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Never mind Cancun, it’s high time Mexico City nabbed some of the limelight, says Tamara Hinson

the MexTake it to

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LATIN AMERICA MEXICO CITY destinations

5 November 2015 travelweekly.co.uk 63

the Unesco-listed Floating Gardens of Xochimilco are all that remain of the network of waterways

three days into my Mexico City trip, i’ve acquired a

taste for mezcal. this potent spirit, made from the maguey plant, is smokier and richer than its distant cousin, tequila. it’s a cliche, but i sip my first shot to the strains of a mariachi band on the roof terrace of the Museum of tequila and Mezcal, where there are bottles shaped like bulls and even skulls.

But Mexico City is more than just mezcal and mariachi, as visitors to this huge metropolis will soon discover. This is a city full of surprises. I never knew, for example, that the northern area is riddled with canals. The Unesco-listed Floating Gardens

of Xochimilco are all that remain of the network of waterways that connected the capital – once an island – to the mainland. The commercial flower gardens that border these canals produce millions of blooms every year, and waterways double as motorways for flower-filled barges. During a leisurely boat ride, we also passed several party boats – barges decked out with balloons, filled with groups of teenagers swigging cans of Tecate beer and celebrating birthdays or exam results.

Another must-see is Teotihuacan, the pre-Columbian city 30 miles to the north. The site is dominated by the Pyramid

of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, which visitors can clamber up. If you’ve ever walked up the stairs at Covent Garden Tube station, multiply that level of exertion by 100. And these aren’t steps, either – they’re huge, knee-high stone blocks. The sheer scale

of the complex is mind-blowing, and there’s a visitor centre, where you can learn how mezcal is made and find out about the many uses of the agave plant.

Mexico City’s National Palace can be found in the Plaza de la Constitucion, one of the world’s largest city squares. More commonly known as the Zocalo, it’s home to the president’s offices, but most visitors come to admire the enormous Diego Rivera murals depicting Mexico’s history.

For more ancient history, the National Museum of Anthropology has 12 halls dedicated to pre-hispanic Mexico. Highlights include the Aztec Sun Stone,

FAST FACTThe currency is the

Mexican peso, and

there are about 25 to the £1

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destinations MEXICO CITY LATIN AMERICA

RiGHt: Floating Gardens of Xochimilco

BeLoW: Teotihuacan

i ate lunch at the city centre La opera restaurant, slurping tortilla soup beneath a framed bullet hole in the ceiling

unearthed from beneath the Plaza de la Constitucion in the late 18th century.

Any trip to Mexico City will remind you that this was the home of Mexico’s most famous artist, Frida Kahlo, who put mono-brows on the map long before Cara Delevingne appeared. Her former home in the neighbourhood of San Angel, with husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera, is now the House-Studio Museum of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Visitors can peek into Diego’s tiny bedroom and walk along the narrow bridge that connected his side of the house to Frida’s.

At the Frida Kahlo Museum, exhibits double as stark reminders of her hardships. These include a back brace that Frida, who was injured in a bus crash at the age of 18, had adorned with colourful scribbles. The museum can be found in the Coyoacan neighbourhood. It’s one of the greener districts, with cobbled, tree-lined streets, an enormous market (I recommend the surprisingly tasty dried grasshoppers) and a beautiful town square, Plaza Hidalgo.

I was equally smitten by the leafy Roma Norte neighbourhood, with its colourful murals and quirky coffee shops. In the 3D LAB Fab & Café, customers can have their picture taken and the image transformed into a miniature version of themselves using a 3D printer. Suddenly, Starbucks seems rather boring.

The city is keen to ditch its reputation as a traffic-clogged metropolis. The smog has lessened, and on Sundays,

traffic is banned from the Avenida Reforma, turning this major artery into a bicycle lane. Crime levels are also falling. On my final day, I ate lunch at the city centre La Opera restaurant, slurping tortilla soup beneath a framed bullet hole in the ceiling. Pancho

Villa was a Mexican revolutionary assassinated in 1923; during a visit to La Opera, he fired his pistol into the ceiling in a show of bravado. The bullet hole seemed a fitting metaphor for Mexico City: its darker periods are long gone, but reminders of its fascinating history are all around.

w Best HoteL FoR . . . BUsinessWhat: NH Mexico City Airport T2Location: Airport terminal 2.Venue vibe: Stylish but functional. Every room has a rain-effect shower, Nespresso coffee machine and complimentary newspapers. The free pressing service is popular with business travellers.Wow factor: The location. This

HOW TO SELL

An 11-hour flight from London,

Mexico’s capital is home to nine million people.

The best time to visit is between

March and May – summers can be uncomfortably hot and winters chilly. Despite

this, November is a busy month,

with the Day of the Dead

festival. Mexico City is one of the country’s safest areas, although

visitors are advised not to flag taxis down

and to take care after dark and on public

transport, where pickpockets

operate.

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destinations MEXICO CITY LATIN AMERICA

Saga Holidays offers a 15-night

Secrets of the Maya package,

which includes three days in Mexico City.

Prices start at £2,599, departing

Heathrow on May 16, including all meals, flights and the services of a tour guide.

travel.saga.co.uk

Abercrombie & Kent offers a seven-night

Mexico package including three

nights in Mexico City, staying

at the 4.5-star Las Alcobas hotel. Prices

start at £3,830, for departures on February 6,

including breakfast,

transfers, the services of a guide

and flights from London. abercrombie

kent.co.uk

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287-room hotel is on the sixth floor of the airport’s T2, but is only a 30-minute drive to Mexico City centre, so works for clients staying only a short time between connecting flights.Book it: A night’s B&B starts at £94.

w Best HoteL FoR . . . HiPsteRsWhat: W Mexico Citylocation: The upmarket neighbourhood of Polanco.Venue vibe: Unashamedly stylish. The colourful foyer resembles a modern art gallery, and wouldn’t look out of place in an interiors magazine. There’s a spa, gym and business centre, as well as a living room filled with games consoles.

Wow factor: The Living Room. Head here for a cocktail or to play on a games console. The area transforms into a nightclub after dark.Book it: A night’s B&B starts at £210.

w Best HoteL FoR . . . PeaCe and QUietWhat: Villa Condesalocation: Hip Roma Norte, in the south.Venue vibe: Cool but not pretentiously so. There’s a nightly happy hour and complimentary bike hire. Each of the 15 stylish but classic rooms features a piece of antique furniture, while there’s a beautiful greenery-filled terrace.Wow factor: The homely living room

area, which has a fireplace, huge armchairs and a beautiful collection of coffee-table books.Book it: A night’s B&B starts at £96.

w Best HoteL FoR . . . LUXURYWhat: Marquis Reformalocation: Paseo de la Reforma, in the central business district.Venue vibe: Luxurious business hotel. There are 209 rooms and facilities include an enormous spa, three restaurants and a sports bar.Wow factor: The location. It’s just a 25-minute drive from the airport and the city centre is a short walk away.Book it: A night’s B&B starts at £128.

FaR LeFt: Museum of Tequila and Mezcal

LeFt: Diego Rivera murals, National Palace

BeLoW: NH Mexico City Airport T2

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