Rediscovering Mexico City

I travelled to Mexico City recently. While I had visited the city many times in the past, this was a refresher course in a way, giving me the opportunity to update my knowledge of this huge metropolis. The city is an important destination, with excellent infrastructure, and superior quality of world-class services, where the past and present intermingle, with ancient heritage and modern architecture.

There are so many monuments, museums, and parks, that it would be impossible to see it all in one visit. The city counts more than 160 museums. One should not leave Mexico City without visiting at least the Historic Center, the National Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Park, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, and the ultra -modern Soumaya Museum (free admission).

Worth seeing, is Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), with its unique murals by Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros and others, the building is mix of Art Noveau and Art Deco styles. The Palace is the most important cultural center in the city, used for exhibitions, theatrical performances, and home for the famous Ballet Folklorico de Mexico. One amazing detail in the theatre, besides all of the sculptures and paintings, is the stage curtain, made of stained glass of nearly a million pieces of iridescent glass by Tiffany’s. The design of the curtain represents the two nearby volcanos, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatrl, symbols of this great city.

Near the cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana) and the National Palace, one can find a newer discovery of the ancient Aztec city (Centro Historico) where archeologists are making importan discoveries every day.

The Mexico Tourism office has a new program that started few years ago, promoting charming towns called “Pueblos Magicos” (Magic towns).

Mexico City, the DF like everyone calls it, has a similar program, called “Barrios Magicos”or Magic Neighborhoods. Within these neighborhoods, one can find, rural and colonial structures dating back to the 16^th Century . Good examples are Coyoacan, San Angel, Xochimilco, and Santa Maria de la Ribera.

This city in Mexico consists of contrasts, full of cultural expressions, traditions where the traveler can find archeological areas, modern buildings, art galleries, regional cuisine and fine dining restaurants.The hotel infrastructure is excellent offering, boutique style hotels, tourist class hotels, and almost 79 Five star properties, excellent convention venues, and 3500 restaurants.

To plan your holiday, you can contact Mexico travel expert Maria Ortega.