A melding of ancient, modern and colonial, Mexico City is home to fantastic museums, archeological treasures, first-rate cuisine and shopping, and stately mansions, plazas and gardens. Begin your exploration at the Zócalo, the world’s second largest public square and once home to the pyramids and palaces of Moctezuma. Within a few blocks you’ll find some of the city’s finest examples of history, architecture and art. The excavation of the Templo Mayor (Main Temple) of Aztec Tenochititlán, begun in 1375, provides a superb overview of Aztec civilization. Visit the Palacio de Bellas Artes with examples of some of Mexico’s finest muralists, including Diego Rivera. Chapultepec Park, covering over 2000 acres, invites you with lakes, a zoo and several excellent museums. If time allows, take a side trip to the Venice-like community of Xochimilco, or the Frida Kahlo museum in the leafy suburb of Coyoacán.
Guadalajara is considered by many to be the most Mexican of cities because it’s the birthplace of mariachi music and tequila. Though it’s a city of about 4 million, Guadalajara is easy to get around, and the people are exceptionally gracious and helpful. The plazas, churches, and museums of the city center provide a great starting point for any Guadalajara journey, and the markets of nearby Tlaquepaque and Tonala offer some of the best handicrafts in Mexico at reasonable prices.
Weather and Geography
Both Mexico City and Guadalajara are located in central Mexico in high elevations surrounded by mountains. The imposing figure of 17,000 foot-high active volcano Popocateptl towers over Mexico City. The climate of both cities is quite mild, with average year-round daytime temperatures in the 70s Fahrenheit, with afternoon rains in the summer.
Quick Facts
- Mexico City is infamous for its air pollution, though the government has taken major steps to improve air quality. Usually the air quality is better in the evenings and on weekends, when factories are closed and there is less auto traffic. If you have respiratory problems, be careful. The smog along with the city’s high elevation may affect you.
Expert Travel Tips
- Marvel at the ancient Aztec pyramids of Teotihuacan, just outside Mexico City.
- Public transportation is plentiful, cheap, and efficient in both cities.
- Float through the canals of beautiful, historic Xochimilco park in a chalupa (a small canoe-like boat).
- Enjoy an outdoor mariachi concert at night at the Plaza de los Mariachis in Guadalajara or the Plaza Garibladi in Mexico City.
- See where artist Frida Kahlo once slept. Her home in the tony Mexico City suburb of Coyoacan is open to the public.
- Browse the Mercado Libertad (also known as the Mercado San Juan de Dios) in Guadalajara for every kind of ware and food, from silver filigree jewelry and handmade leather shoes to fresh tortillas, fruit, and candy.
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