Mexico City: the megacity having a moment
Sprawling, sophisticated and endlessly surprising, the Mexican capital has become one of the world's most exciting destinations.
Mexico City, the vast, high-altitude capital spread across a drained lake bed in the heart of the country, has in recent years become one of the world's most talked-about destinations — a sprawling, sophisticated megacity that rewards the curious traveller at every turn.
The city layers civilisations atop one another. The ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor sit beside a colonial cathedral on the vast central square, the Zócalo, while nearby neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa offer tree-lined streets, art deco architecture, leafy parks and a thriving scene of cafes, galleries and design shops.
The cultural riches are staggering: world-class museums including the Anthropology Museum and the home of Frida Kahlo, grand murals by Diego Rivera, and the floating gardens of Xochimilco. The food, meanwhile, ranges from globally celebrated fine-dining restaurants to the taco stands and markets where the city's soul truly lives.
Mexico City is also enormous, and newcomers should pace themselves, choosing a few neighbourhoods to explore rather than trying to see everything. The altitude, traffic and scale can be daunting, but the rewards are immense.
Welcoming, affordable by the standards of major world cities, and bursting with energy and creativity, the Mexican capital has shed old clichés to emerge as a cultural powerhouse. For travellers willing to embrace its scale and intensity, it offers one of the most rewarding urban experiences anywhere.