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Mexico City day trips |
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Chapultepec Park – Chapultepec Park, or Bosque
de Chapultepec, is a popular place for local families on the weekend. Bring
a picnic, or eat lunch in several restaurants located throughout the park. Pony rides and bike rentals are available for kids. On the
weekends, look for open air concerts. |
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1st Section (Primera Seccion) |
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 Museo
Nacional de Anthropologia – The Museo Nacional de Anthropologia
has all the good stuff from the pre-Columbian archeological ruins - Olmec,
Toltec, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mexica (Aztec). Room after room is filled
with exquisite stone, ceramic, jade and turquoise objects. Be sure to see
the Mayan Chacmool from Chichen Itza, the jade mask of Pakal from Palenque
and the famous Aztec calendar. The museum also features a recreation of
a Mexican village and Mayan ruin, models of Tenochitlan. |
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Near
to the museum, a tall pole set up where you can watch the "Dance of the
Flying Men," the Voladores. Performed by the Totonac Indians, four
men tied to the pole whirl through the air in this impressive traditional
display. |
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Parque
Zoologica de Chapultepec – This large and well laid-out zoo is
the place to see giant pandas (the first pandas bred in captivity outside
of China) and is free. On the other side of the Lago di Chapultepec is the Centro de Convivencia Infantil, a kids play area with slides and
swings and a petting zoo. |
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Go
boating on the lakes – Rent a rowboat and expend some energy rowing
your boat on the lake. |
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Castillo
de Chapultepec – Climb up the hill to "Chapultepec Castle," once
the home of Maximillian, the French Emperor of Mexico, and now the Museo
Nacional de Historia, which chronicles the history of Mexico from the Spanish
takeover through the 20th century. In front of the Castillo is a monument
to the Los Niños Heroes. In 1847 the castle was a military academy, and
six cadets died defending the castle against the Americans. |
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2nd Section (Segunda Seccion) |
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Papalote-Museo
del Niño – This children's museum is similar to the Exploratorium
in San Francisco. The museum has hands-on science and cultural exhibits
and an IMAX theater. At the "La Tienda del Museo" you'll learn about traditional
arts, crafts and games. |
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Had
enough culture for the day and want to let off steam? Head for La Feria
de Chapultepec, an amusement park with thrills and chills rides, a huge
roller coaster, bumper cars, carousel, miniature train, and family restaurants.
For more amusement rides, there's also the Juegos Mecanicos Infantiles. |
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3rd Section (Tercera Seccion) |
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Rancho
del Charro (Ave. Constituyentes) – On Sundays, go to a Charreada,
a riding exhibition by the "charros," cowboys. Charros, wearing traditional
costumes, demonstrate riding feats and there is music by mariachi bands. |
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Water
Park – Cool off in Aguas Salvajes, an aquatic park with wave swimming
pool and splash slides. |
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Walk down Paseo de la Reforma – Starting at Chapultepec
Park, take a long stroll down this wide tree-lined boulevard, inspired by
the Champs Elysees in Paris. The boulevard is punctuated with different
monuments, starting with a large fountain, Fuente de Diana Cazadora.
The next monument is the Monumento a la Independencia (El Angel),
a tall column with an angel on top. The Monumento a Cuauhtemoc commemorates
the last Aztec emperor. The last monument, Monumento a Cristobal Colon,
is in honor of Christopher Columbus. |
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Torre Latinoamericano (Latin American Tower) – To get the
big picture of Mexico City, take a ride up the Torre Latinoamericano.
The Torre was the first skyscraper built in Mexico City. From the observation
deck or restaurant you'll have a spreading view of the city. There's an
aquarium on the 38th floor. On a clear day you can see the Popocatepetl
volcano in the distance. |
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The Plaza de la Constitucion, called the Zocalo, is the heart of the historical zone in Mexico City. If
you happen to be in the Zocalo at sundown, watch the large Mexican flag
being ceremonially lowered from flag pole. Stop into the Baroque Catedral
Metropolitana, the largest cathedral in Latin America. For a visual
history of Mexico, take a look at the Diego Rivera murals in the Palacio Nacional. The murals vividly depict scenes from the glory
of the Aztec empire, the conquering Spanish, to Pancho Villa, the Mexican
revolutionary hero. |
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Templo Mayor – A block away from
the Zocalo is a "must see," the Templo Mayor, ruins of the Great Temple
of the Aztecs. The Templo Mayor originally had two shrines at the top, one
to Huitzilopochitli, the god of sun and war, and Tlaloc, the god of rain.
At the base of the temple was found the Coyolxauhqui stone, a disc with
the goddess Coyolxauhqui who was killed by Huitzilopochitli – her head
turned into the moon. The Museo del Templo Mayor has ten rooms full
of artifacts from the ruins, including skull masks and stone "face blades"
used in sacrifices. |
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Alameda Central (Parque Alemeda Central) – The oldest park in the city, with a Parisian style and lots
of fountains. Stop by the Palacio de Bellas Artes to find out the schedule
of performances of the world famous Ballet Folklorico. (If tickets
are unavailable, ask at your hotel for other venues around the city.) |
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Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico – This
museum of Mexico City covers the history of Mexico, from the pre-Hispanic,
through the colonial era and 19th and 20th century. There are excellent
models of Tenochitlan, reproductions of Aztec maps and books. |
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Markets (Mercados) – Peruse the markets
for an amazing array of handicrafts, such as the Mercado La Lagunilla, Mercado
de Artesanias, Plaza de la Ciudadela, Mercado San Juan. Stop in the Bazaar
Sabado (Plaza, San Jacinto, San Angel) on Saturdays. |
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Tip: The Mexico City subway is a great way to get around
the city. The Metro is fast, modern and some stations have bits of Aztec
ruins. When you take taxis in Mexico City, only take ones from marked
taxi stands (or have your hotel call a taxi). Don't hail any old taxi off
the street. |
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Dramatic story
of the Spanish arrival in Tenochtitlan, and the "Sad Night,"
when Cortes and his men try to escape, using a portable wooden bridge.
The Aztecs pursue the Spanish, and run them out of town. Colorful
Aztec pictograph-style illustrations.
(Picture book)
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Imaginative
introduction to the world of the Aztecs – gods (including the
"Dirt Eating" goddess), schools and good manners ("Stop
making slurping noises when you drink, you're not a dog"),
clothing, shopping and eating. (Picture book)
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Do you have
the right stuff to be an Aztec warrior – are you from the right
clan, did you go to the right school, do you have your own weapons,
can you walk for miles and live off the land? Take the test to see
if you get the job of Aztec warrior. (Picture book)
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Humorous,
step-by-step description of Aztec sacrifices. What to expect when
the Aztecs come to town, what happens after you're captured, how
you'll meet your end, plus useful tips – "Hope to be chosen
to play in the ball game. If you win, you'll have a chance of surviving,
because only the losing team is sacrificed!" (Picture book)
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Check out the latest archeological discoveries and new excavations, right in downtown Mexico City, at the Great Temple of the Aztecs – what the temple looked like, Aztec rituals and blood sacrifices, spectacular restorations such as the statue of God of Death. This is an excellent introduction, before you visit the Great Temple ruins and museum. (Illustrated chapter book)
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Get
the scoop on Hernan Cortes – his expeditions to Cuba and
the Yucatan, conquest of the Aztecs and takeover of Tenochtitlan.
Excellent historical illustrations. (Easy reader)
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(More children's
books on other Mexico pages) |
