Mexico City has been at the top of my travel list. What better plan to ring in my 35th year than to knock off one of the places on my list?! Why Mexico City? As a foodie who loves artsy vibes, it felt right.
The Stay
Based on what I read up on, I wanted to stay in Condesa or Roma Norte. And that was a good choice. We ended up in Roma Norte at Nomu. It was an apartment-style hotel, which was perfect. There were two bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a small living room. My only complaint was that the windows are certainly not soundproof. The sound from the streets was heard all night. Kudos to Nomu for providing earbuds. A super cute hotel in a great location.
The Food
I wish I had a second stomach and a second source of income. I had plenty of tacos, but didn’t even scratch the surface of the food scene. We also hit a lot of TikTok hot spots. Nothing was bad. Yet, I wish I had tried more uninfluenced spots.
The food highlights for me were the green salsas. I’ve always preferred red salsas because they usually have more of a kick. Almost all the red salsas I had in CDMX were chipotle salsas. I don’t love the chipotle flavor. The green salsas, though, won me over with the flavor and heat. I will be learning how to make it! There was also often an onion-and-pepper pickled slaw accompanying the tacos and salsas. It was fantastic.
There were 2 sweets that rounded out my top food highlights. One was the seasonal ‘bread’ from Odette. A delicate pastry with the most perfectly balanced whipped cream and berry compote. And after a lovely dinner with celebrity spotting of Sam Smith at the popular Contramar, we ended with a reimagined strawberry pavlova. I’m not sure what they call this dish, but it comes as a slice of cake. Layers of cream and strawberries with meringue as the ‘sprinkles’ on the outside. When we ran out of strawberries, they brought out more. Each element was enhanced by the other, marrying together to be a light, airy, creamy delight.
The Activities
I usually plan for one big activity a day. Continued with that tradition. They were much ‘larger’ activities that took quite some time… and required quite a bit of walking. I’ll sort them into Definitely Do, If You Have Time, and Skip.
Definitely Do
Hot Air Balloon Ride over the Teotihuacan Pyramids – This will forever be a core memory for me. As someone who is usually terrified of heights. Specifically, when I can see the way down. But I didn’t feel a bit of fear. I don’t know what it was… Maybe it’s hitting 35. The whole experience felt serene. Quite literally like floating on air.
Journal Souvenir – Is this a groundbreaking activity? Not really. However, a fun one (especially on a rainy afternoon), plus a great souvenir. As a journaler, I was happy to make one for myself. And my cousin was able to make some for her family. Something I enjoyed doing and will make use of!
The Organic Tour – I’m pretty sure I found out about this on TikTok. A pricier activity, I booked through The Traveling Beetle. It was worth it. We got to tour the house, apartment, and Parque Quetzalcoatl, architected by Javier Senosiain. I had not heard of him before, nor was I aware of any of this. It reminded me a bit of Park Güell, which apparently he drew some inspo from. The whimsical, colorful nature, mixed with the fact that it is eco-friendly, was amazing. So lovely to see places created with such intentionality and creativity in such a mundane life. If I could afford it and get Bruce in, I’d move there.
If You Have Time
Teotihuacán Pyramids – There was a moment of pride after climbing the pyramid. Definitely scarier than the hot air balloon. Even though in reality, it was like… a flight of stairs. Just steep, old, pyramid stairs. This was more of a workout than anything.
We were so close to the pyramid from the hot air balloon. It feels like we had to check it out. However, I was disappointed that the entry was not included in the package I bought. Only the transport was included, and we only had an hour to explore. I don’t think we needed much more time, but we did rush up and down the pyramid.
So I’d say if you go with a package, just be aware. I go with tours for safety and convenience. This seems like a spot to either go on a full guided tour or at your own leisure. Mine was in between, and it didn’t quite land the same. Yet, I can now say I climbed a pyramid. And I am always in awe of the amazing things people before us built.
Xochimilco – The boats are very picturesque. Floating around on a canal, seeing all the vibrant boats around you, some selling things, others with mariachi bands, is a fun experience.
On the tour I chose, there was unlimited tequila and mezcal, even a make-your-own cocktail, either a paloma or michelada. All the liquor was actually great, probably some of our favorite tequila and mezcal on the trip. We stopped by to grab lunch, which was a plate of taquitos. They were ok.
It is a bit away from CDMX, the area where we stayed. I don’t regret the experience. But I think it would have been more fun with a larger group. A great option for a large group, like a bachelorette party.
Skip
Cave Breakfast – this was an optional add-on to the hot air balloon and pyramid tour. It sounded so cool. And in concept, it is. But you literally just walk into a cave and have breakfast. You get to choose between an omelet or chilaquiles with a protein. I got the chilaquiles with chicken. It was fine. Similar to the pyramid, the experience felt a bit underwhelming. With both the pyramid and the cave, I wish there was more historical context provided by our tour guides. Again, it was just a transport service for these portions. Overall, I think this can be skipped. Find yourself a local spot for breakfast/lunch.
Lucha Libre – I knew my cousin used to be super into WWE, so I thought it would be a fun thing to check out. This tour came with drinks and tacos beforehand. That part was mid. The beer was decent, but the mezcal and tacos, meh. The salsas again were bomb.
I did appreciate that before we went to the match, we got a history lesson. Along with insight into how the audience engages with the match. The wresting/boxing match itself was… Interesting. I found most of it to be ridiculous and fake. I’m sure if I tuned into WWE now, it would be the same.
Locals do seem to be rather invested. The stadium was packed! I think if I were… drunk, it coulda been a better time. And I’m sure there are certain nights/matches that are more engaging. I simply couldn’t get into it or take it seriously. Not that I think it’s meant to be? There is definitely an audience for this. It’s just not me.
Casa Azul – This must have been my biggest disappointment. Casa Azul is Frida Kahlo‘s house/museum. The best way I can explain it is that it feels so boxed in for such a larger-than-life, vibrant artist. Just didn’t feel like it embodied her well. I found the Frida exhibit at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to be more worthwhile. The Casa Azul estate was beautiful, especially the courtyard. The tickets aren’t expensive, so it’s not a waste. I enjoyed the area much more than the museum. I wish I had spent more time exploring the town of Coyoacán.
Having my cousin there was super helpful because she minored in Spanish. And even if she sells herself short, she was able to understand and communicate well. As a non-Spanish speaker, it was a bit harder, but unlike other places, since I knew she was coming, I didn’t brush up on any of the basics. I highly recommend you do.
I know the ratios of activities may lean towards that I was disappointed, but I really had a great time in CDMX. There was so much to do, see, eat, and drink. I wish I had a few extra days without any tours to simply wander around. There was a restaurant I really wanted to check out, Choza. I got there too late, and it had closed. Next door, there was a speakeasy-type spot we went into by accident, thinking it was the restaurant. It ended up being a cafe/bar, Jellyfish. As their Instagram says, it’s “A space to read, listen, dream, and think”. An amazing chill, creative space. There were art supplies available. My cousin and I drew for a bit. It gave me inspo for the art studio/cafe I hope to open one day. Felt like I was meant to stumble on that spot.
CDMX is a place I could see myself coming back to time and time again. Each time immersing more in the local culture.
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