What is even better is that the city is also a great distination for budget travel!
With just a few pesos you can get up close with world-renowned art inside the cities centuries-old buildings, wander through Aztec ruins in the heart of the city, and sip cocktails on rooftop bars where DJs play the latest international music.Its true !
On weekends, you can take free dance and martial arts lessons in the parks infront of Bellas Artes and close to the artisan market closeby at Balderas. You can even try tango classes in the Condesas Parque Espana around 12 midday. You can ride a bike every Sunday to the cities main square, the Zócalo, when Reforma is shut to traffic for people to ride bikes,scooters, walk thier dogs and rollerblader. Reforma and the area opens again to traffic at around 2pm.
You dont have a bike in Mexico you say ?! No problem !! Mexico city will lend you one for free !! Just go to one of the Bike rental stands located on Reforma close to "El Angel" and leave your i.d and off you go !!
Getting around:
Get on the Turibus, a double-decker bus that gives you a bird's-eye view while taking you to all the attractions for about US$12, and depending on where you want to go - for two pesos, the metro is a steal and is relatively safe for travellers.
Must-sees: With tons of museums, you can easily overdose on art in DF. Topping the list are the awe-inspiring murals by Diego Rivera and other Mexican legends in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which also has temporary contemporary exhibits and a stunning performance called the Ballet Folklorico showcasing the country's traditional dances. Guided tours run twice a day at Bellas Artes and are FREE ! Closest metro stop is Bellas Artes
From Bellas Artes walk down Francisco Madero Street to the Zócalo,the second largest city square in the world with impressive colonial buildings, including a 1596, blue tile-covered mansion which is today the most famous branch of Mexican chain "Sanborns".
Off the Zócalo is the Palacio Nacional, or National Palace, where Mexican muralist Diego Rivera painted the entire history of Mexico on its walls. It's free to get inside and there are english speaking guides to explain the artwork. From the Palacio nacional you get great views of the square so dont forget your camera!!. Dont forget to take your passport though as you will need it to get inside. Photocopies will be accepted.
On the other side of the Zócalo is the Metropolitan Cathedral, the oldest in the Latin America and also one of the largest.
Behind the cathedral, the Centro Cultural de Espana, funded by the Spanish Embassy, has extensive contemporary art exhibits and a cafe with very good tapas, mostly under $5. On Thursday nights, DJs play at the rooftop cafe.
Prehispanic ruins: The city is full of ruins. One of the best is the Templo Mayor, or Great Temple, a site squashed between businesses and government buildings off the Zócalo. Workers discovered the Aztec ruins in the mid-1970s. The Aztecs are believed to have built the temple in the 1300s. The ruins include a wall of stone skulls representing the human heads the Aztecs used to put on display after sacrificing people to the gods. The entrance fee is less than $3. Better yet, on Sundays the museum is free. If you're still craving more history, hit the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park - which is a truely wonderful musuem. Traditional mexican "flyers" can be seen outside the museum also which is something not to be missed !
Neighborhoods: La Roma and La Condesa are hubs of hipness and worth a day of strolling, stopping for Chiapas-grown coffee and people-watching in one of the funky cafes, or checking out the many art galleries is always a good afternoon spent. There are also plenty of boutiques of young designers who mesh colorful embroidered Indian fabrics into chic dresses, skirts and shirts. Start at Galeria OMR off the Rio de Janeiro plaza and wander down Orizaba Street to Alvaro Obregon. Then head to Parque Mexico. Check this bilingual list of galleries:
www.arte-mexico.com/galeries.htm.
Surviving the city: If the noise of cars and traffic gets too much, you can find a little calm wandering through the 550-acre Chapultepec Park one of the worlds largest urban parks with its lake and zoo. The zoo is free and has some animals that you may not have seen before. You can also visit the free Botanical Gardens, of Mexico's National Autonomous University. The cactus-and-maguey-studded gardens are set among lava outcroppings - once again, dont forget your camera !
Night life: Mama Rumba in La Roma (close to condesa) is a sure bet to boogie away the night. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the $4 cover charge also includes free salsa lessons before 10 p.m., when the live Cuban band kicks in.
Traditional cantinas throw in sizable appetizers, almost a meal in themselves, with $3 beers. Try the 1928 Cantina La Guadalupana in Coyoacan, where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo drank tequila. For the cutting-edge side of Coyoacan, visit La Bipolar. Owned by young mexican actor Diego Luna, the bar offers marlin tostadas and walls covered in plastic crates.It really is something else.
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Lucha Libre, Mexico's masked wrestling spectacular, is a must for lovers of kitsch. On Tuesdays, hit the small, traditional Arena Coliseo for the best two-hour show $2.50 can buy, or go for the glitzy televised productions at Arena Mexico, where tickets run between $4 and $13. Be sure to pick up a cheap mask of your favorite hero outside and cheer the loudest that you can. Note that a general rule is that photography is not permitted inside.
Food: Tacos are our favourites, but so is the vast variety of other kinds of dishes available in Mexico city that you should give something else a go. There's no better place than the capital to get a sampling of Mexico's diverse food.We seem to be really into fusion and sushi at the moment.
La Tecla in Roma (Durango 86-A, Colonia Roma) is one of the most affordable places to try Nouveau Mexican food, such as duck enchiladas with mango sauce. Meals are generally under US$10.
Another good bet is long standing restaurant "La Sandia" which was recently revamped by new owners and a menu including mouth watering Chiles Rellenos - breakfast or lunch is under US$20. (Avenida Río San Ángel 86 Inbetween Revolución and InsurgentesColonia. Guadalupe Inn)
For breakfast if you are wanting something reliable and simple try Los bisquets de Obregón - a favourite with branches all over the city and the first located at Álvaro Obregón esq. Mérida in the colonia Roma. Dont forget to try the "Bisquets" which are like a scone but ten times better!!
If you want to spot a Mexican celebrity whilst staying in the city, stop at Frutos Prohibidos y Otros Placeres (forbidden fruits and other pleasures), an outdoor corner cafe with a long list of great fruit smoothies, salads and wraps in the Condesa.
Shopping:
The Ciudadela market at Balderas has a large variety for traditional crafts, its not the cheapest but its the best in the city and although it is known to some in the city as "the tourist market" - it really is very good and has a great history. It's open every day and you will most probably see alot of tourists in this area. For more upscale art, try the saturday market in San Angel.
If you read Spanish, pick up a copy of Chilango magazine or Donde Ir magazine for articles and reviews of whats going on.
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