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Mexico City travel guide
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico, the largest city in the world (the population of Mexico City within the Federal District is 21,200,000), and the ninth metropolitan area on the planet, according to Demographia. World Urban Areas & Population Projections, 2011 data. At the same time, the Federal District is located in the central and southern parts of the city, the rest of the areas belong to the states of Mexico City and Hidalgo.
In racial terms, more than half of the capital’s residents are mestizos, about 20 percent are descendants of the indigenous people – Indians, the rest, mostly Europeans. Most residents of Mexico City are Catholic, the second most common religion is Protestantism. The city was founded in 1325. It was originally called Tenochtitlan.
given below essential tourist information for visitors.
Things to do
It is believed that Mexico City has the most museums among all cities in the world. There are even dozens of large museums here. They will tell you about the history and art of Mexico (including, for example, the house-museums of Leon Trotsky and the artist Frida Kahlo), various Mexican traditions and completely unusual subjects, such as the history of the telegraph in Mexico (several large rooms in the National Art Museum).
Mexico City resembles a stone jungle in places, which is not very surprising for a metropolis of this size. However, sometimes there are green islands where you can rest. Alameda Park is small, but it is located right in the city center. Chapultepec Park is further from the center, but squirrels live in it and there are lakes where you can ride a boat or catamaran. It also houses a zoo. Finally, big boat rides on the Xochimilco canals are a popular pastime among the city’s residents.
Way to get to Mexico City
Mexico City is located in the middle of Mexico, and quite far from both the famous resorts of Cancun, Tulum, and Puerto Escondido, and from the border with the United States. Therefore, the easiest way to get to Mexico City is to fly to Benito Juarez International Airport by plane.
There are many airlines, including low-cost airlines, that fly to Mexico City from around the world. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Russia to the capital of Mexico, but you can take an Aeroflot flight with a transfer in Miami or Havana, or fly by charter to Cancun.
An extensive network of highways runs through Mexico City, connecting the capital of Mexico with all provinces. Bus communication with all cities is very well developed, several large passenger companies operate, and the buses themselves in Mexico, unlike Myanmar, are quite new and comfortable. So getting from Mexico City by land to any part of the country will not be a problem, but for long distances, it is better to fly by plane to save time.
airport
The main airport in the capital of Mexico is named after Benito Juarez, the famous Mexican politician who led the country in the middle of the nineteenth century. The airport is not only the largest in Mexico but throughout Latin America. In a record 2008, Mexico City Airport managed to sell 26 million tickets for its flights.
Mexico City Airport has two terminals. The newest one was built in 2001. Terminal halls are constantly updated to keep up with modern standards.
Also, Toluca International Airport is located near the city of Toluca de Lerdo, in the state of Mexico City. The airport is widely known for having the longest runway of any airport in Mexico.
The airport, built in honor of Adolfo Lֳ³pez Mateos, is responsible for the air traffic of Toluca and the western part of Mexico City and is a major competitor to Mexico City International Airport. Toluca takes over the services of regional companies Aeromexico Connect and Continental Express, as well as low-cost carriers Volaris and Interjet.
Transport
In addition to the usual taxis and buses, Mexico City has a rather comfortable, but a little stuffy subway. Most residents and visitors to the city use the Metro to save time and not get stuck in traffic jams. This is especially true when traveling to bus stations located in different parts of the city.
Using the metro in Mexico City is very easy. The scheme is visually understandable, and the name of each station is duplicated with a unique pictogram.
To choose the right platform or determine where to go for a transfer, you need to figure out which way to go. And for this, you just need to know the terminal stations and the color of the metro lines you need.
For example, to get to the Northern Bus Station, you need to take yellow line 5 towards Politecnico station and get off at Autobuses del Norte station.
Hotels
It all depends on the purpose of your visit and the places you want to visit. We advise you to carefully consider the choice of accommodation, both in terms of convenience and location.
It is better to choose hotels and apartments in the safest areas, as, unfortunately, there is a lot of street crime in Mexico City. Therefore, it is better to live in Mexico City closer to the places that you want to visit, and not try to save as much as possible by choosing distant from the center or generally disadvantaged areas.
It would be best to stay in Mexico City in the prestigious area of La Condesa ( La Condesa ), Roma ( Roma ), and Polanco ( Polanco ), located close to Chapultepec Park in the central part of the city. They are quite safe, have good transport accessibility, as well as a convenient place from the point of view of sightseeing, which can be reached even on foot (we did just that). In addition, thanks to the cozy atmosphere and a large selection of quality accommodation, many foreign tourists live here (as in the Miraflores area in the capital of Peru, Lima).
Nightlife
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Mexico City attracts fans of nightlife with colorful discos and clubs, of which there are a lot. The vibrant nightlife makes it feel like the city never sleeps. At night, the city can be seen from a completely different side. Bright performances are arranged in the squares. Local youth prefer to hang out in the nightclubs that are located in popular areas (Condesa, Polanco, San Angel, La Zona Roza, Coyoacan). On average, a trip to the club will cost $ 100.Here nightlife begins after 11 pm and lasts until the morning. Most of the trendy nightlife is located near the most popular hotels in Mexico City.
Food
Please note that spicy food is common in Mexico and Mexico City in particular. At the same time, it is impossible to determine by color whether the dish is spicy or not – for example, jalapenos are green but much sharper than red pepper. Asking is usually useless. Try it at random. Soups (SOPA, Caldo) are often (but not always) not spicy or very spicy. For some reason, cappuccino is almost always prepared with cinnamon.
Virtually all catering establishments in Mexico City can be divided into four price categories. The cheapest food is simply sold on the street, eaten standing or sitting on plastic chairs or benches nearby. Most of the time it is safe, but the price difference with the next category is not so great that it makes sense to take risks – if you don’t have enough experience, you won’t be able to determine how good the food is.
Cheap
These are markets and cheap cafes/restaurants (usually called comedones). Inside there will usually be plastic furniture and a menu printed in Spanish on a single sheet of paper, but the quality of the food is okay if you can explain yourself. Expect in the region of M $ 50 per meal. You can only pay in cash.
Average cost
The restaurants are a class higher, with normal service and sometimes even an English-language menu. Credit cards are often accepted. Lunch will cost around 150 M $. Almost all restaurants in museums fall into this category, among other things. Most coffee shops are in the same category. The price for a cup of espresso varies from 15 to 25 M $.
seasons
The best time to visit Mexico City is from March to May when there is beautiful weather with little or no rain, and nature blooms after winter, adding bright colors everywhere. In the spring, Mexico City hosts many celebrations, festivals, and cultural events. At this time of year, the streets are quite crowded, many tourists from the USA and European countries come here.
Climate and weather in Mexico City
The city of Mexico City is located in the south of the Mexican Highlands, the capital of Mexico is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Weather in Mexico City for months is dominated by a humid subtropical climate: average daily temperature in January +14 ֲ° C, in July +17 ֲ° C, the daily temperature in January +21 ֲ° C, in July +23 ֲ° C. The average annual rainfall is 750 millimeters, most of which occurs in the summer months. In summer, on average, more than 150 millimeters of precipitation falls every month. The city has a very bad ecological situation, strong gas pollution. Heavy smog over Mexico City is common. The capital of Mexico often experiences minor earthquakes, which the locals are already used to.
Attractions
Firstly, Mexico City is a very large metropolis with beautiful parks, well-groomed streets and interesting architecture (both colonial and modern), as well as a large number of all kinds of attractions. Walking around the city of Mexico City, well known to us from Mexican television series, can be infinitely long, and all the time you can discover something new for yourself. In addition, it is from Mexico City that tourists travel to the archaeological complex of Teotihuacan to look at the ancient city and the pyramids of the Aztecs.
Secondly, Mexican flavor is not just empty words, but a tangible substance. Beautiful cathedrals, colorful houses, organ grinders, mariachi, bright clothes, and a festive atmosphere – choose what you like best and go to Mexico City.
Thirdly, in Mexico City, the cultural heritage of ancestors is concentrated and intertwined with modern values. And the metropolis itself works like the well-known melting pot of New York. A mixture of people of different civilizations, the intersection of cultures, and a rich historical past are concentrated in the capital of Mexico, forming the quintessence of the relationship between the present and the past. We should also devote time to Mexican art, because the most famous woman in Mexico, Frida Kahlo, lived in Mexico City.
Fourth, Mexican food! And that’s it. So many dishes unusual for a European can be found only somewhere in Asia. Gastronomic tours are a separate topic for travel to Mexico City. Many people enjoy good food, and we are no exception. You always want to try something tasty.
Itineraries
Mexico City has a variety of attractions, interesting areas, beautiful avenues, and shady streets, parks, fountains, and squares. It will take 2-3 days to get a glimpse of the city, and a week will not be enough for a detailed immersion in the atmosphere. We walked around the capital of Mexico for 5 full days, having planned our route in Mexico City in advance.
Firstly, in Mexico City, you should definitely visit the central square of Zocalo and Chapultepec Park, view the exhibits of one of the world’s best anthropology museums, walk along the Paseo de la Reforma past the Independence Monument with a golden angel on top, see an organ grinder with a monkey and walk along Madero street, past one of the tallest buildings in Mexico City – the Torre Latinoamericana skyscraper (there is an observation deck on the 44th floor, and on the 9th floor there is a cafe overlooking the Palace of Fine Arts – the most beautiful building in Mexico City). Finca Don Porfirio, another cafֳ© overlooking the Palacio de Bellas Artes, is located next door on the 8th floor of Sears.
Secondly, we recommend taking a photo at the Pushkin monument, visiting the Frida Kahlo Museum and seeing colorful houses in the Coyoacan area, listening to mariachi on Garibaldi Square, sailing trainers boats along the canals in Xochimilco, looking at the Mexican market and buying sweet rolls for tea in one of the numerous bakeries, and do not forget to send from the Post Palace rare postcards bought at the flea market next to it.
Precautions
For Latin America, Mexico City is a relatively safe city. The historic center and surrounding areas are well lit in the evening and are patrolled by the police. You can walk around the city and use public transport. There are areas of the city that are considered unsafe, but you probably won’t have a reason to get there.