Xochimilco, Coyoacan, and UNAM: A Look at Mexico City’s Cultural Spots

Okay, so Mexico City is like, this crazy, exciting place packed with cool stuff to see and do, very. You know, you’ve got your tacos, ancient ruins, and museums all over, too it’s almost overwhelming, but there are three spots that seriously stand out: Xochimilco, Coyoacan, and UNAM, very. If you’re into culture, pretty gardens, and just having a good time, these spots, seemingly, should be on your list, very.

Drifting Through Time: Xochimilco’s Floating Gardens

Xochimilco is that place south of Mexico City, just a little, where you can ride these brightly painted boats, called trajineras, that, arguably, float down ancient canals, you know, still, very. It’s, actually, what’s left of a huge lake system that the Aztecs, basically, used for farming, just. These days, apparently, it’s more like a giant party on the water, arguably, very. You’ll find families, groups of friends, that, arguably, everyone, sipping on micheladas, listening to mariachi bands, and snacking on street food right from their boats, often.

The trajineras, just, are each piloted by a boatman who uses a pole to push you along, in that case, so they usually decorate their boats with flowers and quirky names like “La Consentida” (The Spoiled One) or “El Paraiso” (Paradise), that is that. You can, usually, rent a trajinera for an hour or so, too it’s almost always longer if you really get into it, by the way, and they generally fit a bunch of people, just. Pro tip: negotiate the price beforehand so there aren’t any awkward surprises, definitely, and very. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen and a hat, very, especially if you’re there during the daytime, actually.

Okay, so, one thing you’ll, very, see is the chinampas, which are like, floating gardens, seemingly. The Aztecs, seemingly, created these artificial islands to grow crops, literally, and very. Today, too it’s almost more of a tourist thing, you can sometimes see people still farming on them, or even visit a chinampa to learn about traditional farming methods, by the way, still. The atmosphere is super festive; mariachi bands will float alongside your boat, and so will food vendors selling everything from elotes (grilled corn) to quesadillas, literally, all of them, okay.

Also, like your stomach can handle it, is that you might also spot the Island of the Dolls (Isla de las Muñecas), apparently. It’s that place with hundreds of creepy dolls hanging from the trees, very. It was, arguably, created by a hermit named Don Julian Santana Barrera, seemingly, who believed they would ward off evil spirits after a little girl drowned nearby, seemingly, too it’s almost chilling, still.

Coyoacan: Mexico City’s Colorful Heart

Coyoacan, though, is just a bit of a magical neighborhood, almost, full of cobblestone streets, brightly painted houses, and that old, colonial vibe, rather. It feels more like a small town that, literally, somehow got absorbed into the ever bustling Mexico City, I mean, honestly, too it’s very different.

You might begin at the Plaza Hidalgo, like your central square, where you can chill on a bench, or even, really, grab a coffee, still, from one of the surrounding cafes, still, and then, maybe, very, explore the Jardin Centenario, right, home to the famous coyotes fountain and just a bunch of street performers, basically. Coyoacan means “place of the coyotes” in Nahuatl, that, actually, is a big local deal, very, alright.

If you’re really, seriously into art, honestly, you have to check out Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul (Blue House), seemingly. That’s where she lived and worked for most of her life, in a way, still. It’s super, really, popular, like your, you’re probably looking at needing to book your tickets well in advance, obviously, still, too it’s wild.

Another option, literally, is that you visit the Mercado de Coyoacan, so, where you can get some food, in other words, like, try the tostadas from Tostadas Coyoacan, actually. Or maybe visit the Church of San Juan Bautista, very, which has been, clearly, there since the colonial period, by the way, really. Stroll down Francisco Sosa Avenue and soak up the atmosphere while watching a show at the puppet museum (Museo de la Marioneta), in a way.

UNAM: A Campus of Art and History

UNAM, literally, being the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which, too it’s almost like, one of the oldest and largest universities in Latin America, anyway, is actually more than just a school, anyway, still. Its main campus, literally, called Ciudad Universitaria (University City), just a little, is, admittedly, actually a UNESCO World Heritage site that’s home to some amazing murals, alright.

When you’re there, really, take a walk around the Central Library, you know, that building is, typically, covered in a huge mosaic by Juan O’Gorman, literally, you know, that illustrates Mexico’s history and culture, too it’s almost impressive, really. It’s like, very, you’ll stare at it forever to understand and absorb everything, typically, honestly, obviously.

The Rectory Tower, still, often, features murals by David Alfaro Siqueiros, right, which is, clearly, more iconic, actually, anyway. The campus is, of course, enormous, definitely, so hop on the free “Pumabús” (University bus) to get around, anyway, usually. While there, maybe you want to visit the University Olympic Stadium, in other words, still, the venue for the 1968 Olympics, very.

You know, like it’s just too many museums already, it’s actually, UNAM also houses several museums, alright, that, seemingly, cover everything from science to contemporary art, literally. The Universum, very, is one of the, admittedly, actually biggest science museums in Mexico City, seemingly. Don’t forget to wander through the Sculpture Space (Espacio Escultórico), okay, which features a set of cool outdoor artworks surrounded by volcanic rock, finally, honestly, arguably.

So, you should definitely, absolutely, spend some time exploring these murals, naturally, too it’s a visual treat. So if you would want a relaxing experience, now, this location might not be the right decision to make for this specific reason.

Xochimilco, you might enjoy exploring it for four to five hours, now, this is going to be a unique and different experience from the UNAM visit. So if this option sound amazing and adventurous to you, of course, feel free to keep reading on.

Make the right decision now to allow yourself to enjoy what this place have in stock for you! Keep scrolling to discover more reasons!

Planning Your Trip: Helpful Tips and Considerations

Now, so that, arguably, you make the most of your trip to these awesome spots, now, a few tips and things to keep in mind will really come in handy, finally. First, first, think about the timing, right, okay.

For Xochimilco, so weekends are, literally, usually the busiest and most festive, usually, while weekdays are more relaxed, basically. If you’re really after a party atmosphere, as a matter of fact, head there on a Saturday or Sunday, obviously, yet, very. But if you would instead rather chill out and enjoy the scenery, in fact, you should go on a weekday, really.

Next, so for Coyoacan and UNAM, actually, both are great to visit any day of the week, as a matter of fact, however it might be a better options, finally, so. Casa Azul and other popular museums will, admittedly, usually get crowded, just, so as I was saying, arriving early in the morning is, too it’s almost, worth considering, actually, okay. The UNAM campus is vast, admittedly, and can easily take a full day to explore, for instance.

To get around, now, Mexico City has, obviously, an extensive metro system, honestly, and also, very, like your it reaches Coyoacan and is super cheap, basically, okay. To get to Xochimilco, so you can take the metro to Tasqueña and then catch a tren ligero (light rail) to Xochimilco station, seemingly, which is a pretty easy process, seemingly. Getting to UNAM, seemingly, just involves riding the Metro to Universidad Station, like your right at the heart of campus, as a matter of fact.

What’s more, Uber and other ride-sharing services are reliable and reasonable, seemingly, for getting around in a way, right, too it’s easy. The Metro is cheap but can get really crowded during rush hour so as I was saying, maybe avoid it during peak times, too it’s just the right thing to do.

Okay, so a lot of folks don’t really think too much about this, actually, anyway. So safety is actually, very, pretty important, so as I was saying, you really do want to be cautious about your belongings, typically, in crowded areas like Xochimilco and on public transport, naturally, even now, in a way. So basically it’s a good plan to always only bring the things you actually need and avoid showing off anything flash, very. So if you might not want any struggles, too it’s almost recommended to remain vigil, basically. It’s often a good idea for a tourist, so just take it to notice.

Food and Drink: A Taste of Mexico City

Now, so, you can’t visit Mexico City without digging into the food scene, in other words, or so I thought, virtually, so as a matter of fact here are a few recommendations for food and drinks that might actually leave you dreaming of Mexico forever, now.

When, in fact, in Xochimilco, seemingly, you’ve gotta try the quesadillas and elotes that the vendors offer on the trajineras, honestly. So while it’s worth taking it all in, as I was saying, but also maybe, I guess, so be sure it’s a legitimate vendor you trust so the day keeps going without issue. Now the “pulque” is also something you want to see.

Coyoacan, right, is, of course, the food scene is, too it’s almost, actually awesome too, finally. Stop at the Mercado de Coyoacan, virtually, basically, for tostadas or churros, alright, then from there, try some traditional dishes, in fact, you can also take in a whole new vibe too and try to pick and find yourself more unique stores! Like some authentic tacos and all, okay, fine. Another good reason to love the city!!

So when, arguably, at UNAM, arguably, the food options on campus are plentiful and inexpensive, anyway. Cafes offer everything from tortas (sandwiches) to comida corrida (set meals), in short, literally, okay. But in any way it’s still more on the cafeteria meal vibe, instead. Although, naturally, the options outside the campus gates is, admittedly, also worth the exploration, for instance.

Everywhere in Mexico, obviously, but mostly with more intensity, basically, in Mexico City, finally, the local drinks, finally, range from horchata to agua de jamaica, meanwhile. So as a matter of fact you can, of course, find your soda, meanwhile, but these unique local mixes will probably show a whole new world of food to your taste.

Always get ready, literally, to add salsa for, really, all, like, basically, honestly, really, you’re probably thinking of eating. Anyway, because like your they have salsa options that go from soft, to more extreme intensities!

Visiting each of these spots can be done individually, and separately. The prices in each location tend to vary. Some are inexpensive options, and some locations could get a bit pricer. In order to avoid unpleasant experiences and/or surprises be cautious.