Top Sights to See in Mexico City
Historical Center, Chapultepec, Coyoacán, Teotihuacán, and Day-Trips
A guide to Mexico City's top sights including palaces, churches, and museums in its historical center, Chapultepec Forest, colonial Coyoacán and San Ángel, and day-trips.
Mexico City, often referred to as “El DF” (DF being the abbreviation for the Distrito Federal or Federal District) is a huge, sprawling metropolis. Mexico City is one of the largest capitals in the world in terms of both population and geographical size.
Sightseeing highlights include Aztec, Spanish viceregal, post-colonial, and thoroughly modern sites. Ancient and modern sites are often adjacent and even on top of each other.
- Mexico City has a large variety and number of hotels. Although the historical center has its appeal, it can to be eerily deserted at night. The better hotels are along the grand boulevard Reforma, which runs along the west of the historical center towards Chapultepec.
Mexico City’s Historical Center (Centro Historico)
The historical center of Mexico City is filled with impressive buildings ranging from Aztec times to the modern.
There is much to see and do in the old town area but absolute highlights include:
- The Zócalo, one of the world’s largest urban squares, with the National Palace (Diego Rivera murals), Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor (Aztec pyramid and interesting museum).
- Numerous former palaces, churches, and museums with impressive art and architectural features.
- The Alameda Central park area with the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Palacio de Bellas Artes theater, the 18th-century Casa de los Azulejos palace with an Orozco mural, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum, and the eclectic collection of the Franz Mayer Museum.
Bosque de Chapultepec (Forest)
The huge Chapultepec Forest is not only the lungs of central Mexico but has several interesting sights to see:
- The National Anthropology Museum (Museo Nacional de Antropología) – one of the world’s great museums with the best pieces from Mexico’s vast anthropological heritage.
- Modern art in the Museo Arte Moderno and the Museum Rufino Tamayo.
- Chapultepec Castle with the National History Museum.
- Paseo de Reforma – Mexico City’s grandest boulevard lined with monuments, statues, and mostly modern buildings.
Colonial Coyoacán and San Ángel
To the south of the center are the leafy suburbs Coyoacán and San Ángel with their colonial mansions, relaxing parks and squares, upscale shops, and interesting museums. Highlights in addition to the outdoor entertainment in public plazas, markets, and cafés include:
- Museo Frieda Kahlo – a museum dedicated to Mexico’s most famous female artist in her Casa Azul (blue house).
- Casa / Museo León Trotsky – a museum in the house where this famous communist leader was murdered in 1940.
- Museo Estudio Diego Rivera – a museum in the former studio of this Mexican painter famous especially for his murals.
- San Angel Inn – a luxury restaurant in a former 17th-century Carmelite monastery. Jackets and ties as well as reservations (call 5616-1402) are required in the formal dining room.
Top Excursions and Easy Day-Trips from Mexico City
The pyramids of Teotihuacán are arguably the most popular excursion from Mexico City. It is to the north of the city and makes a fine half to full-day trip. This vast archeological site predates the Aztec empire by several centuries and is best known for the huge pyramids of the sun and the moon.
Tepotzotlán, at the far northern reaches of the metropolis, is a small town with an interesting church and museum. The Iglesia de San Francisco Javier has one of the finest Churrigueresque façades and richest church interiors in Mexico. The church is part of the Museo Nacional de Virreinato (National Museum of the Viceregal Era) with colonial art housed in a former monastery.
Xochimilco in the far south of Mexico City shows the floating islands that the Aztecs used to produce fresh food for the city. Colorful punts with Mariachi bands, food, and drink entertain tourists on the channels.
- Cheap flights are available from Mexico City on low-cost airlines to all parts of Mexico.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
