Mexico City: Great for a shorter break

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Just got back from Mexico City and am still buzzing about our experience. We’ve been to Mexico before, but never CDMX.

We chose it for a number of practical reasons:
-Somewhere different but not too far, which aligned with son’s spring break.
-Easy and affordable flights. (Aeromexico was excellent. No charges for carry on bags. We were all seated together for no extra charge.)
-Affordable hotel options.
-Affordable food, transport, drinks, attractions.
-Tacos. Lots and lots of them.
-Tons of museums, archaeological sites right in the city, interesting architecture everywhere.
-Evening events.
-Not too difficult language barrier. Rudimentary Spanish is do-able.
-And #1… lots to do in a short time frame.

What I loved is that there was huge variety of different experiences all in one location:
-Aztec and pre-Aztec archaeological sites are right in the city.
-Great mix of architecture.
-FANTASTIC museums. So many, either free or cheap.
-The food. Mango chili ice pops were an unexpected taste sensation.
-Super friendly people.
-Wonderful mix of areas to visit: the historic center, Coyoacan, San Angel, Polanco, Condesa, Xochimilco, more. Every area has its own character.
-several good day trips from the city. We only managed Teotihuacan, but Puebla and Cuernavaca are also good options.
-Art. MURALS everywhere, which are fantastic and clearly a well established tradition. There was a free outdoor Rodin and Dali sculpture exhibit, a lot of modern art exhibits and museums too. I’m not very arty, but I really appreciated seeing so much good art in the city.
-Clean! I’ve travelled to many cities and, at least in areas tourists might want to visit, the streets are really clean.

And the best… Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling! What a blast!

This might be a positive or a negative…
-Very strict face mask mandate. Everyone wore masks everywhere. Sanitizing and temp checks at every single venue, whether a museum or a shop or a restaurant. Everyone wore masks, even outdoors. At almost every restaurant, staff wore masks and visors. We personally didn’t have a problem with this and had a great time.
-Many places are cashless. Even some street vendors accepted cards. Uber is the best way to get around if you don’t want to take advantage of the extensive public transport system.
-Mexico City is HUGE. You can’t walk to everything you want to see.

What I didn’t like:
-The sewer system can be a bit whiffy in some parts of the city, especially the historic center.
-Musuems don’t have much information in English. I know it’s a Spanish speaking country, but we did expect to see placards in English at majors museums and even the very famous Museo Nacional de Antropología.

There are typical big city problems that you will find everywhere. All in all though, CDMX was a great place for a short break.

Note: As of 6/12, negative Covid tests will no longer be required to enter the US.

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Loved loved loved our Mexico City trip as well. We went with lower expectations and were just blown away how fun it was. We had so much fun we decided to do Guadalajara the following summer. We aren’t beach people (live close to the beach and never go) so I am all about exploring cities. I’d like to go to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, etc. I’d also like to drive down to Baja California wine country- Valle de Guadalupe.

Any great restaurant experiences? We were unable to get reservations to Pujol but I remember wonderful places in Polanco such as Contramar.

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Yes! We loved Azul Historico, right in the historic center. Absolutely delectable food and truly beautiful setting with impeccable service. https://www.azul.rest/

We also LOVED eating at Cafe de Tacuba, where I can only give the food 4 out of 5. But the interior of this very antique restaurant, with its authentic ambience and delightfully old fashioned service, was totally worth it. Fantastic cocktails. Probably my favorite place. http://www.cafedetacuba.mx/

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I should also add that there was a big police presence in the city. We never felt unsafe, though we knew there were areas where it wasn’t safe to walk at night.

Our kids both loved the trip too. They especially enjoyed the Lucha Libre match. Totally ridiculous, but fun. We bought the $10 seats and most of the people in our section were expats living in Mexico City. (There’s a substantial population of foreigners in the city.) There were a lot of locals who were really into the spectacle. Wish I’d bought a souvenir mask.

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Love to see this - agree that Mexico City is under the radar for a lot of travelers. As a former expat in Singapore, I agree it rivals that city for cleanliness and Covid safety.

and the tacos …. :slight_smile:

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Unfortunately San Miguel de Allende is too touristy now. It feels like being in Florida these days.

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Which other city would you recommend?

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I particularly loved their preparation of pulpo (octopus) and frequented several restaurants specializing in ceviche and it was amazing. I can’t wait to return to Mexico City.

I lived in Spain for a couple years so when we arrived, there were a couple of stores I was excited to visit. We went first to the Zocalo where the store was. It was sooo crowded. I had a little anxiety being a family of 4 and getting lost in the crowd. It was that crowded (went during Christmas/New Years) but aside from that area- it wasn’t so super crowded (except maybe when we toured the cathedral where Guadalupe is).

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I like Oxaca, Monterrey, and Guadalajara more, but not sure how safe they are these days.

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We are going there in May! Postponed after Delta last October. We will also be going to Oaxaca for a few days. Tips for sites to see, guides, restaurants welcomed!

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My ds recently took a trip to CDMX. Some favorites there were xochimilco boats (??) and having dinner at Pujol’s. He ate some mole that was 8+ years old?? No idea - lol

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Our favorite sites were Templo Mayor, the Anthropological museum, the Lucha Libre, and the walking tour we did in San Angel. I suggest going in the morning, before it’s too busy. There’s a neat museum there with some unusual items, housed in an old villa.

We used several tour guides but the best was a fellow named Emiliano who gave us a wonderful walking tour of the city. His tour was free with our hotel stay, but if you contact Zocalo Central Hotel, they will probably be able to put you in touch with him.

If you want to book one of the really fancy restaurants, do it now. Good luck getting a res at Pujol (Michelin star.) I understand it’s worth it, but it books out months in advance. You can book a standby Res, but they take a $500 deposit, or something like that. We booked a lunch at Azul Historico because we couldn’t get a dinner Res. There are some seriously exceptional restaurants in CDMX with serious prices.

Xochimilco requires most of day, so if you are only there for three days, you might have to sacrifice one other day. The later you are in CDMX in the week, the later things seem to stay open. So you could go to Xochimilco for about ten, and be done by around three and still have time to go to a museum. Xochimilco takes much longer if you want to visit the Island of Dolls. You can subtract two hours if you skip that part of the canals.

Currently, all travelers back to the US must take a Covid test the day before departure to US. (This is a global requirement btw, regardless of vax status.) We used a local pharmacy for about $30 pp, but a doctor will do it privately at your hotel for $100 pp. The airport offers it for about $40 pp, but there can be a wait, so we didn’t risk it. If you’re going to do it at a pharmacy, plan for that on the day you arrive because even if you get it done quickly, it’s still going to take an hour of your day. You want to know where you can get it done and when. The websites are rubbish. Best to go to a pharmacy and ask what times the tests are offered. We did our test at 5, and the testing closed at 6.

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Our ds and his friends went to Pujol on Monday night because it was the night they could get a reservation.

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Thanks so much @Lindagaf. Great advice! We are staying at the Zocolo Central Hotel, if there’s anything we should know about it

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I will message you. We had a fantastic stay there.

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I lived there for few years, but haven’t been since. I lived in Polanco by the park. I’ve had many fond memories, but also remembered a lot of security issues. I would like to go back there with my kids at some point because one of them went to school there.

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Chapultepec Park is wonderful (bigger than Central Park) with a zoo, lake, museums, etc. We walked through quite a bit of the park and then returned while on an electric bike tour. One of my favorite activities was a cooking class; 2 local men hosted a class that began in the market, continued at their lovely apartment which had a professional kitchen, and ended with dinner on their stunning rooftop terrace. It was the highlight of our trip! *I looked it up and they moved to Jalisco. Google casa jacaranda on Trip Advisor if you’re in that area. (Apologies if this link is not allowed on CC).

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We are still buzzing about Mexico City. We are wondering why it’s mostly West Coast people there. It’s a five hour flight from JFK. We all feel as though we had a longer vacation because there was such a variety of things to see and do. And it’s affordable.

I’ve been to some cities where I had a good time, but wouldn’t necessarily go back, such as Vienna and Madrid. But I would go back to CDMX in a flash. We are wishing we had done the tequila tasting, a cooking class, and the Ballet Folklorico. Next time!

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We love Mexico City. I have had numerous consulting engagements there and ShawWife and I have traveled there for fun and sometimes a mixture of both. I was working for over a week for a client and staying at the Four Seasons – which is nice as Four Seasons go – which was a lovely oasis in the city. Took up a whole city block with a lovely courtyard in the middle… (Probably quite expensive but I wasn’t footing the bill). Lovely respite in a go-go city. I also stayed at the Hilton Reforma, which was very nice – they gave me this huge penthouse suite with an amazing view.

Things we loved. Museo Dolores Olmedo (the largest collection of Diego Rivera’s and I think Frida Kahlo’s in the world). The restaurant Quilon. Outstanding. We think the architect Luis Barragan is brilliant. Many years ago, we got a tour from their office of some of his buildings (he was alive). On the Four Seasons trip, ShawWife hired a guide for some of the days I was working. One day he took her through private homes designed by Barragan. Not sure how he even got permission, but he clearly had it. One was, IIRC, the home Barragan designed for himself. The murals (Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros, et al.) plus the museums.

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Four Seasons used to have the best Sunday brunch. All you can eat sushi, grilled prawns, and unlimited champagne (until we drank too much).

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