Mexico City is a land of enchantments. It’s seldom that you’ll find a place so filled with art, culture, food, people, and things to do. I spent two weeks in the city and barely touched the surface of all there is on offer. If you’re planning to visit, and like to have a lot to do, extend your time as much as you’re able and you’ll never get bored.
Despite working remotely the entire time I visited, I was still able to do a lot – most things are close enough that it’s easy to check multiple excursions off your list in a day if you’re ambitious. The list below are my favorite things in order of how much I loved them.
1. Butterfly Migration
Every autumn, the Monarch Butterfly migration takes place with millions of butterfliers traveling over 3,000 miles from northeastern North America to spend the winter in the forests of southwestern Mexico. There are four preserves about two hours outside Mexico City, where visitors can see the butterflies high up in the mountain.
Experiencing the migration of the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico is something out of a dream and one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the world. If you’re near Mexico City in the winter, it’s a trip of a lifetime to go see where they roost. You won’t have this experience anywhere else, so if you’re there when it happens, put this at the top of your list. Read the entire post here.
2. Teotihuacán
This ancient site filled with pyramids is a favorite for tourists and a point of pride for locals. Teotihuacán, according to Aztec tradition, is where the sun, the moon, and the rest of the universe trace their origins. There you’ll find two pyramids, one temple and various ruins. Teotihuacan is translated as “the place where the gods were created.” People have flocked to it for centuries, seeking wisdom, spiritual enlightenment, and the manifestation of dreams. The site holds three significant pyramids and various other ruins, and it’s the best “museum” in Mexico City.
There are many companies that offer tours, which I highly recommend, because there isn’t much signage, so you won’t know what you’re seeing. Having a guide with you will make it a much more enriching experience. Read about my experience here.
3. Frida Kahlo Museum
The Frida Kahlo house is the second most popular museum in Mexico City and one of the most popular places to visit for tourists and locals alike. Revelers stand outside and gaze at the famous house and the bright blue and maroon colors. If you’ve ever known anything about Frida, it is immediately recognizable. Frida was born, lived most of her life, and died in this house. Much of her work was created here, so of course, it’s a mecca for lovers of the artist.
Getting tickets to the museum can be tricky and requires pre-planning or a connection. Both times I visited (yes, I loved it that much); I paid a guide to obtain the tickets in advance. There is no line for tickets because all entries are timed, and tickets must be purchased online. Find it at Londres 247, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 Ciudad de México, México City. Read the entire post here.
4. Coyoacán
This small town about a 45-minute-drive outside Mexico City, is where Frida Kahlo lived. The city is wildly historical, and bohemian, meaning it has modern updates that make it more approachable than some other cities around Mexico. Coyoacán is an upper-middle-class community, so the streets are filled with shops, restaurants and plenty of public spaces and town squares every few blocks.
At Mercado de Coyoacan you’ll find nearly hundreds of vendors set up and selling everything you can think of, from pinatas to pineapples. There are places for groceries, restaurants, flowers; you name it. If you’ve seen it in Mexico, they’re selling it in this market. Oh, and did I mention fresh tortillas? Don’t walk, run! Read the entire post here.
5. Temazcal Ceremony
A temazcal is a type of low heat sweat lodge, which originated with pre-Hispanic Indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica. While they’re an ancient ritual, they’re still popular all over Mexico. Because it’s a traditional ceremony, there’s no commercial place that hosts them, but you find them through asking tour guides and others. I found the temazcal I attended on Airbnb events. It was a deeply transformative experience that I’d recommend to anyone who can manage heat and isn’t claustrophobic.
I’ve seen a few distinctive styles of temazcal but, they’re all small, stone or mud structures close to the ground, so you must crouch or crawl to enter. Inside there are mats on the floor and a pit in the center. During the ceremony, a temazcalero, or shaman, will add multiple fire-heated stones to the center of the structure while participants sit around the outside edges. As the temazcalero throws hot water on the stones to create steam, it gets very hot (and sweaty!) and he guides you through a spiritual cleansing ritual. The rituals are done for different reasons, but great for body and soul regardless. If you don’t find a temazcal by asking around, see if there’s one listed on Airbnb experiences.
6. National Museum of Anthropology
The most spectacular thing about this museum is its sheer size. The comprehensive number of artifacts from very distinct areas and eras, and the way they’re organized is stunning. The museum takes you from the beginning of documented history to the current history in a cohesive timeline so you can see progress happening. (You’ll note that not a lot has changed in Mexico, really, and that’s special). You can easily spend several hours here and take a break for lunch in the cafe – which is a real cafe, not just a cafeteria.
Check times before you go and don’t depend on the website because it isn’t updated. The first time I went they were closed, though the website showed them as being open. I suggest calling, especially during the pandemic because open times and regulations keep changing. Find it at Av Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n, Chapultepec Polanco, Mexico City.
7. Diego Rivera Mural Museum
There’s only one thing to see at this museum, but it’s so good it’s worth having its own museum. This is the only place you will see Sueño de Una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park). This one piece of art takes up an entire wall and has some 50 characters to examine, including Diego himself, Frida, and the famed depiction of the “Caterina” skeleton. Renowned Mexican Illustrator Jose Guadalupe Posada (also in the mural) first created the Caterina figure now beloved by Mexico and tourists alike.
Despite this being a museum with only one artwork, it still gets crowded—that’s how spectacular and beloved it is, for good reason. Find it at Balderas S/N, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, México City.
8. Diego Rivera and Frida House Studio Museum
If you’ve ever seen the movie “Frida,” starring Selma Hayek, this place will be familiar to you. Of course, like Frida’s house, it used to be a home, not a museum, or, as I like to call it “every married couple’s dream.” This is where Diego had one house, and Frida had another, each connected to the other by a bridge across the roof. Genius!
Frida and Diego only lived there together for about seven years, but it’s iconic. Now, both homes are museums, mostly of Diego’s work, art collections, sculptures, and supplies. It’s a quick and affordable self-guided tour and worth seeing for the studio alone. It’s always interesting to see how renowned artists lived and worked and this one was surprising. If you don’t want to go in, it’s still interesting to drive by and see the bridge connecting the two homes. The best part for me, though, was walking across that iconic bridge. Find it at Av. Altavista & Calle Diego Rivera, Mexico City.
9. Frida Kahlo Immersive Experience
The Frida Kahlo Immersive Experience is a spectacle to behold (and it is coming to the US!). Like other shows such as the Vincent van Gogh experience that has toured the states, this show animates images of her art to tell a story. Unlike others I’ve seen, this one is very surrealist. More theatrical than a showing of her art, meaning if you’re a fan enough to go to this, you probably won’t see any art you haven’t seen before. While they show many of her most famous art, it is a small selection compared to other shows like this I’ve seen. What you get instead of a ton of pictures is a trippy way to experience Frida Kahlo, who truth be told, was a trippy artist, which is partly why we love her.
It is held in a small auditorium where probably fewer than 50 people attended. There was sand on the floor, cushioned chairs and a few rope walls to provide texture. While images were projected, other sounds and images depicting events from her life, like ancient statutes (her archeology trips) and scissors (from when she cut her hair), floated freely around the room and floor. In the background, you can hear a heart beating and often, a sigh from a world-weary, Frida. Find it at Frontón México – De la República 17, Col. Tabacalera, 06030, México City.
10. Xochimilco Floating Flower Gardens
Floating through the canals of Xochimilco on a trajinera is a cultural pastime, popular with tourists and Sunday favorite activity for locals. The once pristine canals and waterways were beloved by the likes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and many others throughout the region. The area was once home to the main source of agriculture for the area and produced many of the flowers, including the popular Poinsettia, for much of the country.
The floating islands that make up the canals were created from rafts made of juniper branches with soil on top. Farmers grew all sorts of flowers and produce on them. Eventually, the raft would sink, and they’d build a new one. In time, the sunken rafts formed islands. In Frida’s time, it was a beautiful oasis. Now, things are changing. Read the entire post here. Find it at Laguna del Toro, San Juan, Xochimilco, 16038 Mexico City.
Bonus: Belle Arts Museum
This place, aptly named, is beautiful just to look at. If you like architecture or gorgeous places, you want to make this stop. I went there to see the Diego Rivera murals. Under a glowing glass-filled atrium, there are several Rivera murals on display in the center of the palace. If you’re familiar with his work at all, they’re immediately familiar, rich, colorful and filled with secret and not-so-secret meanings and symbolism. Mostly he threw shots at the politicians and policies of his time. Some of his murals no longer exist for this reason and that makes it even more important to see what is still displayed. Find it at Av. Juárez S/N, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06050 México City.
Find other things to see and do on my Mexico content page here.
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