Where in the World are the Wendells: Mexico City

Monumento a la Revolucion

Metropolitan Cathedral

We spent 5 days in Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) in March 2025. The weather was amazing, highs around 80 and lows around 55. CDMX is a huge metropolis of 22M people, with great neighborhoods to explore. We were impressed how clean most of the city it (especially the city parks) and how safe we felt.

A couple tips for arriving at Mexico City International airport

Immigration issues a receipt that must be returned at your departure gate, don't lose it.
There are lots of currency exchanges near baggage claim, pick the best rate (where buy and sell are close). In Latin America, we've found currency exchanges easier and cheaper than ATMs (excessive fees).
Uber is definitely the best way to get around CDMX, it is reliable and very cheap. At the airport, request the Uber when you retrieve your bags, then follow the pickup directions in app, which will tell you what exit to use (1 thru 7) outside the International arrivals.

We stayed at the Four Points on Av Alvaro Obregon, very nice hotel in a great location.

Plaa Rio de Jeneiro

Fuente de Cibeles

El Parian

Calle Colima

Calle Orizaba

Av Obregon

Roma

Roma is a beautiful neighborhood, and reminds me of Greenwich Village, with tree-lined streets and countless restaurants and bars. The Ramita is a tiny enclave of winding streets and a church from 1530.

The civic center is Plaza Rio de Janeiro, and Calle Colima is a beautiful street running through Roma Norte. A few blocks south, Plaza Luis Cabrera is a smaller but equally beautiful oasis.

We always visit a grocery store to get a feel for the local culture, and there is a nice one at Colima 115.

The Fuente de Cibeles is an ornate fountain located in a beautiful traffic circle with cafes on the perimeter.

Roma restaurants

Broka was our favorite meal. Dining in a courtyard, service was excellent, and outstanding food: aguachille (ceviche), Tacos Villamerlon (sausage and pork), duck tacos, shaved beet salad

Cafe Toscana has several locations, including Plaza Rio de Janeiro, Plaza Luis Cabrera and Av Amsterdam in Condensa.

Cafe Cardinal is a cute coffee shop with nice vibe.

Cafebreria El Pendulo is a bookstore and cafe, with several locations. At the Av Obregon locatoin near out hotel we had a great breakfast of excellent avocado toast and beef/egg/green chili hash; eating while surrounded by books is a great experience.

We had a very good breakfast at Butcher and Son, chilaquiles and monte Cristo.

Farina, great pizza and atmosphere

Brunch at Cafe Madre was great, a huge menu and beautiful venue.

Roma bars

Gin Gin has great atmosphere. La Chicha Roma (Orizaba 171) has a great vibe and an interesting mezcal selection, including Sabe a Patria that is fermented in leather and distilled in copper (excellent!). Licoreria Limantour is ranked among the top fifty bars in the world.

Av Amsterdam

Av Mexico

El Moro Churreria

Parque Mexico

Plaza Popocatepetl

Condesa

Enjoyed a walking tour of Condesa with Alan from Airbnb Experiences, “Enjoy the best Mexican food tour”. I highly recommend Alan’s tour, it is engaging, informative, and fun. During the tour we enjoyed: Gordita with bisteca (shaved ribeye) from a street vendor was the single best thing we ate in CDMX; Taco Oronoco has the best Al Pastor tacos (locations in Condesa and Roma); the Cochinita Torta at Torta Al Fuega was authentic.

El Moro Churreria Condesa is a famous local chain of churro shops, the location in Condesa is a beautifully restored art deco building. They serve sliced churro sandwiches with ice cream filling - very good!

Explored Condesa neighborhood around Parque Mexico, a former oval racetrack encircled by beautiful Av Mexico and an outer circle of Av Amsterdam, which is lined with amazing beau arts and art deco buildings. Walking these two avenues was a fantastic experience.

Pizza Felix drinks overlooking park along Av Amsterdam.

Lardo was recommended by a friend, and was great. Good atmosphere, and good food: zucchini blossoms, caramelized onion pizza, ceviche, but the best was tomato and anchovy bruschetta.

Diego Rivera mural

Tlatelolco temple at
Plaza de las Tres Culturas

Calle Francisco Madero

Sanborn's dining room

Casa de Tacuba

Casio Espanol ceiling

Metropolitan Cathedral

Cathedral front altar

Monumento a la Independencia

Museo Nacional de Arte

Palacio de Belles Artes

Palacio Nacional
Liberty Bell

Pasea e la Reforma

Templo Major

Templo de San Francisco

Templo de San Francisco
Note "leaning" chandelier

Grand Hotel lobby

Colegio Santa Cruz

Centro Historico

We started our walk at the Zocalo, the main square of CDMX since the time it was the Mexican (Aztec) capitol of Tenochtitlan.

Near the square is Templo Mayor, the ruins of the ancient Aztec capitol of Tenochtitlan. To the east, the block-long Palacio Nacional has Mexico's version of the liberty bell, which is wrung annually on Sept 16 to celebrate their independence from Spain, declared in 1810 (but fully realized until 1821). The Metropolitan Cathedral on the north side dates back to Spanish colonial rule. The Hotel Ciudad de Mexico has an amazing atrium lobby.

We walked along the pedestrian Av Francisco Madero towards Alameda Central, the oldest park in Latin America.

The Museo del Estanquillo is a small, free museum highlighting local artists. The Hotel Downtown is not to be missed. The open-air atrium lobby has a canopy of trees covering the Azul restaurant. It is one of the most beautiful indoor spaces we've seen.

Other sights along the walk: San Felipe Church, Casa Borda facade, Palacio Iturbe.

Templo San Francisco is the site of a church since 1524. Since CDMX is built on a drained lake, buildings continue to settle. It is very apparent in Templo San Francisco, where the chandeliers appear to list because the floor has sunken unevenly.

The beautiful Casa de las Azulejos, covered in blue tiles with an incredible interior which houses a Sanborn's department store with an incredible dining room in the atrium.

The Belles Artes theater is amazing and IMO ranks with the opera houses of Paris, Vienna and Buenos Aires.

Cafe Tecuba is an iconic local eatery, with an amazing interior and live folk music. See video of roaming musicians HERE.

Monument a la Revolucion commemorating the 1910-1921 Revolution is very impressive, and the Terraza Cha Cha Cha across the street overlooks the monument from a sixth-floor rooftop, the Quesabirria taco and tuna tartar tostado were excellent.

The Museo Mural Diego Rivera is a great showcase of the famous Mexican muralist of the mid twentieth century. The famous mural Sunday Afternoon Dream in the Alameda Park tells the story of Mexico’s history and highlights famous (and infamous) political leaders.

Museo de Arte Popular is an interesting insight into regional folk art.

Plaza de las Tres Culturas contains the vast ruins of the city-state Tlatelolco (rival of Tenochtitlan). Walking among the ruins was incredible. There is a 16th century Spanish church built on top of some of the former city. Attached to the church is the Colegio de Santa Cruz (also 16th century), the first European institution of higher learning in the Americas. In 1968, a student protest turned deadly when the President ordered police to shoot at the protesters, now known as the and Tlateloco massacre.

Av Pasea de la Reforma is an impressive boulevard, with the iconic Monumenta a la Independencia and its angel atop an impressive column, celebrated the 100th anniversary of Mexican Independence in 1921.

Carmelite cloister

San Angel church

Museo de Carmen garden

San Angel

We visited the small neighborhood of San Angel. The main square is nice, with a plaque commemorating the contributions of the St Patrick's brigade to the war against the Americans in 1847, comprised of Irish immigrants who defected from the US to support Mexico (fifty were hanged after the American victory).

The Museo Casa del Risco is an impressive collection of 17th and 18th century furnishings in the former house of a politician and diplomat.

San Jacinto Church and the Carmelite (completed in 1628) museum were interesting.

We had lunch at Le Petit Lola, had delicious Mollettes, which are baguettes with refried beans, cheese and pico de gallo.

Av Francisco Sosa

Calle Fernandez Leal

Museo Fonoteca

Museo Fonoteca garden

La Conchita church

San Juan Bautista

Jardin Centenario

Coyoacan

This neighborhood is beautiful and very historic, being the capitol of Spanish Mexico until the conquest of Tenochtitlan. In fact, overlooking Plaza de La Conchita is a house reputedly the residence of Hernan Cortez in 1525 while he planned his conquest of Tenochtitlan; across the park is the La Conchita church, built by Cortez in 1527.

Av Francisco Sosa is a great way to enter the town of Coyoacan from San Angel. It is lined with small colorful houses. The gardens of the Fonoteca Nacional museum are worth visiting. The center of Coyoacan is beautiful, with the Jardin Centenaro ringed with restaurants, and the Jardin Hidalgo faced by the Parroquia de San Juan Bautista. The Jardin Freda Kahlo is very peaceful. The artist Frida Kahlo's former house, now a museum, is the primary draw in Coyoacan [note: make sure to book your tickets online well in advance!].

A local favorite near the Jarden Centenaro is Telosnieves ice cream, the leche quemada (burnt milk) is a local favorite and delicious.