‘Chilangos’ pick the top spots to see in Mexico City
Story and photos by Bob Schulman
On a recent trip to Mexico City, a WatchBoom reporter had the opportunity to take an informal survey of what Chilangos (people who live in the capital city) think are the top five must-see attractions there.
It should be pointed out that Chilangos rarely agree on anything – perhaps because there's so many of them (maybe 22 million in the metro area...no one really knows for sure). So it was a bit surprising that the results of the WatchBoom survey were pretty close to those in the guidebooks.
Of all the zillions of things to see and do in this immense city – called the D.F. (Distrito Federal) for short -- here's what our surveyed Chilangos listed as the ones you absolutely shouldn't miss:
The National Museum of Anthropology: By the time you're done wandering around this huge museum's 23 exhibit halls you'll know more about the country's history and heritage than many of the local folks. For instance, you'll learn that the modern day city is built on a giant dried-up lake, the center of which was the island capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan. Among stunning stone sculptures on display is the Aztec Calendar, known as the “Sun Stone.”
The Zocalo: If you like civic centers, you'll love the D.F.'s main plaza. Built right on top of the town square of Tenochtitlan, it's edged on one side by Mexico's National Palace (on a spot where the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma used to live) and on another by the site of the Aztecs' super-temple, the Templo Mayor (the place of big-time sacrifices). Each side of the Zocalo square is nearly as long as three football fields.
Chapultepec: Once used by Aztec emperors as a hunting ground, this enormous park was later the watering hole (literally, the city's water came from there) of Spanish viceroys and the like for 300 years. In the 1860s, Chapultepec's towering castle was the home of Emperor Maximilian and the Empress Carlotta, and after them several Mexican presidents. Today the park is packed with museums (don't miss the Museum of Modern Art) and a famous zoo.
Teotihuacan: It's only an hour's ride from the D.F., but this ancient city might as well be on another planet. D.F.-based historian and WatchBoom contributor Jimm Budd says: “(The city is)...more dazzling than the Forum of Rome, more fascinating than Ankor Wat...the pyramids of Egypt are boring in comparison.”
Spread out over close to 5 square miles, the site was once home to 200,000 people – ranking it as the largest metropolis in the Americas at the time. Among its 80 temples are the towering picture-postcard Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon.
The fifth most popular site was a toss-up between two colorful getaways a little outside town, one on the water and the other on cobblestone lanes.
Xochimilco: Moctezuma built floating vegetable and flower gardens on canals at the edge of Tenochtitlan, and what's left of them have become a big draw for tourists and Chilangos alike. Families go there for picnics on brightly painted 20-seat barges powered by guys with poles. You can bring your own snacks or buy them from floating restaurants. For a handful of pesos you can hire floating mariachi or marimba bands to cruise alongside your barge.
Coyoacan: This charming area is a jump back in time to the country's colonial days. The lanes are lined by vintage restaurants, cantinas, art galleries, bookstores, old-time movie theaters and stately mansions. Besides two flower-filled plazas where art shows are held on the weekends, the town is perhaps best known for a block-long museum in the house where legendary artist Frida Kahlo was born. She lived and worked there worked most of her life, sometimes with her famous artist husband Diego Rivera.
Getting around: You'll stop at the D.F.'s most popular sites and many more on double-deck tour buses from which a day-ticket lets you can pick spots to get off and later get back on. Women who prefer to ride around with their own gender can hail down or send for pink taxicabs (driven by women), and there are special women-only buses and subway cars for women.
Staying there: Well over four dozen tourist-class hotels are available around the city. Among recommended properties is the Camino Real Polanco, located in an upscale shopping and dining district. The colorfully decorated hotel has 712 guest rooms and 23 meeting rooms.
Image of Teotihuacan courtesy of the Mexico Tourism Board.
