One of my best friends got married last weekend in Zacatecas, Mexico. The cheapest way to travel was flying from Mexico City. We decided to fly non-stop SAT-MEX and stay there for two days before the wedding festivities. Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world! I've never seen so many people in my life! Also, it is filled with culture and amazing history! I can say it is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen.
STAY
We opted to rent Airbnb Downtown. This apartment was right in front of the Alameda Central near the Bellas Artes building and in walking distance to many attractions like Zócalo, Casa de los Azulejos, Catedral Metropolitana among others. Also, a tour bus station was right there so it was very convenient. The building had a guard 24/7 and a key to enter. It was pretty safe. I rented an apartment that had a great view. The only bad thing was the noise from the street at night. Other than that everything was great!
There are so many amazing things to do in the City that it is not possible to finish in a month! There are museums, parks, pyramids, castles, landmarks, sports arenas, mercados, and many more things. Today, I will tell you what we did during those two days in chronological order. By getting on the tour bus you can visit many of these sites. It only costs $190 MX pesos ($10 dollars) and you can change circuits. Click here to learn more. First stop was "La Basilica de Guadalupe".
Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most visited Catholic Shrines in the world and it is the National Shrine of Mexico and it is considered the second Catholic Shrine in importance after Vatican City. The modern basilica, named Basilica of Saint Mary of Guadalupe, was built between 1974 and 1976 by the architect Pedro Ramirez Vazquez. It is a circular building constructed in such a way to allow the cloak to be viewed close up by everyone.
Coyoacán - Museo Frida Kahlo. I have been wanting to visit the "Blue House" forever! Frida and Diego Rivera are some of my favorite artists. Walking through the house where Frida was born, raised and died was astounding! It is a beautiful house and has several of their pieces including pictures of her family, personal items including complete outfits and artwork. I recommend to buy tickets online it is the fastest line. Click here to buy. Also, since you are already in Coyoacán you can visit the "Mercado Artesanal" to shop for souvenirs.
Xochimilco served as canals and agriculture porpuses during the pre-hispanic period. There are still ecological sites with "chinampas" which are small islands with crops. But now it is more of a touristic site. People get on the "trajineras" or gondolas and bring food, music, drinks to have a good time! With only $600 MX pesos ($30 dollars) we had a "trajinera" for ourselves and a 2-hour ride. We bought some beer and ice and went for a ride. It is a beautiful site but it is sad to see how people throw trash. It is a little rough but I would say it is a MUST! Our uber recommended getting the "trajinera" at a dock called "Nativitas".
Zócalo is the main square and it is surrounded by government buildings, restaurants, hotels, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. You can say that Zócalo is the heart of the city because it is the center of it. There in the middle of the square, the Mexican flag stands glorious. If you are Mexican and see the flag waving you will feel great joy in your heart and pride. I did not have time to enjoy a drink or meal at one of the many restaurants with a balcony during the day. I got to El Zócalo right when the soldiers were putting up the flag. It was an awesome ritual to see. However, I did enjoy the Zócalo during night time, but it is not the same without the beautiful flag.
EAT
There are so many food options that you can't go wrong with any! But here are my favorite places. I need to go back and try more!
Sanborns "Casa de Los Azulejos". Although this restaurant is a chain you must visit the one located at Centro Historico called Casa de Los Azulejos which means Tile House. This place is an 18th-century palace built by Count del Valle de Orizaba family. The building is distinguished by its facade, which is covered on three sides by the blue and white tile of Puebla state. They have typical Mexican food, to be honest, it was really good! Order the chilaquiles for breakfast and some molletes! Can't go wrong with those.
Churros el Moro. If you are in Mexico city you MUST eat some churros! One of the best churros are from Churros el Moro. They have many locations. I visited the one downtown which is open 24 hours. I tried three different dips (Condensed Milk, Cajeta and Chocolate), but you can order as many as you want of course they have a cost.
Q' Kekas. These are located in the Mercado de Coyoacán and are the best Quesadillas I have ever had! It is a very small stand with limited sitting but this was my favorite food during the trip. I ordered the one with "Chicharron" (Pork meat) and one with Nopales and Cheese. YOU MUST TRY THEM. They also have gorditas which I wanted to order but had no more room.
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