Mexico City

Mexico·North America

Currency

MXN

Language

Spanish

Timezone

Mexico City

Continent

North America

Our guide

Discover Mexico City

Mexico City sits at 2,240 metres on a drained lake, and the first flight of stairs tells you so. Constitution Square — the Zócalo to everyone — is among the largest in the world: the Catedral Metropolitana closes it to the north, the National Palace to the east, and the Templo Mayor, heart of Aztec Tenochtitlán, surfaces right beside it, uncovered by accident in 1978. The Museo Nacional de Antropología is the country's great museum and deserves a full day. Casa Luis Barragán, the architect's manifesto of a house, is visited by appointment.

When to go

November to April, the dry season. From May to October it rains almost every afternoon — short violent bursts that leave mornings free, which makes the season more workable than it sounds. March to May are the hottest months. Altitude keeps the nights cool all year, whatever the afternoon did.

Getting around

The metro is very cheap, very extensive and very full at peak hours, with carriages reserved for women and children. The Metrobús covers the main avenues at street level. Ride-hailing apps are widely used and often preferred to street taxis. The historic centre walks well, but the city is enormous: each district — Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán — is its own outing.

Where to eat

The street is the main venue. Tacos al pastor, meat grilled on a vertical spit, came from Lebanese immigrants and are eaten standing, late in the day. Tlacoyos, quesadillas and tamales hold the morning. Mole, a dark sauce that takes a day to make, is judged on chicken. To drink, the city takes mezcal and pulque, a fermented agave with a texture that takes adjusting to. No halal address is listed in our data.

Good to know

Altitude is the real subject: breathlessness for the first days, alcohol noticeably stronger, sunburn faster. Plan two slow days on arrival. The Mexican peso is the currency and cash stays essential on the street. Tap water is not drunk. The city is seismic: an audible alarm precedes tremors by seconds, and drills are frequent — it is not an emergency when it sounds during one.

Smart Planning