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Mexico City

TRAVEL GUIDE

Mexico City

TRAVEL GUIDE

Mexico City is having a moment. All of a sudden, it seems, the largest city in the Americas has absolutely captivated international tastemakers, and gallons of ink have been spilled in glossy magazines extolling its historic architecture, booming gastronomy, and cutting-edge cultural scene. The capital is Mexico’s undisputed center of gravity, with the country’s best and brightest being drawn to the sprawling megalopolis like the river to the sea. As a result, Mexico City’s name is now uttered in the same breath along with Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York. This electric energy has been here all along, of course, predating even the arrival of Cortés, so it’s about time Mexico City gets its due.

By and large, people have the wrong idea about Mexico City. To many the name alone sum... Read More

Mexico City is having a moment. All of a sudden, it seems, the largest city in the Americas has absolutely captivated international tastemakers, and gallons of ink have been spilled in glossy magazines extolling its historic architecture, booming gastronomy, and cutting-edge cultural scene. The capital is Mexico’s undisputed center of gravity, with the country’s best and brightest being drawn to the sprawling megalopolis like the river to the sea. As a result, Mexico City’s name is now uttered in the same breath along with Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York. This electric energy has been here all along, of course, predating even the arrival of Cortés, so it’s about time Mexico City gets its due.

By and large, people have the wrong idea about Mexico City. To many the name alone summons two words: crime and pollution. No doubt there are areas to be avoided, but the Distrito Federal is packed to the gills with decent people who will usually look out for one another, and for you.

Pollution summons visions of unwalkable, megahighway-filled cities jammed with cars, which this is not. The smog is real: the Aztecs built their city of Tenochtitlan in a high (7,347 feet) valley that often waits days for the air to move. But there are more than 6 million cars in the city, fewer than three for every 10 of 22-million-something inhabitants (reports vary). Truth is, those living in the capital do so more sustainably than most people in the industrialized world, at high—yet comfortable—densities (though not in high-rises), and move mostly on foot and by public transit. (If you are tempted to drive in this Gordian knot of merged villages, well, we would recommend that you do not.)

Most of Mexico City is aligned on two major intersecting thoroughfares: Paseo de la Reforma and Avenida Insurgentes—at 29 km (18 miles), the longest avenue in the city. Administratively, Mexico City is divided into 16 delegaciones (districts) and nearly 2,000 colonias (neighborhoods), many with street names fitting a given theme, such as rivers, philosophers, or revolutionary heroes. The same street can change names as it goes through different colonias. So most street addresses include their colonia (abbreviated as Col.) Unless you're going to a landmark, it's important to tell your taxi driver the name of the colonia and, whenever possible, the cross street.

Recommended Fodor’s Video

Neighborhoods

Bosque de Chapultepec, named for the chapulines (grasshoppers) that populated it long ago, is the city’s largest park, a great green refuge
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The Zócalo, its surrounding Centro Histórico (historic center), and Alameda Central were the heart of both the Aztec and Spanish cities. There's a palpable European
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Coyoacán was founded by Toltecs in the 10th century and later settled by the Aztecs, or Mexica. Bernal Díaz Castillo, a Spanish chronicler,
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Next to Bosque de Chapultepec, two nearby colonias, known as La Condesa and La Roma, are filled with fading 1920s and 1930s architecture, sun-dappled parks
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Adventurous private art galleries, independent artist-run spaces, and a rough-around-the-edges personality are the hallmarks of La Roma. Like
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Hotels

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Quickly find Mexico City Hotels and compare prices.

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Language

Spanish

Nearby Airports

MEX

Electrical Outlets

110v/60 cycles; electrical plugs have two flat prongs (the same as in the U.S.).

Currency

Mexican Peso

Local Weather

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Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

Language

Spanish

Electrical Outlets

110v/60 cycles; electrical plugs have two flat prongs (the same as in the U.S.).

Currency

Mexican Peso

Nearby Airports

MEX

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

Mexico City has a fairly mild climate all year round. The coldest and, consequently, most smog-infested months are December and January. Although...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Mexico City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

Mexico City has a fairly mild climate all year round. The coldest and, consequently, most smog-infested months are December and January. Although...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Mexico City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All

Local Weather

{{monthAverage.f_high}}° {{monthAverage.c_high}}° {{monthAverage.f_low}}° {{monthAverage.c_low}}°
{{monthAverage.month}}
Historic Weather: Powered by Dark Sky
Weather info provided is using averaged daily data within the given month of the previous year.

Mexico City has a fairly mild climate all year round. The coldest and, consequently, most smog-infested months are December and January. Although...Read More

Discover the best neighborhoods in Mexico City with curated recommendations from our editors.

Explore All