Experience: Traveling Solo to Mexico City

Please don’t go to Mexico City if you can’t handle loud noises, pollution, crooked sidewalks, city heat or seeing the occasional cucaracha scrambling across your path. You’ll complain and complainers in my opinion are resistant to full immersive adventures. Go if your intention is to seek color, flavor, openness and exploration. You should know, Mexico City is not Cancun. It’s not Cozumel or Tulum or Oaxaca either. Don’t expect it to be. It has its very own distinct personality and should be appreciated for it because you’ll find it to be electric. If you’re in the mood to feel fully alive then this is the place for you.

La Cuidad is a cross cultural “megaplex” of Mexico’s rich, vibrant, complex and unique history blending the ancient and modern worlds quite extravagantly. The architecture alone will blow you away. It’s a cultural pot of eccentricity in its overt grandiosity. It is a huge city, one of the world’s largest right up there with Tokyo, Shanghai and São Paulo. Over 20 million people live in CDMX (as the kids call it) and that is A LOT to contend with. Its most visited park, Bosque de Chapultepec (I love saying that word btw, chapultepec, which is indigenous for grasshopper) is twice the size of Central Park. If there is anything I would insist upon it would be not leaving the city without exploring this park. It is a wonder! Allow me to share my most recent experience keeping in mind that I settled into one neighborhood and didn’t venture much outside of it. Sometimes I like doing this so I can get a feel of what it would be like if I lived in Condesa in Mexico City. Sometimes because I don’t have a lot of time and I’m not one to have to visit every area or landmark in one trip. Besides that, I went to eat, return to Frida’s house and remember someone I loved who still has a big imprint on my life. Whatever your reason for visiting I promise Mexico City will make an impression you won’t soon forget.

Fuente de los Cantaros statue in Parque Mexico photo by Victoria Fantauzzi

I’ve been to Mexico City before many times. As a matter of fact, I used to go when all you needed to cross the border was your driver’s license and a copy of your birth certificate. I explained all of this to the bewildered baby faced customs agent who pulled me aside for my very own special screening upon landing into O’hare International Airport in Chicago. (Apparently a middle-aged woman traveling alone with a giant suitcase and a bag full of piñatas is a suspicious feat.) I know all about the stereotypes Americans have about Mexico which is why I’m happy to hear about the experiences of other travelers, as well share my own. Trust me, American “conditioning” had me a bit nervous about going solo to this boisterous and wonderful city, but I’m adventurous and travel for me is always about the adventure. I couldn’t sit still on a beach for a week to save my life. I need action!

I decided to stay in Hipódromo Condesa, a mostly bohemian area near one of its most compelling attractions, Parque Mexico. With its art deco architecture, tree-lined streets, sweeping Avenida Amsterdam and many specialty shops, I instantly fell for the neighborhood. I love being outdoors and the fact that the area is so walkable and the park was a mere two blocks away from my Airbnb surrounded by many excellent restaurants was a bonus. Another bonus were the guys selling fresh coconut water and perfectly ripe sliced mangos from carts at every corner. I like mine with lots of Tajin, thank you. Dog lovers will enjoy the well behaved pups running happily in the park or attending doggy daycare. Near the fountains there is an area that becomes alive with music and bustling evening salsa classes. There are tarot readers, musicians playing bolero, mariachi and contemporary beats, boxers in training, folks selling their jewelry and handcrafted baskets, rainbow hued cotton candy and there was even a guy selling bougie doggy clothes and 80’s chic neon collars. The warm sun felt good on my starved Midwestern skin and I wandered about with my head in the clouds counting trees and observing the beautiful fauna. Every afternoon I returned from wherever I had been that morning to sit under the sun and slow read with a coffee and a pastry or I’d plop myself at Cafe Toscana (a touristy restaurant that had great views of the park and a decent pizza margarita) to people watch in ecstatic gratitude having escaped snow and below freezing temperatures of my home city. I found this park much more charming than its sister park, Parque España or Plaza Rio de Janeiro in Roma. (Do however explore those parks and check out the statue of David, boutiques and cafes in those areas. I especially loved Panaderia Rosetta, a must in my book.) I suppose it helped that many of the bakeries and restaurants I was going bananas over were also within range. I ate enough tender churros at El Morro to last me until my next trip to Madrid and another bakery I forgot to document had pastries that rivaled any Parisian patisserie and the most incredible lemon tarts I’ve ever had. If you’re into this sort of scene then La Condesa is for you. The neighborhood has experienced gentrification in recent years as you’ll notice with the many diverse nationalities and languages being spoken and expensive boutiques moving in which has lead to increasing rental pricing. I just hope it doesn’t lose its current sabor.

Chilaquiles verdes at Tout Chocolat in Condesa photo by Victoria Fantauzzi

When I’m traveling alone I’m a lot more introverted than usual. You need to be because one’s main goal with solo travel is to be safe while getting to enjoy your adventures. I either walked or used Uber to get around instead of taking metros or taxis. I like being able to see routes and knowing the direction the driver is supposed to go in. CDMX metro is as safe as any big city metro so up to you if you want to go that route just keep an eye for pickpockets and jam packed cars as you would anywhere. If you’re a woman on your own I don’t recommend metros late at night. Not in CDMX, Paris, London or Chicago. (I had an experience on public transport once too disturbing and gross to share.) The most nighttime things I did while in Mexico City was watching people dance in the park, eating at outdoor cafes with tons of people around me, sitting at the cool bookshop near Parque Mexico sipping on lavender lattes and a three hour night spa treatment at Vitali Clinica Spa which was a little slice of heaven.

I’ve shared on Instagram before about how to travel solo as a woman. I’ll share a few of my tips on this post. If it’s your first time traveling alone (especially internationally) it may be a good idea to book a hotel. There are things about renting an Airbnb or private home that may not work for some solo female travelers. On last October’s trip to Oaxaca I rented a gorgeous bungalow style home with open windows. That meant that a few flying cockroaches were able to land in the kitchen much to my surprise while preparing coffee in the morning. (Why do they always land on their backs and aren’t able to turn over their own? What a pickle to be a giant cucaracha!) I laughed out loud at the thought of this happening to my sister who would have fled on foot screaming her head off. You really need to think about these things because things are going to happen. Parisian rats are the reason I wouldn’t stay in a garden unit in Paris even if it was free. If an apartment is located in a safe neighborhood it may be a corner unit with poor lighting or through some kind of passageway that may feel uncomfortable to walk into late at night. Always check with your rental host about safety and don’t be shy to ask these questions. After I decide where to stay I share my contact info with the smartest person I know to head up an investigation if shit should go awry. I tell them where I’m heading, provide dates, contact information of my host or hotel and check in upon arrival. Never go traveling without giving someone your whereabouts. I also do not like to be flashy when alone. You’ll never see me prancing about in designer handbags, expensive jewelry or unwalkable shoes. I’m always prepared to fight to the death because the reality is we women alone or otherwise are never 100% safe. I’m not trying to get mugged or catch the eye of any creeps that are intent on harming me. I don’t want to deal with police either so try your best to remember all the rules your mom and grandmother taught you about being safe in the world. I like carrying my Birdie, a personal alarm system with me. It’s not a chemical weapon or any other kind of weapon just a loud and disarming alarm with blinking lights. Thank goodness I’ve never had to use it, but I’m ready if I have to. You can buy it online from Birdie and it travels through customs just fine. Learn to look people in the eyes, as well as perfect the don’t-fuck-with-me death stare. It can help someone reconsider their ill intentions towards you.

Back to CDMX. Remember when I explained it’s huge? It’s very sprawling kind of like LA or London where everything seems so large and distanced. Walk if you can because you’ll enjoy the discovery of street art, quaint bakeries and fantastic bookshops, but wear good shoes because there is ALWAYS construction going on and the sidewalks aren’t walker friendly. I am a devotee of architecture and let me tell you coming from a city where the architecture is pretty good, Mexico City’s is phenomenal! I recommend you begin in the Centro and marvel at the sheer grandeur of Palacio Postal, the main post office. It’s architectural style is an eclectic mix of Spanish Rococo, Gothic Revival, Venetian, Moorish, Baroque, Art Deco and Neoclassical. It’s so splendid and you’ll be floored by the spectacular staircase. Then head across the street to see Palacio Bella Artes. You’ll do a double take, I promise. I didn’t make it to the Zocalo on this trip, but please do. It’s an important part of Mexico’s history and the ceremonial place of the Aztecs before the Spaniards arrived. It’s impressive in size, the largest public square in all of Latin America. There are many vendors selling everything you can think of and I recommend you try new things and eat from the street carts. I’ve never had a street taco I didn’t love. While you’re in the centro head over to a bakery strongly burned into my memory that I didn’t visit on my most recent trip, but wished I had. Dulceria del Celaya is a very old sweets shop and you can get everything you’ve ever dreamed of here. I fondly remember the Harlequins (coconut and pineapple candy) and Almond Hallelujahs being incredible. This is the place to buy treats for loved ones back home and the shop is properly organized with everything lined up in colorful rows to seduce your stomach. Mexicans are very organized, especially in the markets and food shops. I’m always so impressed by this because American supermarkets are horrid and need a major makeover. The centro is busy and there’s so much more to see and do so make a few trips if you can.

As an art lover Mexico City speaks my language. There is art exploding wherever you go. I think Mexico’s (highly erroneous) reputation for being an extremely dangerous country suited mostly to horny college kids on spring break steals its thunder from being a top destination for art. CDMX is art central. Its most famous artists are, Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera. Their impact is represented all over Mexico City. This was their domain and Mexicans are very proud of this fact. You’ll want to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, a small museum dedicated to the home where Frida was born and raised and later shared with Diego. Buy your tickets online and you’ll have a guaranteed visit. I saw a few folks come and refused entry because they were sold out for the day. It’s a very timely and organized line. If your reservation is for 10:30 am there will be a special line for that time slot and you just show up on time to have your tickets scanned to proceed in. Make sure if you plan on taking photographs that you pay the extra 30 pesos ($1.63 USD) to do so. Be prepared to be moved. Frida’s spirit is strong here and I was in tears when viewing her collection of paintbrushes, wheelchair and treasures displayed on her bedside table. Other incredible museums to visit if you love contemporary art are Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo and Museo Jumex. Don’t miss an opportunity to wander into Bosque de Chapultepec again and buy delicious food from the many vendors lined up behind Museo de Arte Moderno for a romantic picnic, whether you’re alone or not. Visit the Botanic Gardens too because it’s gorgeous or the zoo and make a day of it.

Frida Kahlo’s kitchen at the Frida Kahlo Museum photo by Victoria Fantauzzi

I’m not a professional traveler, By that I mean no one pays me to travel as I do. I can only dream of it! I do mostly what I feel like doing and often even if I have a plan of where I’m headed for the day I veer in another direction. I’m not a rigid traveler and rather like when I come across unexpected delights. If I’m being honest I quite prefer solo travel. Maybe it’s due to this point in my life where I crave the unexpected or the fact that I’m usually time restricted IRL and doing as I please feels liberating or maybe it’s because this is who I really am, a natural born solo adventurer. In any case, I never felt afraid in CDMX and I enjoyed myself immensely. I’m often asked if I get lonely on these solo trips or what it’s like to eat alone. Yes, I do sometimes get lonely. I have no problem with eating alone at restaurants same goes for going to the movies, shopping and museums. I get that some people do, but I feel I absorb a lot more and notice delicious details with less distraction. Besides, I think one of the sexiest things I’ve ever come across is a person eating at a cafe or reading on a park bench by themself. It speaks to my attraction for confident and independent folks. One more important thing about exploring Mexico City, you don’t need to be fluent in Spanish to enjoy, although if you can speak some or are fluent you’ll always catch lively conversations, garner great tips and endear locals. Wherever I’ve gone in the world I try to learn a few basics and that is always appreciated. I was once told by a Turkish man that my pronunciation of ‘merhaba’ (hello) was so well executed he initially thought I was Turkish, this led to a conversation in English and a few well received tips. I hope you enjoy CDMX as much as I did recently and that you find yourself enthralled enough to return again and again.

Restaurants/Bakeries

Maque in Condesa by Parque Mexico

Try the giant conchas de nata, fresh juices, pan dulces, my favorite was the enchiladas de flor de calabaza.  

Tout Chocolat

Go for chilaquiles verde, earl grey and lavender hot chocolate and save room in your carry on to bring home the banana bread, trust me on this.

Degù 

You must order the Arabic bread with Oaxacan cheese, must, must, must! Brioche with berries, smoked salmon.

Panaderia Rosetta (Sister restaurant to Rosetta. No reservation required)

Go for the cardamom rolls, rol de guayaba, quiches and numerous sandwiches. Great cafecitos!

Rosetta (Reservation required)

I didn’t get to eat here because it was closed until my final day, but I did stop by to sneak a peek because a friend told me it was gorgeous and indeed it was. I was like a puppy dog salivating from the outside. They have a little shop where I bought marmalades I’m slowly enjoying at home, antique bowls and cute little rooster salt cellars. This will be my number one priority when I return to CDMX. Its located in Colonial Roma and you’ll want to make sure you explore on foot.

Street vendors

For tacos, fresh coconut water, fruit, corn, jokes and weather tips…basically, everything good!

Boutiques

Aurelia Concept Store

Kingfisher (located across from Parque Mexico)

Shop 180 

Picu (Custom skincare products and lush bar soaps made from natural ingredients.)

Casa Melibea

Carmen Rion

Markets

Mercado Medillin

Mercado Coyocoan 

Mercado Coyocoan is located near Frida’s house and is quaint and very charming. I liked imagining Frida buying the flowers she painted here and I did score the most luscious, creamy fragrant tuberose, plus the controversial pinatas for my five year old nephew.

Mercado Roma

La Merced

Definitely go to this market in the centro, but use good judgement and try to blend in. It is very large, overwhelming and vastly different at night so I suggest you book a guide and go during the day. I didn’t make it this trip, but have in the past with friends and brought home treasures well worth the experience.