What a fun city! We stayed for a week in an apartment in the popular neighborhood of Roma Norte.

Mexico City facts: the third largest city in the world & one of the oldest continuosly inhabited urban settlement in the western hemisphere, it is high up at 7350ft (2240m) elevation, it stretches for almost 1,500 square kilometers (577sq miles) and home to more than 21 million people (greater Mexico city).

Here are some of our favorite things that we did:

• Frida Khalo Museum: This museum is in Frida Khalo’s old house, La Casa Azul. She grew up there and lived for ten years with Diego Riviera, her husband. It’s a fascinating museum with many original paintings, her old studio, and interesting information about her life. The museum is located in the Coyoacan neighborhood, which is a great area to stroll around, grab some lunch or a coffee. Make sure to book tickets in advance as they sell out and do not sell tickets at the door. You can find tickets HERE

• Lucha Libre: Basically a scripted comedy/wrestling fight, this is definitely a must! It’s so funny to see the ‘lutadores’ flinging themselves at each other using momentum, other people, and the ring. This can be very fit man, women, midgets and even ‘oldies’! It’s hilarious, and so fun to see the different costumes, names, and styles of the different contestants. And yes, there were tourists but the vast majority of the crowd were local! You can buy tickets on ticketmaster or simply go to the ticket office of Arena Mexico. More informations HERE.

• Chapultepec Castle: This castle was fantastic. It’s situated on a hill, which provides a beautiful view of Mexico City. It was a weekend and summer house that many Mexican presidents used, as well as the national hero Benito Juarez. The castle has lots of information, and it’s really well explained, with signs throughout the entire castle. We spent 2 hours and could’ve stayed longer but we were hungry! It is located in the Chapultepec park which is vast and offers many other activities like a zoo, museums, paddle boarding on the lakes, bikes, cafes, etc.

• Constitution Plaza and Metropolitan Cathedral: The cathedral is absolutely magnificent, with huge organs, beautiful carvings, and statues, it’s very impressive. Right across the street is the huge Constitution Plaza or Zocalo, where a massive Mexican flag stands in the very middle. This was, in fact, the center of Tenochtitlan, or the old capital before the Spanish took over Mexico. Nearby are some incredible ruins from the old Aztec empire, which have survived for more than 500 years! You can see the open air ruins and visit the Templo Mayor Museum. More information HERE. If you are hungry afterwards (and even if you are not!), we highly recommend churrería El Moro!

• Soumaya Museum: Not only does this building look really cool on the outside, but it’s also really interesting inside as well! It’s a museum housing over 66,000 pieces (paintings, sculptures, and simple machines) from a huge variety of different artists, including Diego Riviera, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rodin. This is definitely worth it and is free! And right outside there are many street food vendors for lunch or snack after visiting the museum. More information HERE.

• Arena Mexico: Even if you don’t go to one of the Lucha Libre matches here, it’s cool to walk through the newly added Arena Mexico Tunel, which showcases some of the most popular Lucha Libre performers!

I have to admit, I didn’t expect to like Mexico City as much as I did. It really was a fun city, with tons of things to see & do and offers amazing food! I highly recommend it as a stop if you’re in Mexico.

Also, when visiting Mexico City, keep an eye out for the cool old-school Volkswagen Beetles; they’re everywhere, in so many colors, conditions, and variety!