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Hola mis amigos!! In March, my boyfriend and I spent an entire month living in Mexico City (also referred to as CDMX). To say it was INCREDIBLE would be an understatement. It truly was one of our favorite cities we’ve ever visited! It almost feels as if the city is a mix between Europe, NYC, and Paris or Spain! The architecture is stunning, the colors are so vibrant, the people were so kind, the food/drinks were incredibly delicious (and cheap), and there were endless activities and things to do and see! I could’ve easily spent another month or two in Mexico City, it’s AMAZING! If you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend 🙂 While we were in CDMX, we also spent a weekend in San Miguel de Allende which is a short couple hour drive away. I wrote a whole San Miguel de Allende travel guide that you don’t want to miss! It’s fun to kill two birds with one stone and visit both incredible spots in central Mexico 🙂 In today’s blog post I’ll be recapping our amazing month with where to stay, what to see/do, and tips you should know before you go!
WHERE TO STAY:
Mexico City used to be known as unsafe, and although that’s still true in some areas, I highly recommend if you’re visiting to only stay in certain neighborhoods for safety reasons. I will say, we felt EXTREMELY safe in Mexico City (honestly more safe here than in some places in the USA), but we definitely recommend staying in a few neighborhoods as you wander. The best places to stay are:
#1 favorite Condesa: where we stayed (felt SO EXTREMELY safe!!!), it feels very chill and so authentic (we found a company online called Virtual Homes and had a great experience with them- our stay even included weekly cleaning which was so nice for a monthly stay).
Polanco: sleek, high end, almost like the Beverly Hills/Rodeo Drive of Mexico (seriously)
Reforma: luxurious hotels, touristy, busy
Roma: young and hip
Zona Rosa: a little edgier, party central
HOW TO GET AROUND:
Definitely take uber everywhere, they’re SO CHEAP! We took a 45 minute uber that only cost us $8, but then sometimes during rush hour a 3 mile uber cost us $10. But overall, we were mostly catching $2-$5 Ubers around town. Super convenient!
I also recommend walking everywhere! Definitely wear comfortable shoes, but walking through the neighborhoods will really give you a feel for the city.
Renting the city bikes, called ECOBICI, are also super fun, just be careful as there aren’t many bike lanes. If you happen to be in Mexico City on a Sunday, DEFINITELY join in on the bike ride around town where they shut down most roads and only bikers cruise all down Reforma…it’s amazing and such an experience!
To sign up for Ecobici is easy: All you do is find an Ecobici station with a terminal that has a credit card slot. You stick your credit card in, choose whether you want to buy 1 week, 72 hours or 24 hours of time. After buying you’re given an account number (do NOT lose this) and you’ll then input an associated PIN code. Every time you want to get an Ecobici, you only need to enter your account number then the corresponding PIN into any terminal to unlock a bike. To return your Ecobici, place your bike into any open position at any Ecobici station then simply enter your account number and PIN again to confirm the return.
WHAT TO DO:
OH MY GOSH EVERYTHING!!!! We lived in Mexico City for an entire month, did something every single day, and still didn’t get to everything on our list! There are truly endless activities. I’ll start with sharing our favorite things we did and then at the end list other activities, should they peak your interest! Even if you don’t get to any of these on my list, just wander the streets, sit at an outdoor cafe, buy a churro or cheap latte, just enjoy the sights and sounds of Mexico City! The city has so much charm to offer 🙂
Lucha Libre at Arena Mexico- a MUST! such a hilarious show and you really get to experience some Mexican culture
Floating Gardens of Xochimilco- one of our favorite experiences! Just uber here, hire a boat driver for an hour or two (pay by the HOUR not by person), purchase beer/food/flower crowns, etc along the river while enjoying mariachi music!
Condesa- definitely walk through Parque Mexico, Parque Espana, and Calle Amsterdam!
Reforma- wander or ride bikes up and down this beautiful street and see the Angel
Polanco- wander through the park or near the restaurants
Castillo de Chapultepec- AMAZING views of the city from the back balcony!
Tuesday Tianguis- a market only on Tuesdays in Condesa neighborhood, so cute!
Coyoacan- take an uber to this cute part of the city, it’s SO charming!
Zocalo- the old “city center”, historical buildings, some markets, the GIANT Mexico flag
Museo Soumaya- located in Polanco
Frida Kahlo Museum
National History Museum
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Museo de Templo Mayor
WHERE TO EAT/DRINK:
COFFEE:
you can pretty much sit outside at any cafe, anytime during the day/night which is incredible!
El Moro Churreria– there’s a few locations (a must!)
Tomasa- grab a coffee + concha (Mexican sweet bread)
Blend Station- they’re all over
Panaderia Rosetta- oh my gosh THE cutest outdoor spot for coffee, lunch, brunch, fresh baked bread and goods, etc (in Roma)
Tea Connection- great outdoor spot near Parque Mexico
Tierra Garat- they have these coffee shops everywhere!
BRUNCH:
brunch is served all day, everyday in CDMX so it’s everywhere!
Maque- #1 favorite brunch spot BY FAR! (you must order the chilaquiles + ask for the bread/croissant tray and snag a baked good)
Lalo- DEF #2 brunch spot! super trendy and popular, order the French toast + egg sandwich (oh my gosh)
Caffe Toscano- cutest outdoor brunch spot right along Parque Mexico
Peltre- delicious and huge portions for a great price, sit outside
Ojo de Agua- there’s a few of these around town
Kleins- delicious brunch spot in Polanco (best pancakes!)
DRINKS:
Condesa DF- incredible rooftop views at this hotel, our fave spot!! Very classy/trendy (and popular, so get there early). If they tell you there’s “no room on the rooftop” just say you are going up to take a photo, there is most likely space up there to get a seat! 😉
Ling Ling- my boyfriend took me here on my birthday for drinks and it was INCREDIBLE! you are on the 85th+ floor of the Ritz Carlton in Reforma. It’s actually an asian-inspired restaurant by Hakkasan (they have spots in Las Vegas), so it’s very trendy, hip, AMAZING views, and so special!
Cityzen Rooftop- this is the rooftop bar at the Sofitel hotel in Reforma and it’s AMAZING! definitely recommend coming here for a drink, the views are unreal, it’s beautiful, so enjoyable, and all around a must! try coming here early-ish!
Terraza Catedral- if you find yourself at Zocalo, definitely hit up this rooftop spot overlooking the city central and the cathedral. It’s tricky to find, since you go in a lobby (but look for this address: Calle Republica de Guatemala 4)
DINNER:
there are A LOT of overhyped dinner restaurants in Mexico City in our opinion (Lardo, Pujol, Contramar being a few)! way overpriced, too fancy (like Michelin style), not hearty enough meals, and too trendy to the point where you can’t even get a reservation. skip those, and go with my recs below (trust me):
Taqueria Gabriel- my #1 favorite meal I had (chicken burro, get their chip platter to start, cheese quesadilla on flour) + their skinny margaritas were TOP NOTCH for an insanely cheap price! this is near Reforma
Balboa Pizzeria- there is one of these in Condesa (the one we ate at multiple times) and also one in Reforma. highly recommend for an incredible Italian dinner that’s CHEAP! you can get the best pizza and wine for such a great deal compared to here in America. the ambiance is amazing to sit outside too!
El Pescadito- another MUST TRY!!! seafood tacos only and they’re INSANELY DELICIOUS! I dream about these shrimp tacos daily… it’s super duper cheap, low-key, casual, and SO GOOD! we always went to the Condesa location but I believe there are a couple. make sure you get there early for dinner because they close at 6!
Buena Barra- INSANELY delicious and incredible service in Polanco! make sure you sit out on the rooftop, you will get the best quality drinks/food, 5 star service, for cheaper than in America! it’s incredible!!!! this is a must!
Galanga- Thai food that’s supposed to be out of this world! so sad but we ran out of time to come here, but here incredible things about it! make a reservation here I believe!
Taco Orinoco- there are a few of these locations that ALWAYS had a line, but it’s supposedly an insanely delicious taco spot (meat only)! it’s super duper popular…snag a real Mexican coke with your tacos!
DESSERT:
El Moro Churreria- order churros, sauce, and horchata malteada (TRUST ME oh my gosh drooling, it’s SO GOOD)
TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
free wifi everywhere- connect to the wifi connection on your phone so you won’t use up data
take uber everywhere- they’re SO CHEAP and MUCH SAFER than a taxi!
stay in safe neighborhoods- Condesa, Polanco, Roma, Reforma
City Market- the best grocery store in town (it’s comparable to Whole Foods in the U.S.)
bring $$ cash in pesos so you can tip- make sure you get pesos or hit up an ATM in Mexico City so you can tip everyone- the guys playing music, tip your drivers, anyone that helps you, etc, just tip everyone haha. it’ll keep you safe I promise!