INFO on Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital of México, very old, the worlds largest city, the financial, political and cultural center of México, the nightlife capital of México, one of the worlds great cities, huge, one of the world's most difficult cities to drive in, filled with exciting things to see and do, sinking, an energetic metropolis or just an incredible place to visit.
México City, now the center of, business, culture and government for the country, was once the center of the entire Aztec empire. The current Zócalo, or town square, is built on the same spot where once stood Montezuma's palace. Many of the old mansions and public buildings in the area were built hundreds of years ago using the stones from the Aztec temples that were destroyed by the Spaniards. The Zócalo is Latin America's largest main square at over 13 acres. Despite it's size, the zócalo tends to get crowded in the evenings and on weekends.
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México City should be on your "Must Visit" list if you are a fan of world-class museums, archeological treasures, international cuisine, incredible shopping experiences, stately mansions, colonial neighborhoods, dazzling nightlife, inviting plazas and gardens or great city parks. The National Museum of Anthropology is one on the world's great museums, and could easily occupy a short vacation by itself.
México City is a great vacation destination for the entire family. There is something interesting and entertaining for everyone. For those seeking a taste of authentic Mexican culture there is more than enough to keep you occupied for the entire length of your vacation. A vacation here, combined with a couple of short side trips should be just enough to make you wonder when you are going to return and why you haven't visited before.
Nightlife in México City is amazingly diverse, starts late and covers just about every form of entertainment imaginable. From small salsa clubs and crowded discos to live concerts featuring the world's most popular stars. Ballet, theatre, folkloric shows, opera and philharmonic orchestras are every bit as common as the all night disco and drinking scene. Boxing and wrestling events are held on most weekend nights. At Garibaldi Plaza the numerous Mariachi bands often play into the wee hours of the morning.
Mexican Currency - Visitors to Mexico border cities will seldom need Mexican currency. U.S. dollars are readily accepted at the current exchange rate. Mexican banks, large hotels / motels and tourist service facilities provide currency exchange if needed.
Vaccinations required in order to enter our country are basically against cholera and above all yellow fever for African countries such as Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Zaire and some in America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Peru). It has not been eradicated, for which reason it is recommended that you enter Mexico with your Health Certificate.
There are two timetables in Mexico: the summer timetable takes effect from the first Sunday in April, by setting the clock ahead one hour and it comes to an end the last Sunday in October when it goes back to the normal timetable.
The water in the Valley of Mexico contains chlorine in order to make it drinkable, and for this reason tourists are affected when drinking it, but it should be pointed out that the water is in perfect condition for its consumption.
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Mexico City Attractions
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma, the city's main thoroughfare, will give you an immediate idea of why México City has been referred to as the "Manhattan" of Latin America.
Chapultepec Park
Chapultepec Park is an enormous green area in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of this fast paced city.
Alameda Park
Alameda Park, near the zócalo and Palace of Fine Arts, has been around since 1541, making it the city's oldest park.
The Plaza de la Constitución
The Plaza de la Constitución, more commonly known as the "Zócalo". The Zócalo contained the pyramids and palaces of Moctezuma and was the exact center of the Aztec empire.
Museo Nacional de Antropologia (Museum)
Museo Nacional de Antropologia wWith an amazingly extensive collection of artifacts, spanning some 100,000 square feet, Mexico City can boast one of the finest anthropological museums in the world.
Zocalo (Historic District)
Zocalo is the largest square in the Western Hemisphere. The square was once part of Tenochtitlan, the
political and religious hub of the Aztec Empire. Over the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries the Spaniards
built exquisite mansions and public structures from the stones of the Aztec temples that they had destroyed. Today, Zocalo is the heart of Mexico City with shops, cantinas, street vendors, and some surviving historic structures.
San Angel
Shaded plazas, narrow winding streets paved in cobblestone and walls of ancient stone covered with multi-colored bougainvillea.
Coyoacán
Coyoacán, near San Angel, is another enchanting colonial neighborhood in which you can actually feel the tranquility and colonial charm of Old México.
The floating gardens of Xochimilco
The ancient floating gardens have been around for about 700 years. Here you can rent brightly painted boats, called trajineras, for about ten dollas.
Palacio Nacional (Building)
Templo Mayor (Heritage)
Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum)
Metropolitan Cathedral (Building)
Museo de Frida Kahlo (Museum/ Historic Home)
Teotihuacan (Heritage)
Bazaar del Sabado (Leisure)
Museo Nacional de Arte (Museum)
Museo Rufino Tamayo (Museum)
Centro Cultural de Arte Contemporaneo (Cultural Center/Museum)
Xochimilco (Scenic/Leisure)
Museo de Leon Trotsky [Museum]
Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana)
National Palace (Palacio Nacional)
Alameda Central [Historic District]
Secretaria de Educacion Publica (government building)
Zona Rosa (upscale neighborhood)
Museo Nacional de la Historia Natural ( Castle of Chapultepec)
Plaza Hidalgo (Town square)
Garden of Art (Jardin del Arte)
Paseo de la Reforma (the city's historic district.)
Torre Latinoamericana (Architectural building)
Rotonda de los Hombres Ilustres (Park)
La Condesa (Neighborhood)
Historic Center (Centro Historico)
Six Flags Mexico (Amusement/theme park)
Ruth Lechuga Museum and Home (Art museum)
Museo Casa Luis Barragan (Museum)
Franz Mayer Museum (Museo Franz Mayer) (Art museum)
Plaza Mexico (Arena/stadium/field)
House of Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) (Architectural building)
Museo Rufino Tamayo (Art museum)
National Museum of Art (Art museum)
Museo Nacional de San Carlos (Art museum)
Museo de Cera de la Ciudad de Mexico (History museum)
Archaeological Museum of Xochimilco (Ancient ruins)
Convent of San Bernardino de Siena (Place of worship)
Galeria del Museo de Historia (Museum)
Iglesia de Jesus Nazareno (Place of worship)
Museo Nacional de la Revolucion (Museum)
Museo Nacional de la Estampa (Museum)
Museo de Arte Alvaro y Carmen T. Carrillo Gil (Art museum)
Palacio de Mineria (Architectural building)
Museum of the City of Mexico (Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico) (Art museum)
Cerro de la Estrella (Historic site)
Iturbide Palace (Palacio de Iturbide) (Architectural building)
Casa de los Espejos (Architectural building)
Tlatelolco (Historic site)
Museo Jose Luis Cuevas (Art museum)
Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso (Art museum)
Museo del Ex-Arzobispado (Museum)
Centro de Convivencia en Mundo E (Zoo)
Centro de Educacion Ambiental Ecoguardas (Park)
Los Dinamos (Park)
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México Food
Tortilla (or Aztec) Soup
Chilies Rellenos
Cochinita Pibil
a tender pork loin
wrapped in banana leaves then seasoned and baked , Yucatan style
seafood aficionado
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Transportation
Mexico City International Airport (MEX)
Location: The airport is situated six miles (10km) east of Mexico City. There is a Metro service from the airport to downtown Mexico City. Taxis are regulated and passengers can pay in advance at the taxi counter in Arrivals. There are also suburban bus services.
Cancun International Airport (CUN)
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport (GDL)
General Juan N Alvarez (ACA)
Most visitors to Mexico arrive by air. Around 30 Mexican cities receive direct flights from North America and Canada, and there are relatively cheap connections to the Caribbean and the rest of Latin America. From Europe you can fly to Mexico City and Cancún. Aeroméxico and Mexicana are the largest Mexican airlines.
Subway
The subterranean train is a cheap and efficient means of transportation and represents another excellent option for traveling from the airport to any point within the city.
The more adventurous might like to travel between the great Mayan ruins at Palenque and Tikal (Guatemala)
by the jungle routes, via riverboat and back-country bus. The busiest and easiest route is via a short boat ride on the Río Usumacinta between Frontera Corozal (Chiapas) and Bethel (Guatemala); this route also squeezes in a visit to Yaxachilán and Bonampak. The other routes link Benemérito de las Américas (Chiapas) and Sayaxché (Guatemala), and La Palma (Tabasco) and El Naranjo (Guatemala). Travellers should check the security situation in Chiapas with their embassy before attempting these crossings.
Climate and Weather
The coast and lowlands are hot and humid all year. The interior highlands are milder and drier, but can become freezing between December and February. Rainfall is scarce throughout most of the country.
It is moderate in winter, warm and dry during the months of April and May. The rainy season begins in May and ends around October and generally consists of sunny mornings followed by cloudy afternoons with rain. Mornings and nights may be cold, especially during the winter. The average temperature is 15°C.
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Activities
Mexico Diving
The island of Cozumel offers the best diving in Mexico and is ranked as one of the top five diving spots in the world. There are exciting reef drop-offs, coral gardens, caves and plenty of marine life, and the snorkelling is also renowned. The region around Playa del Carmen also offers excellent reef diving and snorkelling and some of the best cave diving in the limestone caverns along the coast. The Great Maya Reef is a chain of shallow patches that stretches all along the Yucatan coastline and is home to hundreds of species of fish and sea turtles. The Sea of Cortez, or Gulf of California, to the east of the Baja California Peninsula does not offer the visibility or warm waters to match destinations in the Caribbean, but its nutrient rich waters support a huge variety of marine life and divers are likely to come into contact with some of the bigger residents of the underwater world such as schools of hammerhead sharks, giant manta rays, whale sharks, marlin and whales. El Bajo is considered the best site in the gulf, while the beautiful Ballandra Bay is great for snorkelling.
Mexico Whale watching
The west coast of Mexico's Baja California peninsula is regarded as having some of the best whale-watching venues in the world. Every year between December and March thousands of California Gray whales migrate to the protected waters and warm lagoons to mate and calve. Three lagoons on the Pacific Coast that offer the best location for watching Gray Whales are Magdalena Bay, San Ignacio Lagoon and Scammon's Lagoon, which sees the largest number of these mammals each year. The lagoons are protected marine parks where whale watching is controlled and allowed only in boats operated by trained guides. Humpback and Blue whales breed in the Sea of Cortez, and Bahia de los Angeles is the centre for whale-watching expeditions in the area. Although whales can be sighted from shore, particularly from the Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of the peninsula, boat cruises are the most popular way to see them and take passengers to where they can be observed up close.
Mexico City Map
INFO on Mexico
