the surrounding mid-20th-century housing blocks of the Tlatelolco development. Tlatelolco was a once-independent city-state allied to but distinct from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, and it was here that the Aztec empire made its last stand against the Spanish in 1521 — the stone ruins of its ceremonial centre are still being excavated and can be walked around. The colonial church of Santiago Tlatelolco stands directly alongside, its stained-glass windows designed by the 20th-century architect Mathias Goeritz in a striking juxtaposition of eras. But the square carries a third, more recent layer of history that casts a long shadow: on 2nd October 1968, ten days before the opening of the Mexico City Olympic Games, Mexican armed forces opened fire on a peaceful student demonstration here, killing somewhere between 350 and 500 people. The government suppressed the truth for decades. A memorial now stands in the square, and the former foreign ministry building on its south side houses a cultural centre dedicated to the victims. Standing in this square, knowing all three of those histories simultaneously, is a genuinely affecting experience.

📍 Location: Ricardo Flores Magón 1, Tlatelolco, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06900
🌐 Website: mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx (search Tlatelolco)
📞 Telephone: N/A
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Plaza open daily; Museo de Tlatelolco Tue–Sun 10:00am – 6:00pm
💰 Fees: Plaza free; Museo de Tlatelolco free

🎓 UNAM — Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico City

Built in the 1950s on an ancient volcanic lava field in the south of Mexico City, the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico — known as Ciudad Universitaria — is one of the most striking university campuses in the world. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, it was designed by a team of architects and artists working together, resulting in a landscape where modernist buildings are covered in large-scale murals by figures including Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The Central Library, its exterior entirely clad in mosaic, is the most recognised image of the campus. As well as the university’s faculties and research institutes, the site contains several museums, a botanical garden, a concert hall, and the Olympic Stadium. The campus is a working university, but visitors are welcome to walk freely around the grounds and visit its cultural spaces.

Visitor information

Location: Av. Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, Alcaldía Coyoacán, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
Getting there: Take Metro Line 3 to “Universidad” or “Copilco” stations, then use the free Pumabús shuttle that circulates around campus. Taxis and ride-sharing services also run to the site. Limited parking is available by car.
Website: unam.mx | English version: english.unam.mx
Telephone: +52 55 5622 1280
Opening hours: Campus grounds open daily, roughly 8:00–18:00. Museums and venues vary — the MUAC art museum opens Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–18:00; Universum science museum Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00. Most venues close on Mondays.
Entry fees: The campus grounds are free to enter. Museums charge modest fees, typically 40–70 MXN (around £1.70–£3), with discounts for students and seniors. Guided tours are available and should be booked in advance.

🌿 Wander the Cobblestone Streets of Coyoacán

Coyoacán used to be a rural village independent from Mexico City until the 19th century. It was absorbed by the megalopolis in 1857 but managed, with admirable stubbornness, to preserve its quiet atmosphere, original layout, plazas and narrow cobblestone streets, as well as its colonial architecture. It is, in short, the sort of place that makes you forget, for an hour or two, that you are in the middle of one of the world’s great urban sprawls. Our journey started at Hidalgo Square, the heart of Coyoacán — an animated square flanked by restaurants and a lovely craft market. We passed through the gate to the park and into shady tree-lined pathways with a pretty fountain at the centre bearing a bronze statue of two coyotes, a reference to the name Coyoacán, which translates as “place of the abundant coyotes” in Nahuatl. At the head of the square stands the Franciscan church and convent of San Juan Bautista — pleasantly simple in its façade compared to many of the gothic confections scattered around the rest of the city. A wander around Coyoacán, ideally on a Sunday when the market is in full swing and musicians set up in the square, is one of those travel experiences that costs almost nothing and stays with you considerably longer than things that cost considerably more.

📍 Location: Jardín Hidalgo, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, CDMX
🌐 Website: coyoacan.cdmx.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: N/A
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Open area; no set hours
💰 Fees: Free

🖌️ Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum at Casa Azul

A short walk from Hidalgo Square in Coyoacán is one of the most compelling museum experiences in Mexico. The Casa Azul — the Blue House — was the childhood home of Frida Kahlo, born here on 6th July 1907, and it is where she spent much of a life that was, by any measure, remarkable and extraordinarily difficult in equal proportion. She contracted polio at six, and at eighteen was involved in a catastrophic bus accident that left her spine and pelvis fractured and set in motion a lifetime of pain, surgery, and what she described as painting herself because she was often alone and was the subject she knew best. Her turbulent marriage to the muralist Diego Rivera — involving mutual infidelities, separation, divorce, and remarriage, all conducted with the dramatic intensity you might expect from two of Mexico’s most famous artists — plays out through the rooms of the house, maintained largely as they were when the couple lived here. The walled courtyard garden is stunning and surprisingly peaceful given the milling tourists, with lush beds, shade trees, and a spectacular mosaic pool. Inside, Frida’s studio still holds her wheelchair and specialist easel; her bedroom contains her ashes, resting in a pre-Hispanic ceramic urn shaped like a frog — Rivera apparently called himself “el sapo-rana,” the toad-frog. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance, only on the day; queues form early and numbers are limited. Get there when it opens.

📍 Location: Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, CDMX 04100
🌐 Website: museofridakahlo.org.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5554 5999
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Tue 11:00am – 5:30pm; Wed–Sun 10:00am – 5:30pm; closed Mondays
💰 Fees: Approx. $12 USD; slightly more at weekends; 30 pesos extra for camera use; cash or card

📚 Spend an Afternoon at Cafebrería El Péndulo

I am going to be honest with you: I did not expect a bookshop to make it onto a list of things to do in Mexico City. But El Péndulo is not simply a bookshop. It is, depending on your disposition, either an act of architectural devotion or the most civilised place you will find in a city of 22 million people, and possibly both simultaneously. Founded in 1993 in Condesa by Eduardo Aizenman — an architect who had returned from studying at Rice University and working in Barcelona to find his city still recovering from a devastating 1985 earthquake, and who wanted to create community and, as he put it, simply have a decent place to hang out — El Péndulo began as a combination of cafeteria and bookshop. The name comes from Umberto Eco’s novel Foucault’s Pendulum, which should tell you something about the clientele. It now has seven locations across the city, each designed differently and each occupying a building of some architectural interest. The Polanco branch is the most visually celebrated: two storeys of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, balconies with green railings, a spiral staircase, and books displayed with a care that suggests genuine affection for them. There are also records, art films, a full café and bar, and a programme of live music, book launches, and literary events. The Roma branch, in a former art deco mansion, is similarly excellent. You can stay for an hour or an entire afternoon. We did the latter and had absolutely no regrets.

📍 Location (Polanco): Alejandro Dumas 81, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de México, CDMX 11560
📍 Location (Roma): Álvaro Obregón 86, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06700
🌐 Website: pendulo.com
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5280 4111 (Polanco)
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Mon–Wed 8:00am – 11:00pm; Thu–Fri 8:00am – midnight; Sat 9:00am – midnight; Sun 9:00am – 11:00pm
💰 Fees: Free to browse; café prices standard

🏟️ Explore the Ancient City of Teotihuacán

About 50 kilometres north-east of the city centre lies one of the most important archaeological sites in the Americas, and the fact that it is a day trip from a megalopolis of 22 million people makes it only marginally less astonishing. Teotihuacán was, at its height between roughly 100 BC and AD 550, one of the largest cities on earth, with a population estimated at up to 125,000. Nobody knows exactly who built it. The Aztecs, who arrived centuries after its mysterious decline and abandonment, named it Teotihuacán — “the place where men become gods” — but they were as baffled by its origins as we are today. The Avenue of the Dead stretches two kilometres and is lined with temples and palaces, dominated at its far end by the Pyramid of the Moon and, just off to one side, the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world, which you are still permitted to climb. It is a workout that turns middle-aged knees into something resembling rusty hinges, but the view from the top — looking out across the whole vast ceremonial complex — is one of those travel moments that makes you feel quietly and justifiably grateful to be alive. Get there early before the tour groups and the heat arrive together, which they will, with considerable enthusiasm.

📍 Location: San Juan Teotihuacán, Estado de México, approx. 50km north-east of Mexico City
🌐 Website: teotihuacan.inah.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: +52 594 958 2081
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am – 5:00pm
💰 Fees: Approx. 85 pesos; parking extra

🛶 Take a Boat Ride on the Ancient Canals of Xochimilco

Xochimilco sits in the south of the city and consists of a network of canals — the last surviving remnants of the vast lake system that underpinned the Aztec civilisation — along which you travel on brightly painted flat-bottomed boats called trajineras, propelled by a boatman with a long pole in a manner that has presumably not changed enormously in the last few centuries. The banks are lined with the traditional floating gardens called chinampas that the Aztecs developed for agriculture and which still produce flowers and vegetables today. Other boats drift alongside selling things — trinkets, marigolds, small items of pottery — and there is usually a mariachi boat somewhere in the vicinity, which either adds magnificently to the atmosphere or tests your tolerance for trumpet music at close quarters, depending on your afternoon. The whole network is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is another way of saying it is genuinely important and not merely a pleasant outing. Go at the weekend when local families fill the waterways and the whole thing becomes rather magnificently festive. We arrived expecting something vaguely touristy and came away having rather loved it, which is probably the best possible outcome.

📍 Location: Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas, Fernando Celada, Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, CDMX 16090
🌐 Website: xochimilco.cdmx.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: N/A
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Embarcaderos generally open daily from approx. 9:00am
💰 Fees: Trajinera hire approx. 350–500 pesos per hour for the whole boat; negotiate before boarding

🤼 Watch Lucha Libre at the Arena México

I will confess, in the spirit of full disclosure, that I am not and have never been a wrestling fan. I have nothing against it; it simply never occurred to me as something to seek out. But Lucha Libre — which translates as “freestyle wrestling” and dates back to the early 1930s when a former colonel from the Mexican Revolution imported American wrestlers and the country promptly decided to make the whole thing more spectacular — is not really wrestling in the way that a British person of my generation would understand it. It is something considerably more extraordinary. Masked luchadores in vivid costumes launch themselves off the ropes and through the air with an athleticism that is entirely genuine, regardless of the scripted outcomes, and the crowd at Arena México — known as the Cathedral of Lucha Libre and capable of holding around 16,000 people — participates with an energy that is simply remarkable. The arena holds shows on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday evenings; Friday is the biggest night with the best fighters on the card. The area around the arena, in Colonia Doctores, is best reached and left by taxi or rideshare rather than on foot at night. We went as part of a guided tour that included tacos and mezcal beforehand and a brief explanation of the traditions and characters — I would recommend this for first-timers, as having some context makes the spectacle considerably more enjoyable. By the end, we were chanting along with everyone else. I’m not entirely sure what we were chanting. It didn’t seem to matter.

📍 Location: Arena México: Dr. Lavista 197, Colonia Doctores, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06720
🌐 Website: cmll.com
📞 Telephone: +52 55 5588 0508
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Shows Tue, Fri and Sun evenings; doors typically open around 7:00pm; check website for schedule
💰 Fees: Tickets from approx. 100–350 pesos depending on seat; guided tour packages from approx. 900–1,500 pesos including tickets, tacos and drinks

🌳 Sit for a While in Parque España

Parque España is not, in the conventional sense, a sight. There are no ruins to contemplate, no collections to work through, no murals to crane your neck at. It is simply a park — a genuinely lovely one — in the heart of La Condesa, and the argument for including it here is that any honest account of what makes a city worth visiting ought to include the places where you simply stop, sit down, and feel the texture of how people actually live. Designed by architect José Luis Cuevas and opened in 1921 on land that had previously been the entrance to the Hipódromo de la Condesa racetrack — the circular layout of which still shapes the streets around it — the park is shaded by large trees, including an ahuehuete planted at its opening by the then-mayor of Mexico City, whose commemorative plaque is still at its base. At the centre stands a monument to President Lázaro Cárdenas — an abstracted bronze open hand, donated in 1974 by a group of Spanish Republican immigrants as an expression of gratitude for Mexico’s welcome of exiles from the Spanish Civil War, which is a more affecting backstory than most public sculptures can claim. The surrounding streets are among the finest examples of art deco and art nouveau residential architecture in the city, and simply walking the blocks around the park is an architectural pleasure in itself. We sat here on a Sunday afternoon and watched the city go about its business. It was, after several days of relentless sightseeing, exactly what was needed.

📍 Location: Avenida Sonora & Avenida México, Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06140
🌐 Website: mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx
📞 Telephone: N/A
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Open daily; no set hours
💰 Fees: Free

🌼 Browse the Stalls at Mercado de Medellín

Just a few blocks into Roma Sur, away from the boutique hotels and artisan coffee shops that have colonised Roma Norte with considerable thoroughness, sits the Mercado de Medellín — officially named the Mercado Melchor Ocampo, though nobody calls it that — and it is the sort of market that reminds you that a city of 22 million people was getting on perfectly well long before any of us arrived with our cameras and our curiosity. The building itself, with its striking red, green, and yellow geometric painted exterior and a large multicoloured mural down one side, has stood here for over 150 years, established originally at the centre of an immigrant community in the city. It has more than 500 stalls and covers everything you could reasonably want from a neighbourhood market — flowers in abundance, fresh produce, meat, fish, housewares, enamel cookware, brightly striped kitchen towels, chilli pastes, and enough sensory variety to keep you turning corners for a good hour. What makes Medellín particularly interesting is its strong Latin American and Caribbean character: Colombian goods feature prominently alongside Mexican mainstays, and the market has long been a focal point for the city’s South American expat community, giving it a flavour quite distinct from other Mexico City mercados. The flower section alone — with enormous pre-made bouquets propped up at the entrance that locals stop to buy on their way home — is worth the detour. Go in the morning when the stalls are fully stocked and the whole place is at its most alive.

📍 Location: Medellín 234 (corner of Campeche), Roma Sur, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, CDMX 06760
🌐 Website: N/A
📞 Telephone: N/A
✉️ Email: N/A
🕐 Opening Hours: Mon–Sat 8:00am – 7:00pm; Sunday hours vary
💰 Fees: Free to enter

Getting Around Mexico City

Mexico City (CDMX) is one of the world’s great megacities — sprawling, vibrant, and surprisingly easy to navigate once you know what you’re doing. With over 21 million people in the greater metropolitan area, transport options are plentiful, ranging from one of the world’s busiest metro systems to app-based taxis and even cable cars. Here’s everything you need to know about getting in and getting around.

✈️ Arriving: Know Your Airport

Mexico City is served by two international airports, and confusing them is a surprisingly common — and costly — mistake.

Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/AICM) is the main hub, located just 13 km east of the historic centre. The vast majority of international flights land here. It has two terminals — Terminal 1 (older, busier) and Terminal 2 (more modern) — connected by a free shuttle and the Metro.

Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU/AIFA) is the newer, secondary airport, situated around 45 km north of the city centre in the State of Mexico. It primarily handles budget domestic carriers such as Volaris and VivaAerobus, along with some regional international routes. Always double-check your airport code before travelling — MEX and NLU are on opposite sides of the city and a transfer between them takes upwards of 90 minutes.

🚇 From MEX Airport into the City

By Metro: The cheapest option by far. Terminal 1 is directly connected to the Metro system (Line 5, Hangares station). A single ride costs around 5 pesos (roughly 20p). However, it’s not recommended if you’re travelling with large luggage or during rush hour — the carriages get extremely crowded.

By Metrobús: Line 4 connects both terminals to the city centre. It’s more comfortable than the Metro with luggage and costs 6 pesos per journey using a travel card.

By Uber or DiDi: The most practical option for most visitors. Download the app before you travel, and request your ride once you’re in the arrivals hall. Fares into central neighbourhoods such as Roma, Condesa, or Polanco typically range from 150–300 pesos (£6–£12), depending on traffic. Avoid accepting offers from drivers who approach you inside the terminal.

By Official Airport Taxi: Pre-paid taxi desks are located in the arrivals area of both terminals. Purchase your ticket at the booth before proceeding to the taxi rank. Fares are fixed by zone. This is safe and straightforward, though slightly pricier than app-based rides. Do not accept a ride from anyone who approaches you without a pre-paid ticket.

🚌 From AIFA Airport into the City

AIFA’s location makes it a longer journey into the city centre, so plan your time accordingly.

By Train (Tren Felipe Ángeles): Launched in April 2026, this new commuter rail service connects AIFA directly to Buenavista station in the north of Mexico City. The journey takes around 40–50 minutes, and from Buenavista you can connect to the Metro and Metrobús network. A promotional fare of 45 pesos applies for the airport leg. This is now the quickest and most reliable public transport option from AIFA.

By Bus (Aerofaro Shuttle): A shuttle service runs from AIFA arrivals to Buenavista station, from where you can connect to the wider Metro network. Budget approximately 90–120 minutes total travel time to central areas.

By Uber or DiDi: Available from AIFA, but journey times into the city centre can be 60–90 minutes or more depending on traffic. Expect fares of 400–600 pesos (£16–£24).

🚇 The Metro (Sistema de Transporte Colectivo)

The Metro is the backbone of public transport in Mexico City — one of the largest metro systems in the Americas with 12 lines and 195 stations spanning over 200 kilometres. It’s fast, efficient, and extraordinarily affordable at just 5 pesos (roughly 20p) per journey, regardless of distance.

Most major tourist attractions — the Zócalo, Chapultepec Park, Coyoacán, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes — are easily reachable by Metro. The system uses a combination of numbers and colour-coded lines, and each station has its own distinctive icon (helpful if you’re still finding your feet with Spanish).

Tips for visitors:

Avoid rush hour (7:00–9:00 and 17:00–19:00) — carriages become extremely crowded and pickpocketing risk increases
Keep valuables secure and avoid using your phone openly
Look out for carriages reserved for women and children, marked with pink signs — these are particularly in force during peak hours
Purchase a Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (MI Card) for 15 pesos; this rechargeable card works across the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, light rail, and trolleybus networks

🌐 metro.cdmx.gob.mx

🚌 Metrobús

The Metrobús is a network of articulated buses that run in dedicated lanes, making them faster than standard city buses. There are several lines covering key corridors, including the famous Avenida Insurgentes (Line 1 — one of the longest bus rapid transit routes in the world) and Avenida Reforma. A journey costs 6 pesos and requires a travel card to board.

The Metrobús is particularly useful for travelling along the main north–south and east–west axes of the city, and connects conveniently with the Metro at many interchange points. Line 4 also serves both terminals at Benito Juárez Airport.

🌐 metrobus.cdmx.gob.mx

🚡 Cablebús (Cable Car)

One of Mexico City’s most distinctive and photogenic forms of transport, the Cablebús is a network of cable car lines operating in the hillier outskirts of the city. There are currently three lines, primarily serving working-class neighbourhoods in the east and south that have limited Metro access.

While not a practical daily commuter option for most visitors staying in central neighbourhoods, taking a ride on the Cablebús — particularly Line 1 in Iztapalapa — offers spectacular panoramic views across the city and a glimpse of everyday life beyond the tourist trail. Fares are 7 pesos with a travel card.

🌐 ste.cdmx.gob.mx

📱 Ride-Hailing Apps: Uber, DiDi & Cabify

For many visitors, app-based rides represent the sweet spot between safety, convenience, and value. Uber is the most widely used and reliable, with a large fleet and consistent pricing. DiDi (a Chinese-owned competitor) often undercuts Uber on price and is widely available. Cabify is another reputable option, particularly favoured for longer journeys.

All three apps show you the route, the fare, and the driver’s details before you confirm — a significant safety advantage over hailing a taxi on the street. You’ll need mobile data, so consider purchasing a local SIM card or setting up an eSIM before or upon arrival.

App-based rides are especially recommended for: journeys after dark, trips to and from bus terminals or the airport with luggage, and any destination not conveniently served by the Metro.

🌐 uber.com | didiglobal.com | cabify.com

🚕 Taxis

Mexico City has one of the largest taxi fleets in the world, and the iconic pink-and-white cabs are a familiar sight on every street. However, visitors should exercise caution.

Do not hail taxis from the street. Unofficial taxis — known colloquially as “piratas” — can pose safety risks and overcharge passengers.

Sitio taxis (taxis from authorised stands) are the recommended on-street option. They are registered, carry fixed fares, and can be found at airports, hotels, shopping centres, and major tourist sites. You can also ask your hotel or restaurant to call a registered taxi for you.

For most practical purposes, using Uber or DiDi is safer and simpler than locating a trustworthy sitio taxi.

🚲 Ecobici (Bike Share)

For visitors staying in central neighbourhoods — Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Juárez, or Centro Histórico — Ecobici is a genuinely excellent way to cover short distances without sitting in traffic. The network has over 689 stations and nearly 10,000 bikes, making it one of the most extensive bike-share systems in the Americas.

Rides of up to 45 minutes are included in the subscription fee, and you can return the bike to any station. Day passes start at around $5 USD (approximately £4), with three-day and weekly options also available. Registration is done via the app or website — no passport or lengthy paperwork required at modern stations, just a credit card. The MI Card also links to your Ecobici account.

Sundays are a particularly good day to cycle — Avenida Reforma is closed to traffic and given over entirely to cyclists and pedestrians.

🌐 ecobici.cdmx.gob.mx

🚌 Long-Distance Buses (for Day Trips & Onward Travel)

If you’re planning to visit nearby cities — Puebla, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, or Teotihuacán — Mexico City’s long-distance bus network is excellent. The main terminals are:

TAPO (Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente) — east of the city, served by Metro Line 1 (San Lázaro station). Good for Puebla, Oaxaca, and the Gulf Coast.
Terminal Central del Norte — north of the city, reached via Metro Line 5. Good for Guadalajara, Querétaro, and the northern states.
Terminal Poniente — west of the city (Metro Line 1, Observatorio station). Good for Toluca and western destinations.

ADO is the premier intercity bus operator, offering comfortable, air-conditioned coaches with allocated seating. Booking online in advance is recommended for popular routes.

🌐 ado.com.mx

🚶 Walking

Do not overlook the simplest option. Several of Mexico City’s best neighbourhoods reward leisurely exploration on foot. Roma Norte and Roma Sur, Condesa, Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, Polanco, and San Ángel are all walkable districts with plenty to see at street level. The altitude (2,240 metres above sea level) may leave you slightly breathless at first — take it steadily on your first day or two.

🗺️ Useful Apps for Getting Around

Google Maps — reliable for Metro, Metrobús, and walking directions
Moovit — excellent for real-time public transport updates and route planning
Metro CDMX — detailed Metro map, station information, and journey times
Uber / DiDi / Cabify — essential for ride-hailing
Ecobici — for bike-share planning and unlocking bikes

💳 The MI Card (Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada)

If you plan to use public transport more than once or twice, the MI Card is well worth picking up. It costs just 15 pesos and can be topped up with credit to use across the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, light rail, and trolleybus networks. It also links to the Ecobici bike-share system. Cards are available at Metro stations and Metrobús stops throughout the city. There is a maximum balance of 500 pesos on the card at any one time.

Mexico City’s transport network is, in truth, one of its great assets — vast, affordable, and remarkably well-connected for a city of its size. With a little planning and the right apps on your phone, getting around is far less daunting than the map might initially suggest.

The best time to visit Mexico City

🌸 Spring – Dry Season (March to May)

Spring is widely regarded as the finest time to visit Mexico City. The rainy season has not yet arrived, temperatures are pleasantly warm, and the city buzzes with cultural energy. Daytime highs hover between 22°C and 26°C, with cool evenings that rarely dip below 10°C. Skies are predominantly clear, making it ideal for exploring open-air sites such as Teotihuacán, the Zócalo, and Chapultepec Park.

March and April bring Semana Santa (Holy Week), one of Mexico’s most important religious observances, when the city fills with processions and festivities. Crowds are noticeable but not overwhelming outside of the Easter weekend peak. May sees temperatures climbing and the humidity building ahead of the summer rains — visit early in the month for the best of the season.

What to pack: Lightweight layers, a light jacket for evenings, breathable walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a reusable water bottle. A compact umbrella is useful from late April.

⛈️ Summer – Wet Season (June to August)

Summer brings the rainy season, though this need not be a deterrent. Rain typically falls in concentrated afternoon and evening downpours lasting one to two hours, leaving mornings largely clear and pleasant. Temperatures remain mild — generally 18°C to 24°C — and the city’s parks and surrounding valleys turn a vivid green. Hotel rates are often lower, and the city’s cultural calendar remains full, with exhibitions, concerts, and street festivals running throughout the season.

The main inconvenience is the afternoon rain, which can cause traffic disruption and occasional flooding in low-lying areas. Planning outdoor activities for the morning is the sensible approach. July and August also coincide with school holidays in Mexico, so family-orientated attractions tend to be busier.

What to pack: A compact waterproof jacket or poncho, quick-dry clothing, waterproof footwear or sandals, light layers, insect repellent, and a small daypack with a dry bag for electronics.

🍂 Autumn – Transition Season (September to November)

Autumn is one of the most atmospheric and culturally rewarding times to visit. September marks the beginning of the end of the rainy season, with rainfall gradually tapering through October and drying considerably by November. Temperatures settle between 15°C and 22°C — cooler than summer but still comfortable during the day.

November is the undoubted highlight of the autumn season. Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebrated on 1 and 2 November, transforms Mexico City into a spectacle of marigold-draped altars, candlelit processions, and vibrant public gatherings. The Zócalo and Mixquic are especially dramatic. Tourist numbers are rising but the city retains a more relaxed atmosphere compared with peak winter months.

What to pack: A warm layer or light wool jumper, a waterproof jacket for early September, comfortable walking shoes, festival-appropriate clothing for Día de Muertos, and a camera or smartphone with ample storage.

❄️ Winter – Dry Season (December to February)

Winter is the driest period in Mexico City and brings some of the clearest skies of the year, making it excellent for photography and open-air excursions. Daytime temperatures range from around 18°C to 20°C, though cold fronts known as nortes can push overnight temperatures close to or below 5°C, particularly in January and February.

December is the busiest and most festive month, centred on Las Posadas (16–24 December), Christmas, and New Year. The city is richly decorated, markets are in full swing, and the atmosphere is convivial. January and February are considerably quieter, representing something of a hidden gem — dry, clear, and calm, without the holiday crowds.

What to pack: A medium-weight coat or insulated jacket, warm layers for evenings and early mornings, a scarf, comfortable smart-casual clothing for festive events, and good walking shoes or boots.

📊 Season at a Glance

✅ Overall Best Time to Visit

The optimum time to visit Mexico City is from late October through to early May, taking in the tail end of autumn and the full dry season. Within that window, November stands out for its extraordinary cultural richness — Día de Muertos is a once-in-a-lifetime experience — whilst March and April offer the finest combination of weather, manageable crowds, and vibrant street life. Travellers seeking quieter streets and crisp clear skies will find January and February particularly rewarding. Mexico City rewards visits at almost any time of year given its altitude, which moderates temperatures year-round, but avoiding the peak of the wet season in June and July will make outdoor exploration considerably more enjoyable.

Vegan Dining in Mexico City

Mexico City has transformed into one of Latin America’s most exciting destinations for plant-based eating. From buzzing street-food carts in Roma Norte to cosy neighbourhood cafés, the city offers an extraordinary range of fully vegan options that rival — and often surpass — their meat-based counterparts.

🌮 Por Siempre Vegana Taquería — Food Cart & Restaurant

One of the most famous names in Mexico City’s vegan scene, Por Siempre Vegana has built a devoted following for its authentic Mexican street tacos made entirely from plants. The menu is extensive, featuring classics such as al pastor, barbacoa, chicharrón, suadero, and bistek — all crafted from soya, seitan, or wheat protein. Sweet treats like cupcakes and doughnuts round off the offering. The original food cart operates on a pavement in Roma Norte and gets very busy at peak times, with queues sometimes stretching to 30 minutes. A sit-down taquería location on Coahuila opened subsequently.

Location: Food cart: Calle Manzanillo 18, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX. Taquería: Coahuila 169, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
Website: porsiempreveganataqueria.com (best reached via Instagram: @porsiempreveganataqueria)
Phone: +52 55 6116 6266
Opening hours:
- Food cart: Mon–Sat 1:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Taquería: Mon–Sat 2:00 pm – midnight; Sun closed

🌸 La Pitahaya Vegana — Restaurant

La Pitahaya Vegana is instantly recognisable for its iconic pink tortillas, tinted with beetroot and chard, which have made it something of a social media sensation. The menu goes far beyond aesthetics, however — dishes such as Baja tacos, mole mixteco, enfrijoladas, enchiladas, and a pink tofu burger are all prepared with fresh organic ingredients and a genuine commitment to sustainability (the kitchen composts organic waste and recycles inorganics). The bilingual menu and friendly, English-speaking staff make it welcoming to international visitors, and delivery across Mexico City is available. The restaurant is small, so arrive early to secure a seat.

Location: Calle Querétaro 90, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX (second location: Miguel A. de Quevedo 353, Mercado Roma Coyoacán)
Website: lapitahayavegana.mx
Phone: +52 55 3902 7792
Opening hours (Roma Norte):
- Mon, Wed–Fri: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Sat–Sun: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Closed Tuesday

🍔 Forever Vegano — Restaurant

Forever Vegano (also known simply as “Forever”) is a well-established all-vegan restaurant in Roma Norte with a boho, psychedelic-chic aesthetic that makes it popular for brunch, dates, and casual dinners alike. The menu takes a creative, plant-based approach to Mexican and fusion cooking — standout dishes include the Forever burger made from beans, raw coastal ceviche with coconut, mushroom aguachile, tacos al pastor with marinated mushrooms, and vegan pizza. Cocktails and craft beverages complement the food nicely. A second branch is located in the Polanco neighbourhood. The restaurant is dog-friendly and offers outdoor dining.

Location: Calle Guanajuato 54, esquina Mérida, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
Website: forevervegano.com
Phone: +52 55 6726 0975
Opening hours:
- Mon–Sat: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
- Sun: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

☕ Café Vegetal — Café

Café Vegetal is a much-loved, fully vegan café with a warm, cosy atmosphere perfect for a slow breakfast or a working lunch. Its menu spans sweet and savoury ground — expect pancakes, chilaquiles, scrambled tofu, molletes, cinnamon rolls, a wide selection of cakes, and a thoughtfully curated drinks list featuring organic coffee, matcha, almond smoothies, and kombucha. The interiors — wooden furniture, lush greenery — create an inviting neighbourhood feel. Two locations serve the city: one in Narvarte Poniente and one in Coyoacán, not far from the Frida Kahlo Museum. The café is pet-friendly and offers outdoor seating.

Location:
- Narvarte: Enrique Rébsamen 364, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 CDMX
- Coyoacán: Av. Río Churubusco 310, local C, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 CDMX
Website: cafevegetal.com
Phone: Not publicly listed — contact via Instagram @cafevegetalmx
Opening hours:
- Tue–Sun: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Closed Monday

🐟 Paxil – Plant Based Seafood — Food Cart

Paxil is one of the most talked-about and original vegan food stalls in Mexico City, drawing visitors from around the world for its entirely plant-based take on Mexican coastal seafood cuisine. The owner has developed remarkable techniques to recreate the flavours and textures of the sea — tomato becomes raw tuna, various mushrooms stand in for fish, and the results are genuinely astonishing. The menu includes fish tacos, tostadas with “vegatún,” the signature Paxil taco, the Takeshi (a sushi-inspired dish with nori, rice and tamarind sauce), zarandeado, ceviche, and vegan fish and chips. The bright blue and white stall is hard to miss, and queues form quickly at weekends.

Location: Orizaba 83 (4th stall), Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
Website: Instagram: @paxil.plantbasedseafood (no standalone website)
Phone: +52 55 3035 5144
Opening hours:
- Mon, Wed–Sun: 1:30 pm – 7:00 pm
- Closed Tuesday

🌯 María Bonita Veganos — Food Cart

María Bonita Veganos is a beloved vegan street-food stall in Roma Norte, celebrated for its hearty, affordable, and deeply flavourful food. The menu is a highlight reel of Mexican street classics — massive burritos, tortas (particularly the crispy milanesa torta, a firm favourite), gringas, tacos, hamburgers, and hot dogs, all made with alt-meat substitutes. Daily rotating lunch specials offer a soup, main, salad, and drink at very reasonable prices. The portions are generous, the staff are friendly, and there is a small counter where you can eat on the spot, or you can take your food to nearby Plaza Río de Janeiro.

Location: Calle Durango 65, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
Website: Instagram: @mariabonita.veganos (no standalone website)
Phone: +52 55 8863 5880
Opening hours:
- Daily: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm (hours may vary — check Instagram for upd

Where to stay in Mexico City

1. City Centro Cuidad de Mexico

City Centro by Marriott Ciudad de México sits in the historic heart of Mexico City, on Republica de Uruguay in the Centro district. The building has real heritage credentials — it was designed by the Mariscal brothers, the same architects behind the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the original ceilings, floors and one of the city’s oldest lifts are still in place. The hotel has 44 rooms, an outdoor rooftop pool, a gym, a restaurant and a bar. Madero Street and the Torre Latinoamericana are a short walk away, and Benito Juárez International Airport is around ten minutes by car. It is a solid, characterful mid-range option for travellers who want to be close to the main sights without staying in a bland business hotel.

2. Hotel Villa Condesa

Hotel Villa Condesa is a small boutique hotel with 15 rooms, set in a converted mansion in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most liveable neighbourhoods. The area is walkable, lined with tree-shaded streets, independent restaurants and cafés, and is well connected by metro. Rooms are individually decorated with classic touches — wooden floors, sash windows — and the better ones include balconies overlooking the interior courtyard. Breakfast is included and well regarded by guests. There is an on-site restaurant serving Mexican and international dishes, a rooftop terrace, a garden, and bike rental for those who want to explore the city under their own steam. Staff consistently receive strong reviews for being attentive and helpful. Chapultepec Park and Paseo de la Reforma are both within easy reach on foot.

3. Hotel MX Roma

Hotel MX Roma sits on Calle Mérida 81 in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most appealing neighbourhoods for eating, drinking, and general wandering. Part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, it is a four-star, smoke-free property with 46 air-conditioned rooms, a rooftop terrace, a gym, and a squash court. Free breakfast and Wi-Fi are included, and there is paid parking on site. The location earns consistently high marks from guests — Insurgentes metro station is a short walk away, and the restaurant Rosetta is practically on the doorstep. It is not a large or lavish hotel, but as a well-priced, well-placed base for exploring the city, it does the job reliably well..