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A First-Timer's Guide to Mexico City: Taking On Teotihuacan

We don't hear too much about Mexico City these days, even though it's a totally doable flight and an easy trip from most major US Cities. So this week we're changing that, and clueing you in to the must-dos for a first timer's trip to La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces), AKA Mexico City.

Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza are probably the two most famous pre-Hispanic historic sites within easy tourist reach in Mexico. While Chichen Itza is over on the Yucatan Peninsula and more accessible via Cancun, Teotihuacan is just north of Mexico City and therefore perfect for a day trip. You can rent a car and/or hire a driver to get you there, but there are also several reputable tour companies that can do the trick for you.

Wayak Tours, which operates out of the Mundo Joven Catedral hostel just off of the Zocalo, is a good one. In addition to Teotihuacan, they’ll take you to Tenochtitlan as well as the Basilica de Guadalupe, where the Virgin Mary was said to have appeared to the Spanish.

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Mexico City Travel / Mexico City Field Trip / Mexico Travel / → All Tags

A First-Timer's Guide to Mexico City: Get Lost in Chapultepec

We don't hear too much about Mexico City these days, even though it's a totally doable flight and an easy trip from most major US Cities. So this week we're changing that, and clueing you in to the must-dos for a first timer's trip to La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces), AKA Mexico City.

Mexico City has an embarrassment of riches. The city’s just so grande and so full of museums, ruins, churches, and the like that even tackling one neighborhood at a time may not be enough. Chapultepec Park, which spans almost 1,700 acres, is the largest city park in the Western hemisphere. You can easily spend a whole day in and around this e, which is reason enough to give yourself more than just a few days in Mexico City.

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A First-Timer's Guide to Mexico City: On the Canals of Xochimilco

We don't hear too much about Mexico City these days, even though it's a totally doable flight and an easy trip from most major US Cities. So this week we're changing that, and clueing you in to the must-dos for a first timer's trip to La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces), AKA Mexico City.

Mexico City is dotted with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but we want to talk about Xochimilco, one of the last remaining remnants from when Mexico City was an island. This district of canals is a popular place for locals to hang out on weekends and, naturally, the way to see the canals of Xochimilco is by boat.

The traditional small, brightly colored boats of Xochimilco all bear the names of women (Brenda, Rosita, Carolina) and can be rented by the hour. Adding to the female-friendly vibe is the fact that women are traditionally given rose corsages when they board. While on the water, other boats glide by and hawk their wares, selling everything from spicy corn on the cob to silver jewelry to beer and soda. If you’re interested, simply signal and the boat will attach itself to yours long enough for the purchase to be finalized.

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Mexico City Travel / Mexico City Field Trip / Mexico Travel / → All Tags

A First-Timer's Guide to Mexico City: From Zona Rosa to Roma

We don't hear too much about Mexico City these days, even though it's a totally doable flight and an easy trip from most major US Cities. So this week we're changing that, and clueing you in to the must-dos for a first timer's trip to La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces), AKA Mexico City.

Zona Rosa isn’t the neighborhood most representative of Mexico City, but it’s safe and a great place to be a tourist. This upscale area is convenient from the airport (you can get there for about 200 pesos, or less than $20, by taxi) and has all the basics a visitor needs: pharmacies, ATMs, and stuff that’s open late.

Though Zona Rosa deservedly gets the rep of being all foreign restaurants and overpriced internet cafes, there’s also some excellent scenery nearby. El Angel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence) is a large, beautiful sculpture located in a traffic circle on the busy Paseo de la Reforma. On weekends, it’s not unusual for ice cream vendors to set up shop near El Angel or for marathon runners to pass by on their morning route. If you ever get lost, El Angel is such a recognizable landmark that almost anyone in Mexico City will be able to point you in the right direction. Also nearby is the statue of Diana the Huntress, who is said to be pointing her arrow “toward infinity.”

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Mexico City Travel / Mexico City Field Trip / Mexico Travel / → All Tags

A First-Timer's Guide to Mexico City: Zocalo A-Go-Go

We don't hear too much about Mexico City these days, even though it's a totally doable flight and an easy trip from most major US Cities. So this week we're changing that, and clueing you in to the must-dos for a first timer's trip to La Ciudad de los Palacios (The City of Palaces), AKA Mexico City.

If you only have one day to spend in Mexico City, spend it in the center of town, where there’s the best concentration of activities. The big main square is technically named Plaza de la Constitucion, but it’s been called the "Zócalo" for so long that locals will scratch their heads and wonder what the heck you’re talking about if you use the formal name.

Zócalo means “base,” and it's all kind of a joke. A former president planned to build a huge monument in the square, but only got around to finishing the base. The name stuck, and now Zócalo is also the name of the metro station serving the area.

First off, check out the Palacio Nacional, or National Palace, which used to be the residence for the presidents of Mexico. Now, however, it’s a free museum, and the real highlight is the collection of Diego Rivera works adorning most of the building. Be sure to scope out the giant mural, a triptych which covers major events in Mexican history, from the days of the Aztecs to the arrival of the Spanish and beyond. (Frida Kahlo’s also in there somewhere, if you can spot her.)

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