Why did we choose Mexico City? Well, that is a good question as I always thought it was unsafe to visit. On one of our many recent trips to Key West we met a young man who was from Mexico City and he convinced us it was somewhere we needed to travel to, so here we are. Plus Rob had read it was known for fantastic restaurants. There were over 40 Michelin star restaurants in the area we visited.
"Mexico City is the capital and the largest city in Mexico. The population is about 21.3 million, which makes it the largest metropolitan area of the Western Hemisphere, and the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. Mexico City is also both the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of only two founded by indigenous peoples."
What did we do?
Chapultepec Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world, covering over 2,000 acres. We didn't cover the entire park and it was our path to the Castle.
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Stalls were everywhere. At least
they don't harass you to buy. |
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José María Morelos
y Pavón |
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| Altar a la Patria |
Chapultepec Castle perched atop a hill in Chapultepec Park, is a historical gem that offers breathtaking views of the city. Originally built as a royal residence in the 18th century, it now houses the National Museum of History.
El placer de la belleza -The Pleasure of Beauty
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| Corals, pearls, & rubies |
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A Jewel of the
Imperial Russia |
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| Personal Watches |
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| Benito Juarez |
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Emperor Maximilian's and
Empress Charlotte's
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| Gala Carriage |
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| Agreements Room |
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President's and their agreements
Waiting Room |
Fertility and Abundance Gallery "the stained glass windows were made in Paris. The glass shows the elegant figures of five goddesses that embody the feminine attributes in mythology. The glass hid the magnificent rooms inside from the poor and impoverished."
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Flora, whose beauty was
equal to the spring
blooming flowers 💐 |
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Ceres goddess of agriculture,
grain crops, & the love of a
mother for her children |
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Hebe, carrier of the divine
nectar that offers eternal
youth |
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Pomona, goddess that
favored the fruit harvest |
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Diana, goddess of the hunt,
fertility and childbirth |
Alcázar Gardens
We did a Historical Food Tour. We met Tamara our guide at Testal along with another couple for our first tasting.
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| Our little brochure/map |
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| Huitlacoche aka Mexican Truffle |
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Mole 3 ways Poblano,
Guava, & Plaintain |
Did you know? A traditional mole contains anywhere from 25 to 52 spices.
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| Pineapple Juice |
We made our way to Mercado de San Juan (specialty market) via Chinatown.
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| Chinatown |
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Their streets are dedicated to
specific products - this one was lights |
Our next tasting was at Delicatessen Alexandra Gourmet a 4th generation woman run business with another baby girl on the way.
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Pork Tongue & Cheese
Baguettes
Additional market views
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| Turkey Anyone? |
Our next tasting was also in the market at El Gran Cazador (The Great Hunter).
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Bugs seasoned with
Lime 🍋 & Chili |
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| Yes I ate all my bugs 🐛 🙃 😋 |
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Mixiotes
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| We had Wild Boar |
Did you know? A mixiote is a dish prepared by wrapping meat in parchment and cooking it by pit roasting or steaming.
A few more market pictures 📸:
Our last tasting stop in the market was Rosse Gourmet.
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| The fruit was so fresh |
We stopped at this building, currently a college, so Tamara could show us how the building is sinking (can't really tell from the pictures). Apparently it is a huge problem throughout the city.
Our next tasting was a stand on the sidewalk, El Caguamo.
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Shrimp Broth - that is supposed
to be great for a hangover |
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Ceviche - Shrimp, Crab,
Octopus 🐙, Fish |
We stopped at the Regina Coeli Parish a Catholic Church ⛪️ which is usually closed but the doors were open the day we visited.
Time for a cantina stop at La Mascota. The drink menu was much larger than the food menu. The food menu had 8 items and we could order as many items as we wanted. We were already pretty full so we each ordered one dish.
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| Cantaritos |
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| Carajillo |
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| Consome De Pollo |
Rob did not take a picture of the Frijoles Charros.
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Tables have holders on
the legs of the table to
allow extra table space |
We stopped by the Miguel Lerdo de Tejada Library for a picture or two.
Remember the sinking building? This building Antiguo Templo de San Agustín (former national library) is closed because of the sinking, the doors cannot be opened.
Our next stop was the busiest area in the city with over 250,000 people daily, if you like shopping this is the area to be.
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This building has the same
Architecture as New York's Macy |
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| Architecture is amazing |
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| A lot of people |
All this walking 🚶♀️🚶♂️and sightseeing we are getting thirsty. Our next stop El Bajio.
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Empanada with plaintains (not fried)
& Pork taco |
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| Mole |
Our last stop on the tour was Dulceria de Celaya. We tried traditional Mexican candy.
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| Founded 1874 |
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| The ceiling was beautiful |
Tamara gave us a few restaurant recommendations to try: Nautilus, Los Milanesos, El Chilango & La Calaca.
This tour was five hours, lots of good food and plenty of information. Would highly recommend.
Every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm, Mexico City shuts down its main streets to cars, making way for cyclists, pedestrians, and rollerbladers. The pictures don't really show all the people that were out and about.
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| All the red are road closures |
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral "it frames the north side of the Zócalo Capitalino and is the most representative monument of the Historic Center of Mexico City. The long construction from 1573 to 1813 is a compendium of architectural styles that successively predominated in the New Spain period."
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| Divine Providence |
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| Chapter of San Felipe De Jesus |
We watched football in out hotel lounge in Spanish. Very entertaining.
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| Redskins Tampa Bay game |
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| Ravens Pittsburg game |
Where did we eat?
American Airlines
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| Bloody Mary's |
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| Salmon Nicoise Salad |
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| Frittata,scones, & fruit |
InterContinental Lounge
Tacos Joel y Lety 😋 Place looked popular with the locals so Rob went for it! Al pastore tacos.
Nautilus Restaurant was recommended by Tamara our food tour guide. Highly recommend.
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Guacamole Nauutilus
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| Salmon Parilla |
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| Fileted Tres Chiles |
La Mascota we liked this place from the food tour so we went back. The menu was different so we were able to try some new food and Tamara came in with another tour group.
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Albondigas Al Chipotle
Chipotle Meatballs |
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Pollo Al Pilbil
Chicken |
Where did stay?
Presidente InterContinental Hotel -- We chose this hotel for two reasons. One we were a little concerned for safety (very unwarranted) and two I'm an IHG Member. We received an upgrade to the Chapultepec Park view.
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| The bed was so comfortable 😌 |
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| Wow a TV in the mirror 🪞 |
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| Our View |
How did we get there?
We flew from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Mexico City International Airport Benito Juarez via American Airlines.
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| I don't see my luggage! |
When did we travel? January 9 - 14, 2025
Mexico City is a treasure trove of history, culture, and gastronomy waiting to be explored. We never felt unsafe and had no issues with language barrier (thank you Google Translate!). I am so glad we chose Mexico City and would definitely visit again.
"If you never go, you will never know."
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