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Arts and Crafts
This was a village that gradually became a residential area. Set between two
colonial monasteries, the Saturday Bazaar sells selected handicrafts while
opposite, the Jardín del Arte is an open-air picture galley. Altavista Street
offers international fashion, contemporary art.
Cuisine
The only limit to cooking in Mexico City, one of the main gastronomic capitals
of the world, is personal taste. This vast city offers a generous sample of
eateries ranging from small stalls in markets and in the city’s plazas, to
intimate, personal restaurants specializing in dishes of many different origins.
Many of these restaurants can be found in the Condesa, San Ángel, and Polanco
neighborhoods, in the Historical Center, among other places; there are, of
course, the bigger, world-class restaurants where gastronomy has taken on
ritualistic dimensions.
Ecotourism
The City of Mexico is surrounded by national parks and ecological reserves where
major efforts are being made to conserve the local flora and fauna. The
Chichinautzín Ecological Reserve, just south of the city, is one of the most
interesting for the number of volcanic craters there and the unique vegetation
growing in the lava beds. The Dinamos, Ajusco and Desierto de los Leones
National Parks are also very attractive parks.
Festivals
On the night of September 15, thousands of people go to the Zócalo (the Main
Square) in the city center to listen to the traditional “Cry of Independence”
and to watch the firework display and other events in celebration of Mexico’s
independence. Another famous celebration that takes place in Ixtapalapa during
Holy Week is the Vía Crucis (The Way of the Cross) that includes a reenactment
of the Crucifixion of Christ.
Golf
Some of the best golf courses in the country can be found in different areas of
Mexico City, starting with the Lomas Country Club, the Club de Golf Bosques, the
Club Campestre Chiluca, the Chapultepec Golf Club, the Club de Golf México and
the Club Campestre de la Ciudad de México, among others. All these courses are
equipped to hold national and international golf tournaments.
Hiking & Climbing
The peaks that most attract mountain climbers are the Iztacchihuatl and
Popocatepetl volcanoes (5,230 and 5,465 meters high respectively), located about
70 km east of the city. Climbers are not allowed on Popocatepetl due to the
volcanic activity of that volcano. But there are lower mountains, also of great
beauty, on the outskirts of Mexico City like Ajusco, (3,930 meters), with its
Pico de Águila (Eagle’s Peak) sheer vertical rock face, as well as Los Dinamos,
a big canyon with vertical rock faces surrounded by forests.
Horseback Riding
Less than an hour away from the city, the nearby mountains provide an ideal
setting for riding, mountaineering or cross-country cycling, simply enjoying
nature or testing your climbing skills.
Night Life
There is an avenue in the
Federal District
that runs north and south splitting the city down the middle – Avenida
Insurgentes. This is the longest avenue in the city and the location of a wide
assortment of fun night spots and discotheques, especially in the south. The
Condesa district has a wide variety of coffee shops and restaurants offering an
intimate, cozy atmosphere and a selection of fine wines.
Performing arts
The most important place for national and international classical concerts and
the other performing arts in Mexico City is the beautiful Palacio de Bellas
Artes (The Palace of Fine Arts). Other important venues include the Teatro de la
Ciudad (The City Theater), the Auditorio Nacional (the National Auditorium), the
Juan Ruiz de Alarcón Theater and the Nezahualcoyotl and Ollin Yoliztli concert
halls.
Shopping
One of the most interesting places for shopping for handicrafts from the
remotest corners of the country is an open air market that is set up on weekends
alongside the main square in Coyocacán. You will also be able to find everything
you want at the Bazár de los Sábados in San Angel, another picturesque village
that has been engulfed by the big city. If you are looking for more elegant
shops, then those in the Zona Rosa ( the Pink Zone) are sure to satisfy. You can
buy clothes, jewelry and costume jewelry there; beautiful Indigenous handicrafts
can be found at Fonart.
Spas
Saunas, massage services and spas are available at the Camino Real, Four
Seasons, Marquís Reforma,
Nikko
and Calinda Quality Geneve & Spa hotels.
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