Mexico City: The Most Underestimated Capital in the Americas

Mexico City is the most populous city in North America at around 22 million people in the greater metro area, and it is consistently underestimated by travellers who associate Mexico primarily with beach resorts. The altitude (2,240 metres), the sheer scale, the traffic, and the food reputation that has only recently reached global awareness have kept it off many itineraries. This is a mistake. CDMX has more museums than any other city in the Americas, a food scene that has produced multiple world’s top-50 restaurants, and an indigenous cultural presence that gives it a character unlike any European-influenced capital.

The Historic Centre

The Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución) is one of the largest public plazas in the world, originally built as the main plaza for the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. The Metropolitan Cathedral on the north side was begun in 1573 and completed in 1813, incorporating stones from the demolished Aztec temple. The Palacio Nacional on the east side holds Diego Rivera’s murals on the history of Mexico, painted between 1929 and 1951, covering the main staircase and first-floor corridor. Entry is free.

Directly north of the Zócalo, the Templo Mayor is the excavated remains of the central Aztec temple, discovered in 1978 when workers drilling for electrical cable broke through the floor of a city street. The surrounding museum holds the best single collection of Mexica (Aztec) artefacts anywhere.

Chapultepec and the Museums

The National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropología), inside Chapultepec park, is the most important archaeology and anthropology museum in the Americas. The pre-Columbian collections cover all major Mesoamerican cultures in 23 separate rooms around a central courtyard. Allow a full day. Entry is free on Sundays.

Frida Kahlo’s blue house, the Casa Azul (Museo Frida Kahlo) in Coyoacán, is the city’s most visited museum. Book online at least two weeks ahead – it sells out consistently.

Food

Pujol (Polanco) has held a position in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants for years. The mole madre – a mole sauce aged for over 1,000 days and refreshed daily – is one of the most discussed dishes in contemporary cuisine. Book months ahead.

For eating without reservations: Mercado de la Merced southeast of the Zócalo has a large prepared food section with gorditas, quesadillas made to order on a comal, and birria. El Huequito on Avenida Ayuntamiento has been serving tacos al pastor since 1959 from a single narrow storefront. Mezcal from Oaxaca is the city’s drink of choice in the bars of Condesa and Roma neighbourhoods. La Clandestina on Avenida Alvaro Obregon is a reliable mezcalería.

Getting Around

The Mexico City Metro is one of the cheapest and most extensive metro systems in the Americas: a single journey costs 6 MXN (about $0.30 USD). Lines run 5am to midnight weekdays, slightly shorter hours on weekends. Line 2 connects the Zócalo to the city’s major west-side destinations; Line 1 runs east-west through Roma and Condesa. Uber operates reliably and is the safer alternative to street taxis.

The altitude affects visitors from sea level; expect some shortness of breath and fatigue for the first 24 hours. Drink water, eat lightly on arrival, and plan less than you think you need for the first day.