Mexico City is the capital of the country, and it is located in the Valley of Mexico.

The city was founded in 1521 as God Huichilopoztli ordered the Aztecs to create a city when they find an eagle devouring a snake on top of a cactus. The Mexican flag resembles the history of the foundation of the city.

The city is one of the 10 largest cities in the world and one of the most attractive destinations in the country. Mexico City’s Centre and other historic sites are recognized as world heritage by the UNESCO.

Home Away From Home

I was born in Mexico City, and I lived there for 11 years. As a lover of this city that I visit at least once a year, I have come up with a list of things to do…

Places of Interest

If you are at the centre of the city, you have to visit the Zocalo – the ancient Aztec capital where the city was founded over Old Tenochtitlan, the Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes) and the Latin American Tower.

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Other places to visit are the Chapultepec Castle, the Soumaya Museum and the canals in Xochimilco where you can take a ride on the famous “trajineras.”

If you have time you should also visit the Teotihuacan Pyramids and Coyoacan. Close to Coyoacan’s Centre you can find the house of the famous artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. These are not located at the centre of the city, but no doubt they are worth the ride.

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Tips

Uber everywhere. From my experience it is not a good idea to drive around the city if you are used to driving in California. Although traffic signs are similar, rush hour traffic could delay you from getting to your destination on time. Using Uber will save you time and money.

Know the basics. As long as you know the greeting phrases: “hola,” “gracias,” “de nada” and how to order food, you do not have to worry about not speaking Spanish.

$$$. Plan to spend an average of 300-500 pesos ($15 to $25) per meal. I won’t lie, sometimes you can have a delicious meal with just $5.

Food

You can find everything: from food trucks at the corner of the streets to the most authentic restaurants in the city. My advice is to try the following:

If it sounds like a place you’d like to visit and you are in L.A., you’re about $300 away (round trip) from a city you might fall in love with!