The Essential Mexico City Guide

I have family in Mexico City, (aka CDMX, fmka D.F). So, naturally, the first opportunity I got to cross this city off my bucket list, I jumped at the chance. I don’t know why, but I had this idea that the city would be a little like LA and a lot like an old Mana music video from the 90’s. It exceeded all my expectations and left a little hole in my heart that will stay there until I return.

CDMX is a foodie’s paradise! Seriously, some of the best food experiences I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing abroad happened on this trip! I will get into much more on this subject a little later. The museums? They can satisfy any art lover’s critical eye, I will put money on this. And the outdoorsy peeps need not worry either. With plenty of landmarks, parks and local history all secretly jig-sawed right into the heart of the city, it can’t be beat.

The city proper has almost 9 million people and the greater Mexico City area has about 21 MILLION people making it the largest city in the western hemisphere. The crowded nature is palpable. The bustling metroplis, with buses and cars whirring by, buildings stacked against each other like a cans of sardines, and people everywhere make it almost too overwhelming. But, once you are settled in and get your feet on the ground, you will find your self being spun into it’s lovely web, wanting to explore all of what makes this city so great.

The best way to navigate through the city is to break down your trip by neighborhood/region. This will help you plan your days and figure out what to do, where.

Before I break down navigating the city, safety must be addressed. I got asked at least a dozen times if I felt safe and if I was brave enough to visit such a “dangerous city.” I am not claiming that there aren’t dangerous aspects to a city with some history of violence and official government warnings on this issue, but I don’t feel the need to cancel a trip or be too afraid to book for this reason. My personal experience has been that it never made me feel any different then when I was traveling to any other part of the globe or living in any other city.

As whenever traveling to any foreign city, I just made sure to take a few precautionary steps:

• do your research before you go - know where the safer parts of the city are and what areas to avoid, especially if you are a woman, traveling alone, don’t speak the language, etc.

• never carry an over abundance of cash or wear expensive jewelry (I usually follow this practice whenever I’m travelling to a new city/country)

• keep your purse secure and be aware of your surroundings at all times

• never approach a car - even if they are asking for directions, help, or a simple question you may know the answer to

• If you are unsure of using local transportation make sure you use authorized taxi services or commercially licensed vehicles

• otherwise, I recommend rideshare service. If you take an uber or use a trusted driver, always map out the destination on your phone to make sure the driver is heading in the right direction.  Uber was my preferred method of transport while in CDMX.

• do not walk the streets alone at night unless the area is well lit with plenty of people nearby

Ok! Here we are… I’m breaking down the city by neighborhoods.  I felt like, I truly got to know the city using the neighborhoods as my way to navigate what I wanted to do in each one.  Using my sister as my handy guide, she knew all the areas so it was easy to decide what to do on what days.  I told her what we were interested in and she planned out our itinerary accordingly.  It worked really well and I recommend planning your days out by neighborhood as well!

La Condesa/Roma/Roma Norte - recently catapulted into fame by Alfonso Cuarón’s wildly revered Netflix film, ‘ROMA’

LA REFORMA

If you do ONE thing sporty/adventurous make sure to walk, run, bike, or scooter down La Reforma on Sunday morning!  The entire main street shuts down to cars making it one giant trail for people to freely enjoy safely.  We rented scooters and buzzed our way through the street stopping to visit the Angel of Independence fountain and statue, shop local street vendors, grab a taco and take in all the marvelous, modern architecture. 

We rented Lime Scooters and it was super convenient.  We ended up using them a few times during the trip.  You can find them parked all over the city and a handy app makes them easy to locate or to drop off.

Although the Angel of Independence is quite popular, my favorite statue, which is also a little bit further down Reforma into the Roma Norte area is known as The Huntress Diana. This statue is powerful and striking piece that depicts the Roman Goddess of the hunt, Diana. It is said to represent the strength and beauty of womankind.  How awesome, right?

Chapultepec Park and Bosque de Chapultepec - After breakfast, head south on foot to Chapultapec Park.  This park is incredibly large and mesmerizing.  It is bigger than Central Park in NYC and carries a very rich and cultured history. Head to the top of the hill to the Castle and pay the entrance fee into the museum, it’ll be worth it.  Make sure to stop and admire El Sargento - a Cyprus tree trunk, on your way up the hill, you can’t miss it.  The trunk lived to be over 500 years old!

Shopping - If you MUST do some high end retail therapy, do it on Avenida Presidente Masaryk  Here you will find store after store of fancy boutiques, jewelry stores and cafes.  You’ll find locals walking their dogs, designer cars and multiple bars and restaurants that open their doors to people looking to clink their glasses in style.

Eating in Polanco - THIS is where food enthusiasts come to Mecca.  Polanco is home to, not one, but TWO of the World’s 50 Best restaurants; Quintonil coming in at number 11 and Pujol, coming in at number 13. Taquerias that rival any of the best can also be found in Polanco, and plenty of other restaurants and pastry shops that are highly rated and recommended.

I have compiled a list of my favorites:

Pujol - I had the sheer fortune of managing to get reservations at Pujol months before my trip. (I highly recommend, at either Quintonil or Pujol, you start searching for reservations and book them as soon as you have your dates booked). I can’t even begin to describe the epic food journey we had at Pujol, but I will say, it was worth every penny.  When factoring in USD for MXN currency, the price factor was pretty descent considering we would have paid double or triple anywhere else on a list of Michelin Starred or similarly rated restaurans. We had a seven course tasting menu, including their infamous ‘Mole Madre.’ After dinner, they welcome you to enjoy dessert out on their dining patio with whomever is seated in your area, encouraging you to engage with other diners - Mexican hospitality embodied in a single gesture.   While you wait, the waitstaff bring out a warm basket of freshly fried churro just for your party and you take in the smells of the herb garden, the sounds of the birds chirping and humming diners buzzing about.  While we waited for our Churros, we met a great couple, chatted and shared a bottle of sparkling wine together. The entire evening was totally magical… I felt like I was in my own little private unicorn world.  I could go on and on about Pujol but I’d rather you experience it for yourself.  If you are going to splurge, this is where to do it!

Other VERY notable Polanco Food Stops:

Orale Arepa - Venezuelan Arepa joint serving fresh arepas and some of the best breakfast you’ll ever eat!

El Rey de Suadero - I could NOT eat enough of these tacos.  I am not a lamb eating kinda gal, but lemme tell you, these tacos will change your life!  All the tacos are prepared fresh daily and there is a line that forms at the outside window all day, every day!

French style pastry shops - stop at any you see and order whatever looks the most amazing.  It will be and these pastry shops rival any average shop in Paris.

Santa Clara Ice Cream on Masaryk - call me old fashioned but this non-trendy, typical chain ice cream shop was just the thing to hit the spot after a long day of walking and sigh-seeing.  The tart strawberry cream was dreamy.

Other Notable spots and foodie things to try in CDMX

There is SO MUCH to do and see and eat in Mexico City… As I sat here and wrote out this guide, there were still a ton of things I left off and a lot of things I did not get to see and do.  I was there a week and it still felt like I could’ve spent a few more days checking things off of my list.  I had a wonderful experience and I hope, if you are planning your trip, my tid bits and info will be useful to you.

If you have already been to CDMX and you have some spots and secrets to share please feel free to leave your recommendations for me in the comments!

I hope you enjoyed this city guide!

xo

Lisa