Mexico City is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations for Americans to spend a long weekend or longer, discovering the heart of the Mexican culture. Myself and my good friend Ian Weisberg first went around 4 years ago and we loved it so much that we have been each year since. Over the course of those 4 trips we have managed to tick off quite a lot of experiences of the list and I wanted to share with you 5 of the best.
Canals of Xochimilco
Something which most people don’t know is that Mexico City was actually built on top of two dried out lakes and there was once a vast network of canals, rivers and waterways surrounding them. In the south of the city there is still a vast canal network and they offer boats called trajineras, which will take you along the canals. These boats are brightly colored and they are best enjoyed in a group. Grab some cold ones and some tacos at the water’s edge, and then head out to explore these canals.
Teotihuacan
This ancient city is just outside of Mexico City in the State of Mexico and it will take you around an hour and a half to reach. The city was excavated by archeologists from the 18th Century to now and this is an immaculately preserved city which will blow you away. Within the ancient city, once inhabited by both Mayans and Aztecs, you will find the pyramid of the sun and the moon, both of which you can scale to get a birds eye view.
Anthropology Museum
This museum is 1 of around 150 in Mexico City and of those which I have visited, it is the best of them all. This museum not only features historical artifacts from many centuries of Mexican civilizations, it also houses some important pieces from around the world. Expect to spend at least 4 hours in this vast museum.
Torre Latino
There are many tall buildings in the city where you can enjoy great views and my favorite is the Torre Latino, situated in the Zocalo or ‘downtown’ area of the city. The tower isn’t much to look at but it has actually survived 2 extremely large earthquakes, with only a single window being broken in the earthquake of 1985 which razed the city. Breakfast here is delightful and so too are the views down below.
Bike Ride
On a Sunday the city closes its busiest road and only bikes, pedestrians and roller skaters are allowed. This is a wonderful thing to do and you will see the famous independence angel as you head down through Reforma. For me this is one of the best cities in the world for a casual Sunday and you should try to kick yours off with a bike ride through the heart of the city.
This is a great city with so much to do, you simply must go.
