Honeymoon in Mexico City
Mexico is the fifth-largest country in the Americas with a population of 109 million living within 2 million square kilometers.
The capital, Mexico City, once home to the Aztecs was originally built in 1325 in the high plateaus at the centre of Mexico at an altitude of 7,349ft and throughout history been destroyed, redesigned and rebuilt to become the 5th most populous city in the world.
This history soaked city, that blends in with today’s modern activities, can give you a honeymoon experience never to be forgotten.
Places to Visit in Mexico City
Here are some ideas for places to visit whilst visiting Mexico City.
Chapultepec Park
This park is the world’s largest park within a city and even though it still remains in the same location it was centuries ago, there is plenty of entertainment for both adults and children of all ages.
Picnic under centuries-old trees or have a lazy canoe ride on the lake to catch your breath after you have jogged or gone horse riding along the bridle paths. The city zoo, the famous La Feria amusement park, museums, botanical garden and lakes are just a few of the magnificent attractions as well as the castle that is encircled by a forest that has stood for thousands of years.
Chapultepec Park is known as the centerpiece of the city and a place where many Mexican families spend weekends.
The Floating Gardens
The gardens can be found in the southern part of the city in Xochimiloc and consists of two main parts with 50 miles of canals. The tourist area is in the historic centre and here you will find a vast array of highly coloured boats called trajineras that hold up to a dozen passengers. These square boats travel down canals that are surrounded by raised agricultural fields’ calls chinampas.
Chinampas were once used to provide the food for the fast growing Aztec empire and this once agricultural hub became a neglected garden after the Spanish drained the vast lakes and it was left unattended. During the 1970’s and 1908’s it was used as a depository for the city’s waste waters and the water soon became contaminated by residential and industrial pollution and was no longer suitable for food crops.
Today farmers scrape muck and organic debris from the canals to be used as fertilizer to grow flowers and many of these magnificent blooms can be found all along the sides of the canals in an assortment of colours.
While cruising down you will be accompanied by lively music and boats with food and drinks on offer from small venders. Historical buildings, restaurants and souvenir stands can be found at the many boarding sites.
The annual festival which dates back to pre-colonial times is held two weeks before Easter when Mexicans honour the goddess of flowers (Xochipilli) to ensure good harvests. A parade of flower decorated barges is a memorable sight to be seen along the canals.
The Latin-American Tower
For many years this was the tallest building in Mexico and although not on the skyscraper scale of American buildings the Tower is a source great pride for the inhabitants of Mexico City. During its construction it broke many world engineering records and has resisted the 1957 and 1985 earthquakes.
It is considered the city’s classic skyscraper and has been an important urban landmark since work began on building it in 1949. Taking seven years to build the tower has 44 floors and a radio/television antenna.
The place to overlook the city is from the very top of the tower where an outside area enclosed in thick metal fencing has been specially designed for viewing the sprawling urban areas in every direction. Be advised this can be very windy
A restaurant and gift shop can be found on the 37th floor and a museum with historical photos of the city as well as information on the construction of the tower and archaeological pieces found on the foundations of the site can be found on the 38th floor.
Eating out in Mexico City
Some of the world’s great restaurants can be found in Mexico City with a selection of seafood, French, Chinese, Argentinean and Italian cuisines on offer. This capital city boasts of great steak houses and Mexican restaurants serving high quality foods with impeccable service with guarantees of truly great dining experiences.
Prices in the fancier restaurants can be sky high but there are many more restaurants and cafes that offer great food at more reasonable prices.
Local family run establishments can be found around every corner with many of them offering their own mouthwatering specialties and you won’t have to look far for fast foods such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC or Domino’s.
Double check when booking at one of the two thousand restaurants within the city about the dress code, as a number of them have a dress code (i.e. gentlemen to wear a coat and tie).
Nightlife in Mexico City
An almost endless choice of options is on offer for those wanting to taste the nightlife while on honeymoon. From jazz clubs to all night-discos as well as Flamenco, Cuban, Salsa and mariachi music can be found within the lively active city.
For those looking for the more peaceful side of music you can find yourself being swept along by serene sounds of philharmonic orchestras, romantic trios and chamber music to name just a few.
Dance clubs and rock & rolls bars can be found in many of the upscale restaurants as well as high quality live entertainment or dinner shows.
The nightlife scene begins late as many of the clubs and disco’s do not open until after 10pm and carry on until the early hours of the morning.
Whatever form of entertainment or music you are looking for it can be found in Mexico City.
Travelling Around Mexico City. Buses in the city are very cheap and you can travel almost anywhere. Be aware they can get very overcrowded more so during peak hours. Free bus maps can be found at tourist offices and it is not advised to use the bus service after dark.
Taxis drivers are very helpful and fares are reasonable. Only use registered hotel cabs or call a radio cab and double check the number of the cab they give you when booking. Do not hail cabs from the street at any time of the day or night.
The Metro system is cheap, fast efficient and modern with well lit and clean stations but it can get very crowded during rush hours. If you use the metro system always keep a tight grip on any carry on items and do not use after dark.
Driving can be a bit of a nightmare in the city as traffic laws are seldom adhered to. If you feel brave enough to drive be prepared to take on defensive tactics and expect red lights to be run. Turn signals are almost never used and turns can be made in any directions regardless of traffic signs.
Tit Bits while Staying in Mexico City
Accommodation: Staying in Mexico City is the same as any other large city inasmuch choices of hotels’, hostels’, self catering and bed and breakfasts can be found for all levels of budget. Hotels will offer packages to suits and discounts so shop around if you are making up your own accommodation plans.
Telephones: Be wary of some phone booths in the city as you can find yourself being charged as much as £10 per minute on long distance calls. Public phone boxes that state ‘call collect or use your MasterCard, Visa or American Express should be avoided at all costs as these are very expensive phones. Phones do not accept coins so buy a prepaid phone card but not from a street vendor!
Permit: A tourist’s permit is required to enter Mexico which your airline will furnish for you. Keep the copy you are giving at the Mexico City airport with you at all times.
Crime: Like many cities worldwide Mexico City is no stranger to crime and has its fair share although much of the crime is hidden from most tourists and the high crime areas are places seldom seen by tourists. When out at night take care to not walk alone and use common sense when going from places such as restaurant to nightclub.
Altitude in Mexico City is 7300 feet and because of this the air is much thinner. Light-headedness, mild headaches, breathlessness and tiring easy may be experienced. Drink plenty of water, limit your alcohol consumption, rest and take your time when out and about to avoid these symptoms.
Water: Never drink the water unless you are sure it has been purified which most of the large hotels and restaurants have. Do not take the risk if you are unsure – bottle water is far cheaper than travel insurance claims.
Mexico Independent Day (Zocalo) starts on the evening of 15th September and thousands of people flock to celebrate the most important event of the country.
Buildings all over are draped with Mexican flags and the whole city is a coloured mass of green, white and red with restaurants and bars bursting at the seams.
Honeymooners are advised against travelling here at this time if you don’t want to experience the crowds and noise of this festival.
Like most great metropolis’s Mexico City offers a mosaic of scenes from knocking back tequila in the grand old cantina to dancing in world class luxury on a rooftop terrace or breakfasting on tamales to dining on fine cuisine and although pollution and crime raise concerns for the locals it’s been noted that since the turn of the Millennium there has been a noticeable sense that the capital city has finally turned a page and now seems destined for a resurgence.
