Mexico – CDMX
First Impressions: Condesa and Roma
Our fist stop is the city of Mexico, where we spent 5 days. We are not big fans of spending time in big cities, but CDMX is definitely an exception and it provides a good introduction to our 6 month trip around Latin America.
We stayed at Avenida Amsterdam between the neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma. The easiest way to get there from the airport Benito Juarez is by Uber. it takes approximately 20 minutes.
If you need internet to use Uber you can either use the airport wifi or buy a telcel sim card at one of the small 7-11 type shops at the airport after exiting the baggage claim section. Uber seemed to us a very safe option to move around CDMX, we never stayed out late at night, though.
 |
| Condesa neighborhood |
Day 1 – Zocalo: The city center
Zocalo is the center of the city with the main square, Cathedral, National Palace and several other museums. The easiest way to get there from Condesa is by metro. The metro is easy to use, very cheap and safe during the day. You can purchase tickets at the counter inside the stations.
You can start from the main square, visit the Cathedral, Templo Mayor (the Aztec ruins) and Palacio National. On the right side of the Cathedral you can also participate in a temazcal ceremony and clean your aura. There are plenty of other small museums around.
On the southwest side of the main square there are many streets with groups of shops dedicated to specific products such as electronics, medical devices , paper and painting, etc.
 |
| Zocalo |
From there you can walk down the main shopping street, Avenida 5 de Mayo towords Palacio des Bellas Artes and go up to Mirador Torre Latino or Sears to enjoy the view of the city.
The rest of the day may be reserved for relaxation or alternatively you may visit the Lucha Libre fight show in Arena Mexico, which takes place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Day 2 – Coyoacan & Polanco: Culture, Art & Luxury
We chose to visit the beautiful suburb of Coyoacan on our second day. It is a lively small town with an artistic vibe. Frida Khalo and Leon Trotsky have lived there.
The Frida Khalo museum is one of the must see museums in Mexico, but tickets have to purchased many days in advance. Coyoacan is about 15-20 minute drive from Condesa.
In the morning there is no traffic, so you can take your breakfast at Casa Cafe and go. There are many options in Coyoacan as well, though.
 |
| Vegan tacos at Coyoacan |
After Coyoacan we decided to visit the luxurious neighborhood of Polanco.
There you can find large shopping centers with all known brands, some beautiful buildings and many fancy restaurants, especially behind Lincoln Park.
In Polanco you can see how the rich Mexicans live and we find the apartments, the cars, the shops, the restaurants and everything around very luxurious, more than what we are used to in Europe.
Day 3 – Teotihuacan: The Aztec Empire
Our third day was dedicated to Teotihuacan and the pyramids of the sun and the moon.
The ancient city was built before the Aztecs but was developed further by them. It takes about 3 hours to walk around the site.
To get there we took uber until the Northern Bus Station and from there the dedicated bus to Teotihuacan. The counter for the bus ticket can be found close to gate 7. The ride takes about 1h15min and you can take the bus back to the city from the same place where it drops you off at Teotihuacan entrance. The entrance in the site costs 90 pesos per person and the bus 200 pesos. Costs for uber shall be considered in addition.
 |
| Teotihuacan |
Day 4 – Chapultepec & Polanco: Like the locals
The last day we visited the Chapultepec Park and the castle with the museum to learn the basics about Mexican history.
From the top of the castle you have a very nice view of the city. Later on we walked through the park and also visited the zoo. The zoo has free entrance but was really full at that time.
In the evening we went again to Polanco for a coffee and some tacos.
 |
| View from Chapultepec |
Next stop Oaxaca!
The informative stuff:
Accomodation
AirBnb at Avenida Amsterdam for approx. 700 Mexican pesos per night. Plenty of other options available.
Transportation
Uber – approx. 100 MXN per route on average. The easiest and safest option. You might face traffic jam though.
Metro – 5 MXN per ride per person. You can change trains to reach your final destination with the main ticket. Tickets can br bought in the station. Recommended during the day, might be less safe at night.
Activities
Mexico City is a huge city with everything you want. Typical touristic activities are:
- Just trying out Mexican food
- Museums
- Lucha Libre
- Chapultepec Park
- Teotihuacan
Food
It is impossible to summarize the options. CDMX is known for Tacos. Around Condesa and Roma you have many options of everything. We tried and liked:
Other
We felt very safe in Mexico City in the areas we have been and mostly during the day. Be a bit cautious and you can definitely enjoy this city.
