Mexico Travel Blog: 5 Unmissable Landmarks in Mexico City

A few days ago I was asked what were the unmissable landmarks to visit in Mexico City with just a few days, and I was put in the difficult position of listing 5 for this post. It’s a tough task because Mexico City is not only one of the biggest cities in the world, it’s also probably one of Latin America’s most interesting capital cities, which deserves much more than ‘just a few days.’ So here is that list; incomplete, completely subjective, and reduced from an initial 18 places to just 5 (there’ll be room for those in a future post). If you’ve been to Mexico City, what are your 5 favourite places?

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1.El Ángel de la Independencia on Paseo de la Reforma

Angel de la independencia Reforma Mexico Blog de Viajes — El Ángel de la Independencia on Avenida Reforma, another México D.F icon

Buenos Aires has it’s obelisk, Paris it’s tower, and Rome it’s Coliseum. In the middle of Avenida Reforma (an attraction in itself), The Angel of Independence, although not known by name to many outside Mexico, is an iconic structure that immediately tells you you’re in this enormous city.

2. The Zócalo

Blog de Viajes, Zocalo Ciudad de Mexico — El Zócalo de la ciudad de Mexico , Mexico DF Blog de Viajes

Another unmistakable emblem of Mexico City, practically it’s heart, and a location in which you could easily spend the entire day. It’s one of the largest squares in the world and is built on what was once Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. The National Palace with its Diego Rivera murals, and the Mexican Cathedral are just two of the must-see spots in the Zocalo.

3.The Mexica Room of the National Anthropology Museum

Blog de Viajes Museo Antropología México sale Mexica blog de viajes — Impressive Mexica room at Mexico’s National Anthropology Museum

Discovering the wealth of magnificent pieces housed in this museum at your leisure would take at least two or three days. For me, a lover of museums, the National Anthropology Museum of Mexico is one of the most interesting in the world. The centre of the space is occupied by the impressive Mexica Room, which contains the most important collection of Aztec cultural artefacts in the world. There are no words to describe the sheer size and scale of this museum. If you don’t have long, this is the room you have to visit.

4.Colonia Roma

Colonia Roma México Blog de Viajes — Colonia Roma, almost a little París amid Mexico City

Mexican cities are divided into colonias (neighbourhoods). Early in the 20th Century this neighbourhood, right next to the prestigious and no-less-interesting Condesa, began to fill up with upper class citizens leaving the city centre in search of pastures new. With a great deal of Art Deco influence on its architecture, nowadays Colonia Roma is the home of bookstores, cafes, parks, cultural centres and a bohemian atmosphere that invites you to explore it’s dozens of captivating street corners.

5.The UNAM Murals

Murales UNAM Siqueiros — The mipressive Juan O’Gorman’s mural at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Another icon (that makes three!), and not only of the city but of the whole country, is the gigantic mural in the Central Library of la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México by Juan O’Gorman, who collected around 150 stones of different colours from all over the country and spent two years completing. Unlike the other murals in this university city, also created by renowned artists like Siqueiros and Rivera, O’Gorman’s motives were 100% Mexican; seeing them all is a highly recommended experience.