Mexico City is a bustling tourist center and business hub with a large airport and great public transport. It was originally an Aztec settlement and has many landmarks, museums, and art galleries. Visitors should be aware of pollution and street crime, and obtain a visa and recommended vaccinations.
Mexico City, capital of Mexico, is a bustling city of 8,720,916 inhabitants (in 2005) on an area of 1,479 km². A popular tourist center and Mexico’s main business artery, Mexico City is a great starting point for your vacation. Mexico City has the largest airport in Latin America, with traffic exceeding 24 million passengers each year. The city also has a great public transport system, including an extensive metro system, an impressive bus and microbus route, and four major bus stations.
Mexico City was originally an Aztec settlement known as Tenochtitlan. Founded in 1325, it became a major focal point of the Aztec empire and a phenomenal example of massive architecture and planning. Dams and aqueducts allowed fresh water into the city, and surrounded by a natural fortress of small islands, it took Hernan Cortes nearly two years to conquer Tenochtitlan. In the battle, however, most of the original city was destroyed and all of its natural treasures were either lost or stolen. The last remnants of the original civilization can be seen far south of Mexico City, where an artificially created canal system still stands as a testament to the magnificent culture of the Aztecs.
If you’re visiting Mexico City for the first time, also known as Distrito Federal (DF), or Federal District, there are a few landmarks you shouldn’t miss. Constitution Square, known in Spanish as the Zócalo, is the arterial center of the city and a good example of Spanish-era architecture. Not far away, the Avenida de los Insurgentes stretches for 18 km, making it one of the longest avenues in the world. Well within the city limits, you can find Chapultepec Park, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Palacio Nacional, and Leon Trotsky’s house. With over 28.8 museums and 160 art galleries, Mexico City occupies the fourth place in the world for the number of museums, approaching New York and London.
Mexico City is an elegant city that often requires smart attire to enter restaurants and theaters, but accepts casual dress everywhere. Especially in the summer, beachwear is common in the city and dresses are not expected anywhere. Pollution is a major concern in Mexico City and keeps many tourists away from the area. Street crime, such as petty theft, is also widespread, especially in areas with a high tourist vocation. Common sense should prevail here. Always walk in well-lit areas, stay in groups, and don’t carry too much cash with you.
A visa is required to enter Mexico as a tourist, but this can be obtained locally at border crossings, airports and most airlines. Visas are valid for 90 days and cannot be extended. While there are no mandatory vaccinations, booster shots against hepatitis and typhoid are recommended, as both are frequent in Mexico City. As everywhere in Mexico, visitors should be careful with water and with eating from roadside stalls.
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