Mexico City Mexico City is one of the four largest cities in the world. It was founded in 1325, when the Aztecs arrived in Great Tenochtitlan. Since then it has been Mexico s political, financial and cultural center. Its pre-hispanic buildings (Templo Mayor) amazed the Spanish conquerors. Bernal Díaz del Castillo wrote in his chronicles: We saw sights so wondrous that we could hardly believe them to be real Its colonial jewels (e.g. The Post Palace) inspired Alexander Von Humboldt to nickname it The City of Palaces. Today it is a modern metropolis with wide avenues like Paseo de la Reforma, avant-garde constructions (e.g. The Mexican Stock Exchange) and impressive skyscrapers like the Torre Mayor. Mexico City, a destination where art, tradition, glamour and fun are experiences to belived! Where is it? Mexico City is located at the center of the country and is the starting point to major destinations like Acapulco, 426 km (264.704 mi); Guadalajara, 546 km (339.268 mi); and Monterrey, 925 km (574.768 mi) away. It is bordered north, west and east by the State of Mexico, and south by the state of Morelos. Mexico City panoramic Weather Precipitation Rainy Days (52) 55 www.mexicocity.gob.mx Country Code/ Area Code Winter (Jan-Mar) 15º C - 59ºF 25 mm - 1 in 1 out of 90 Spring (Apr-Jun) 20º C - 68º F 227 mm - 9 in 31 out of 91 Attractions Summer (Jul-Sep) 19º C - 66º F 494 mm - 19.5 in 54 out of 92 Autumn (Oct-Dec) 16º C - 60º F 79 mm - 3.1 in 13 out of 92 Historic Center Characteristics: The historic downtown area was declared a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987. It is the city s commercial center and home to 1,436 monuments and historical buildings, as well as the largest square in the Americas, known as the Zócalo. Some highlights are the Cathedral with its two monumental organs (18th century); the National Palace, seat of the executive power; the Templo Mayor Archaeological Site; also, one of the earliest skyscraper in the city, the Latin American Tower (1952) and the Palace of Fine Arts. National Museum of Anthropology Characteristics: Built in 1964, the Museum houses more than 10,000 artifacts of the Teotihuacan, Toltec, Mexica and Maya cultures. This 44,000 m 2 (473,612.058 ft 2 ) complex houses eleven archeology and eleven ethnology halls arranged in chronological and cultural order. The two most relevant pieces in the site are the monolith of Tláloc (rain god) and the Aztec Calendar. Location: Paseo de la Reforma corner with Gandhi. Colonia Chapultepec Polanco. Admission price: $51.00 MXP* per person. Open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 17:00 hrs. Free admission on Sundays. *Prices are subject to change. The peso/dollar, peso/euro exchange rate is variable. The exchange rate used was 1USD = 13.40 pesos, 1 = 18.90 pesos. 79
Main Entrance of the Palace of Fine Arts Paseo de la Reforma/ Reforma Boulevard Tourism Corridor - Paseo de la Reforma Characteristics: This is one of the most important avenues in the city, comparable to the Champs Elysées in Paris. It was built on an initiative of Emperor Maximilian, connecting his residence in Chapultepec with the Government Palace. The avenue is lined with business establishments, over 100 hotels and 200 restaurants, 25 major museums and tourist attractions including the Column of Independence and the Fountain of Diana Cazadora. Location: Center- East of the city. National Museum of Anthropology Castle of Chapultepec Bosque de Chapultepec Characteristics: This hundred-year-old forest stretches over 647 hectares (1,598.771 acres), and is graced with a manmade lake, built in 1900, where tourists can rent paddle boats. The crowning touch is the magnificent Castle, former residence of Emperor Maximilian and Carlota. In the vicinity, there are important museums such as the Anthropology and History Museum, the Rufino Tamayo Museum (featuring contemporary painting), the Natural History Museum and the Papalote Children s Museum. Other attractions include the zoo, which is among the most modern in the world, and amusement parks. Near the park are grand-tourism class hotels and restaurants that compare favorably with the best in the world. Location: West part of the city. 80
Mexico City Arriving by plane Benito Juárez International Airport of Mexico City Distance to downtown: 10 km (6.213 mi) Code: MEX Airlines with direct flights to Mexico City From Code Airlines Flight Time Acapulco, Mex. ACA Aeroméxico, Aeromar, Interjet 1:00 Amsterdam, ND AMS KLM 10:25 Buenos Aires, Ar. EZE Aeroméxico, Aerolíneas Argentinas 9:20 Cancun, Mex. CUN Aeroméxico, Interjet, Volaris 2:00 Chicago, U.S.A. ORD Aeroméxico, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, United Airlines 4:05 Cozumel, Mex. CZM Interjet 2:00 Dallas, U.S.A. DFW American Airlines 2:35 Guadalajara, Mex. GDL Aeroméxico, Interjet, Volaris 1:10 Houston, U.S.A. IAH Aeroméxico, Delta, Untited Airlines, Continental Airlines 2:15 Huatulco, Mex. HUX Aeroméxico, Aeromar, Interjet 1:20 Surroundings Teotihuacan (Archeological zone) Characteristics: This is a holy city an enigmatic place. Teotihuacan well deserves its title of World Heritage Site, and stands as a splendid example of the greatness and geometric perfection of pre-hispanic urban design. The Avenue of the Dead, palaces, temples, the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon and other majestic constructions make Teotihuacan the central icon of our archeology; pride of the ancient, rich cultural heritage of the Estado de México, for the world. Location: 50 km (31 mi) northeast of Mexico City. Del Sol Pyramid La Paz, Mex. LAP Aeroméxico, Volaris 3:05 Las Vegas, U.S.A. LAS Aeroméxico, Volaris, Delta 3:50 London, UK LHR British Airways 10:20 Los Angeles, U.S.A. LAX Aeroméxico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental 4:00 Los Cabos, Mex. SJD Aeroméxico, Interjet, Volaris 2:05 Madrid, Spain MAD Aeroméxico, Iberia 11:00 Manzanillo, Mex. ZLO Aeromar 1:40 Merida, Mex. MID Aeroméxico, Interjet 1:45 Miami, U.S.A.. MIA Aeroméxico, Delta, American Airlines 3:10 Monterrey, Mex. MTY Aeroméxico, Interjet. Volaris, Viva Aerobus 1:30 Montreal, CA. YUL Aeroméxico 5:10 New York, U.S.A. JFK Aeroméxico 4:50 Oaxaca, Mex. OAX Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus 1:05 Paris, France CDG Aeroméxico, Air France 11:00 Puerto Vallarta, Mex. PVR Aeroméxico, Interjet 1:30 San Francisco, U.S.A. SFO Aeroméxico, Volaris, United Airlines, Delta 4:35 Santiago de Chile SCL Aeroméxico, Lan Chile 8:20 Sao Paulo, Brazil GRU Aeroméxico 9:25 Tijuana, Mex. TIJ Aeroméxico, Volaris, Interjet 1:30 Gastronomy Mexico City has a great offer and variety of world class restaurants. You may visit: www.restaurantesdemexico.com.mx www.queremoscomer.com Toronto, CA. YYZ Air Canada 4:35 Vancouver, CA. YVR Air Canada 5:50 Veracruz, Mex. VER Aeroméxico, Aeromar, Aerolitoral 1:00 Washington, U.S.A. IAD Continental, United Airlines, US Airways 4:30 Orlando U.S.A. MCO Aeroméxico, Delta Airlines 3:10 81
Historical Center Area North City Area Airport Area Zona Aeropuerto
Colonia Roma Area Zona Reforma Polanco Area
Zona Rosa/Pink Zone South City Area Santa Fe Area