Mexico
City, one of the largest population centers in the world with its 20 million
inhabitants, Mexico City is challenging, intense and dynamic-definitely not a
refuge in which to relax.
Once the flourishing city, Tenochtitlan, of the Aztecs, and nowadays the political,
financial and cultural heart of the country, Mexico City offers an adventure of
discovery, history, grandeur, majesty, refinement and fun.
To stroll through its streets and avenues is to travel through history. Downtown,
the excavations of the Templo Mayor (Principal Temple) bring to light vestiges
of the city founded in 1325 AD. Around it, rising between palaces and colonial
churches, are the cathedral and the zocalo-the second largest plaza in the world.
Like the layers of an onion, architectural examples of post-independence Mexico
appear as you move from the center of the city outwards. First come the French
style residences of the years of the Porfirio dictatorship, then the homes in
art deco of the Colonia Condesa, the buildings decorated with the murals of Rivera,
Orozco and Siqueiros, the modernist constructions of the 1950s and finally, surprising
examples of contemporary architecture, especially in the suburbs.
In the south are residential zones with a traditional flavor such as Coyoacán
with its Frieda Khalo Museum and San Angel where every Saturday a bazaar appears
full of marvels. There also is the huge campus of the Autonomous University of
Mexico.
Dining
Whether it be in a typical market in one of the downtown neighborhoods or in a
luxury restaurant, in Mexico City you can eat well and with great variety. You
will find everything from the traditional foods of every region of the country
to the best cuisine from all parts of the world.
Climate
At more than 7,000 ft above sea level, the climate is dry and temperate. The rainy
season is from June to October.
Activities
Art and culture and recreation are all available in this multi-faceted city. From
east to west, along the tree-shaded Avenue Reforma-relic of a short-lived empire-you
see on the left Chapultepec Park with its castle and its zoo and on the right,
the Museum of Anthropology and Colonia Polanco, where, among gourmet restaurants
and sidewalk cafes, are found representatives of the most famous names of the
world of fashion and design.
Mexico City has 161 museums, foremost of which is the Museum of Anthropology in
front of Chapultepec Park.
There are 106 art galleries and 107 movie theaters, numerous bookstores, theaters
and concert halls presenting music from symphonic orchestras to rock bands from
all over the world.
The young at heart will love the two major theme parks: La Feria (The Fair) the
Section 3 of Chapultepec Park and Six Flags Mexico in the south west of the city.
Excursions
Teotihuacán: a pre-Hispanic site on a monumental scale, the oldest
city in the Western Hemisphere.
Tepozotlán: convent and church in Churrigueresque style and museum
of viceroyal art
Xochimilco: a park of gardens and lagoons where small boats adorned with
flowers float through the canals to the strains of Mariachi music Markets: the many markets of the city are an excursion in themselves.
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Boutique Hotels in this Region:
| Condesa DF — Mexico City — Central
Central — Sophisticated — Detailed
Located in a safe, central residential area replete with eateries and cafes, this hot design hotel is the star in town. Artsy, cool, stylish and fun, CONDESAdf truly exemplifies its neighborhood — fashionable and trendy, yet respectful and traditional. |
| Habita — Mexico City — Central
Central — Sophisticated — Detailed
The ultra-modern, small luxury Habita hotel belongs to a new generation of establishments that celebrates contemporary design and throws all conventionality to the wind. A groundbreaking concept when it first opened five years ago in Mexico City, it remains one of very few unique and original places to spend the night in this vibrant destination. |
| La Casona — Mexico City — Central
Central — Sophisticated — Detailed
Catalogued as an artistic monument by Mexico´s National Institute of Fine Arts, this is a special haven in one of the world´s most dynamic cities. Just a few blocks from Paseo de la Reforma, one of Mexico City´s most splendid avenues, this stately home with pink facades and period balconies evokes the architectural splendor of the early 20th century. |
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