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Mexico City
Many Worlds in One (United Mexican States)
According to tradition, the Mexica—one faction of the Aztec people—heard the call of the god Huitzilopochtli around the year 1064 of our calendar. He promised them a new land where they would prosper and become powerful. They departed from Aztlán, believed to have been located north of the Valley of Mexico, and journeyed until they reached a small island in the salty waters of Lake Texcoco. There, they witnessed an eagle devouring a serpent atop a cactus, interpreting it as the sign that this was their destined homeland. That image is now enshrined on Mexico’s national coat of arms.
In that place, they forged their identity as the “Mexica,” which in the Nahuatl language means “people of Mexico,” and founded the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan—a true city-state born from profound knowledge of resource management and remarkable developmental ingenuity.
The capital of the Mexica Empire was a striking aquatic city. Structured around an intricate network of canals used by its inhabitants for transportation by canoe, it featured advanced agricultural techniques known as chinampas, or artificial islands, where crops were cultivated. Fresh water was brought in for irrigation through the construction of aqueducts. Bridges connected the city to the mainland via three main causeways, and at its center stood an imposing ceremonial complex in the form of a pyramid dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc—today known as the Templo Mayor—located beside the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City, and surrounded by palaces and plazas. When Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan, he was so astonished that he described it as the “Venice of the New World.”
Built upon those ancient remains now stands the cosmopolitan Mexico City, beneath whose streets traces of one of the most important civilizations in the Americas continue to emerge—keeping alive the identity of a people known for their warmth, hospitality, and deep sense of pride.
The city with the second-highest number of museums in the world is also home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a vibrant cultural melting pot that has made it a global benchmark—a genuine center of knowledge and creativity from which internationally renowned artists have emerged, leaving behind legacies that are now undeniable landmarks.
Xochimilco: The Origin in the Flower Chinampas
Mexico City is a sprawling megacity, vast and dynamic in every sense—vibrant and at times overwhelming. Yet amid this intensity, it preserves its origins in nature, where everything began.
Xochimilco, without ever losing the dreamlike magic of its atmosphere, is far more than the colorful scene of trajineras gliding through canals to the sound of mariachis, floating food stalls, flower vendors, tastings of pulque—a liquor made from fermented agave sap—and the countless curiosities one encounters in this aquatic labyrinth. Its significance extends far beyond even the enigmatic allure of the legends surrounding the Island of the Dolls, famous for the thousands of dolls hanging from its trees since the mid-20th century, when a farmer—haunted by the tragic drowning of a young girl in the canals—began collecting discarded dolls, regardless of their condition, as protective amulets to ward off a curse. The curiosity it sparked grew to such an extent that it became a tourist attraction, with Julián Santana, the island’s owner, allowing visits in exchange for a doll as payment. Over time, its fame expanded to the point that it has served as a filming location for productions associated with Lady Gaga and Tim Burton, solidifying its status as a culturally rich and unique attraction.
Within the environmental sanctuary of Xochimilco—recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical and natural value—pre-Hispanic history is not merely remembered but tangibly present. Its canals are the living legacy of the chinampas, the floating gardens created by the Mexica as agricultural plots to sustain a growing city and cultivate flowers—a tradition that endures today, both in the many boats that navigate the waterways as floating marketplaces and in the numerous nurseries that line the canals.
The Pre-Hispanic Universal Legacy
The identity of Mexico City can be traced back to a time prior to the 15th century. Seven centuries after the founding of Tenochtitlan—built in the middle of a lake and structured around canals—the historic center now spreads across that same ground. Where pyramids once stood, the Zócalo now unfolds—the largest square in Latin America—flanked by the National Palace, City Hall, and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
“It was midnight, and I had the opportunity to experience something unforgettable as an archaeologist: to see half of the monument—a magnificent sculpture with large reliefs and still bearing traces of paint. As I gazed upon it, I was reminded of the discoveries of the Aztec Calendar and Coatlicue, archaeological monuments found accidentally two hundred years earlier very close to that spot.” In these words, Raúl Arena, an archaeologist and member of the Archaeological Salvage Service, describes his excitement upon the discovery of the first remains of the Templo Mayor, just a few meters from the right side of the cathedral in 1978.
The sacred complex of the Mexica was the epicenter of the city’s social, political, religious, and economic life, distributed among the seventy-eight structures that composed it. According to the worldview of the time, the temple was built at the exact point where the four cardinal directions and the three vertical levels of the cosmos converged—that is, the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. For this reason, its location could never be altered, as it was considered the center of the universe, even as it was expanded through successive reconstructions.
Walking among its walls is to tread upon a fundamental chapter of Mesoamerican history—one from which an empire emerged. Its museum engages in a dialogue with the Mexica legacy through the discoveries made there, with particular emphasis on those recovered from the ceremonial center, including the enormous monolith of the moon goddess, also known as Coyolxauhqui.
Across its eight galleries, visitors can explore the complexity of pre-Hispanic society, gaining insight into its customs and daily life, its trade systems, beliefs and deities, agricultural practices, as well as its flora and fauna.
Among the most significant discoveries is the Sun Stone—also known as the Aztec Calendar—although it is currently exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology.
To the south of the city lies the Archaeological Zone of Cuicuilco, whose origins date back to around 800 BC. Considered one of the oldest settlements in Mesoamerica, its study has been essential in understanding the embryonic stage of later civilizations in the region. Its urban layout was dominated by a large circular pyramid—unique in pre-Hispanic architecture—which functioned as a ceremonial center and as a symbolic representation of the worldview of its inhabitants.
Returning to the vibrant Mexico City, deep within Chapultepec Forest stands a remarkable building—modern in design and particularly evocative. Around the central courtyard of the National Museum of Anthropology—the largest in the country and one of the most visited in the world—are twenty-four exhibition halls featuring immersive and striking displays. Conceptually divided between pre-Hispanic art and the ethnographic past of Mexico’s diverse regions, the museum houses and safeguards more than ten thousand original pieces.
Among its most notable works is the Sun Stone, or Aztec Calendar, carved in basalt—over three meters in diameter and weighing twenty-four tons—which serves as a centerpiece of the collection. Also featured are the colossal heads of the Olmec culture; monumental Teotihuacan sculptures dedicated to water deities; the tomb of Pakal; the funerary offerings of Monte Albán; the stelae of Xochicalco; a Toltec atlante figure brought from Tollan-Xicocotitlan; and the imposing monolith of Tlaloc that guards the main entrance. And this is only a small glimpse of the treasures contained within its walls.
A city to be lived
Mexico City, in its vastness, is a multifaceted stage dotted with an extraordinary number of monumental murals created by some of the greatest artists. From the Reforma district—where modern office skyscrapers rise in defiance of the seismic ground beneath them—and the exclusive residential area of Polanco, to the dreamlike neighborhoods of Coyoacán, Roma, and La Condesa, where the city’s most authentic essence can be felt, the urban mosaic is truly captivating.
Polanco embodies sophistication, luxury, and Michelin-starred dining, without relinquishing its cultural dimension. Here stands the Museo Soumaya, one of the most important institutions of its kind in the world, offering a reflective discourse through American and European art of recent centuries, alongside the Museo Jumex, renowned for its commitment to the most cutting-edge international contemporary art.
Roma and La Condesa represent the city’s bohemian face—epicenters of nightlife and cultural life—featuring tree-lined avenues adorned with elegant Art Deco buildings, a cosmopolitan atmosphere, and a vibrant culinary scene highlighted by the famed taquerías of Roma. Boutique shops by local designers and leisurely strolls through spaces such as Parque España complete the experience.
Chapultepec is the largest urban natural park in the world. So vast is its expanse that it encompasses lakes and museums such as the Museo Nacional de Antropología and the Museo de Arte Moderno, the latter with a strong focus on works from the 1930s and featuring outstanding pieces by universally acclaimed Mexican artists such as Frida Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Diego Rivera, among many others.
Rising above the treetops and offering breathtaking views of the city, Chapultepec Castle is home to the National Museum of History. What began as a leisure residence during the Viceroyalty of New Spain in the 16th century has evolved into a majestic building that blends Baroque and Neoclassical styles. It was here that Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico established his final residence—an opulent and refined space that can still be visited today—although the complex underwent a turbulent evolution before reaching that stage.
One should not leave Chapultepec Forest without visiting the Los Pinos Cultural Complex, which until 2018 served as the official residence of the President of the Republic and has since been transformed from a seat of power into a public cultural and recreational space. In addition to its beautiful gardens—where pine trees take center stage alongside busts of former presidents—the complex preserves an intriguing collection of artworks reflecting the tastes of its former occupants, as well as furniture, memorabilia, and key documents from recent Mexican history.
The Historic Center of Mexico City, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is another of the city’s great treasures, with more than two thousand culturally significant buildings, including palaces, colonial constructions, and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City. Its prolonged construction, spanning from the 16th to the 19th centuries, resulted in a rich synthesis of artistic and architectural styles—both inside and out—ranging from Gothic to Neoclassical, and including Baroque and Churrigueresque elements.
Following Madero Street—one of the first roads built by the Spanish and now lined with shops and leisure venues—one approaches the boundary with the district of Coyoacán. Before reaching it, however, the Palacio Postal warrants a stop, admired for its eclectic architecture that combines Plateresque, Gothic, and Mudéjar influences, as well as for its spectacular staircase.
Facing it rises the Palacio de Bellas Artes, with its magnificent collection of seventeen murals by renowned Mexican artists such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, among others. Its elegant presence dominates the square it presides over—befitting its original conception as the National Theatre. Its multifunctional design also allows it to serve as the home of the National Museum of Architecture, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the National Opera Company.
Coyoacán is the most colonial of the city’s neighborhoods and one of its most beautiful. Its charm invites visitors to wander through cobblestone streets bursting with color and through small squares imbued with a sense of romance, where picturesque churches, art galleries, street stalls, bookstores, and boutiques are ever-present.
The heart of the district is Jardín Hidalgo, a vibrant plaza framed by colonial buildings and dominated by the 16th-century San Juan Bautista Church. It is an ideal meeting point to enjoy street music, browse stalls selling all kinds of goods, savor traditional cuisine in distinctive restaurants, or simply relax at a café terrace while observing the lively rhythm of everyday life in this evocative setting.
No visit would be complete without stopping by the Mercado Artesanal Mexicano to experience the popular side of Mexican craftsmanship, or the Mercado de Antojitos, where one can indulge in delicious tacos, quesadillas, and other traditional delights.
Frida Kahlo: Mexico’s universal icon
The silhouette of Frida Kahlo is present throughout the city. From Frida Kahlo Park to the most unexpected corners, her charismatic figure seems to accompany us everywhere. Yet there are two places whose visit is essential for a deeper experience of Mexico City.
In the heart of the Coyoacán district stands the Casa Azul, the iconic home where she spent much of her life with Diego Rivera. It offers an intimate and profound insight into her personal and artistic world, showcasing her life, her work, and several original pieces by her husband, as well as her connections with other great artists.
The Museo Casa Kahlo, popularly known as the “Casa Roja,” is far more than a museum setting: it is the home of a family and the laboratory of a cultural legacy of immeasurable value—a kind of time capsule preserving previously unseen memories, objects, and narratives from a fascinating family history, which the artist transformed into her creative sanctuary.
Before you leave
One cannot leave Mexico City—even temporarily—without being captivated by the charm of its markets. Scattered throughout the city, each more diverse than the last, one of the most interesting is the Saturday Market in Plaza San Jacinto. Some of its stalls are set within a mansion-like building, while others spread across the square itself, where artists and artisans gather to offer their authentic creations to lovers of art and culture.
In a more prosaic—but no less fascinating—vein is the Central de Abasto. Considered the largest market in the world, it supplies goods that feed more than twenty million people every day. Beyond perishable products, its corridors offer all kinds of raw materials, along with an extraordinary array of flowers.
It is open to visitors, with the possibility of purchasing goods without being a wholesaler. However, one of its greatest attractions lies in immersing oneself in this unfiltered, authentic side of one of Latin America’s most captivating cities.
Capturing Mexico City in all its splendor in a single feature is simply impossible—this is but a brief glimpse, and one that inevitably calls for a return.
For more information: https://www.turismo.cdmx.gob.mx/
Author: Go Travel Tourism Magazine
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