A Day  in Coyoacán

I love Coyoacán. It’s one of my favorite neighborhoods in Mexico City.

When I rent a house in Condesa or Roma Norte, I’m surrounded by all the things I love about Mexico City: leafy streets, beautiful architecture, great cafés and restaurants, and that wonderful mix of old and new. But Coyoacán feels different. To me, it feels more like the real deal, a lived-in neighborhood rather than a collection of cool neighborhoods that seem to bleed into one another.

There are also fewer American expats, which I like. (I know, very hypocritical.)

It’s not that Coyoacán isn’t popular with visitors. It certainly is, particularly because of Frida Kahlo. But underneath the tourists, it still feels like a real neighborhood with a real center and, importantly, a heart.

That heart is around the Mercado de Coyoacán and the two adjoining gardens, Jardín Centenario and Jardín Hidalgo. You can spend a day here without much of a plan, which is a fine way to do it.

Start with lunch at the market

I like starting with lunch at the Mercado de Coyoacán. Depending on when you arrive, it can be wonderfully chaotic, with food stalls, shoppers, locals, tourists and vendors spilling out into the surrounding streets.

There are plenty of places to eat, so wander first. Look at what everyone else is having. Follow your nose.

I would, however, strongly recommend Trinidad Ritual de Sabores, which I wrote about more extensively here. The tacos are amazing but don’t go midday on Sunday; try to come early on a weekday if you don’t want to wait in line to eat.

The streets around the market are great fun. Vendors are everywhere, selling everything from food to crafts to little trinkets.

Across the way is the Mercado Artesanal Mexicano in the Jardín Hidalgo, and this one surprised me. I expected the usual tourist-market assortment of colorful souvenirs, but there are some genuinely good artists here. Look around. There is plenty of touristy stuff, but there are also real artists selling beautiful work.

The last time I was there, there were all these lovely older couples dancing in the square while women sat on the benches, fanning themselves. It was beautiful to watch. Nobody seemed to be in much of a hurry.

Wander

Head toward the older streets and wander around Francisco Sosa, one of my favorite streets in the neighborhood. It is leafy and quiet, lined with beautiful old houses, and it feels a world away from the busier parts of Mexico City.

Stop for coffee. Have an ice cream. Sit down for a while. Watch people.

There are little plazas, old churches, cafés and streets that seem designed for getting slightly lost. And there are small surprises along the way, including Parque Frida Kahlo, where you’ll find the bronze sculptures of Frida and Diego.

Casa Azul

Casa Azul is Frida’s old home, and while you can visit during the day, I particularly like the idea of arriving toward sunset and into the early evening. The house, and particularly the gardens, are very magical at night. Read about my visit here.

Stay for the evening

This is when I think Coyoacán really comes into its own.

Jardín Centenario and Jardín Hidalgo begin to fill with people. Families are out, couples are wandering, vendors are working, and depending on the evening, you’ll find musicians and street performers around the plazas.

There is the famous Fuente de los Coyotes in Jardín Centenario, the old church, the kiosk in Jardín Hidalgo and all the little bits of everyday life happening around them.

And then, dinner

After all that Mexican food, Frida Kahlo, old houses, markets and historic plazas, we ended the day at Cancino Coyoacán, whose tagline is Mi Pizza es Tu Casa.

It’s a lively, fun place in a beautiful, colorful open-air glass space, and the food was genuinely good. Not just the pizza.

We had Padrón peppers, the Gorgonzola y Pera, with gorgonzola, walnut, honey, rosemary and pear, and the Rústica, with prosciutto, sun-dried tomato, caramelized onion and goat cheese. We also had the fried calamari.

The pizza was excellent, but so was everything else we tried.

By then, Coyoacán was well into its evening. The gardens and plazas were still buzzing, people were out enjoying themselves, and we had nowhere we needed to be

Things to Do in Coyoacán

These are the things I did, plus a few other places worth considering if you have more time.

Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)

The obvious Coyoacán stop, and for good reason. Frida Kahlo's former home is now a museum filled with her work, belongings and the rooms where she lived. Book tickets weeks ahead.

Plaza Hidalgo & Jardín Centenario

The center of historic Coyoacán and a good place to simply wander, sit with a coffee or watch the neighborhood go by. The two plazas are surrounded by restaurants, cafés and beautiful old buildings.

Mercado de Coyoacán

A traditional market that is fun to wander through, particularly if you're interested in Mexican food. It is more about the atmosphere and local life than a polished market experience

The Streets of Coyoacán

Don't make the mistake of spending your entire day inside museums. Some of the pleasure of Coyoacán is simply walking around. The streets around Plaza Hidalgo, Jardín Centenario and Del Carmen have colorful colonial houses, little squares, old churches.

More to Add If You Have Time

Museo Anahuacalli

Diego Rivera's extraordinary museum, built from volcanic stone to house his collection of pre-Hispanic art. It is farther from the center of Coyoacán, so I'd only add it if you have several hours to spare. The building itself is as much of an attraction as the collection.

Museo Casa de León Trotsky

Trotsky lived in Coyoacán after being exiled from the Soviet Union, and the house where he was assassinated in 1940 is now a small museum. You can see the rooms where he lived, his study and the garden. It is an interesting stop if you're interested in history, politics or the more unusual stories of Mexico City's past.

Parque Frida Kahlo and the Frida Sculptures

A lovely little stop if you're interested in Frida Kahlo, and something different from Casa Azul. Parque Frida Kahlo is a quiet public garden in the Barrio de la Concepción with three sculptures by Mexican sculptor Gabriel Ponzanelli: Frida and Diego Rivera together, a seated Frida, and a woman in the center of the fountain. The park is free and is more of a peaceful wander than a major sightseeing attraction.

Where to find it: Parque Frida Kahlo, in Barrio de la Concepción, Coyoacán. It is south of the main historic center, so I'd combine it with other stops in that direction rather than making a special trip just for the sculptures.

Viveros de Coyoacán

A large green space and tree nursery that makes a pleasant change from museums and plazas. Good for a walk if you want to see another, quieter side of the neighborhood.

Casa de Cortés

The historic building on the south side of Plaza Hidalgo is associated with Hernán Cortés, although the history is more complicated than the name suggests. The building itself is worth noticing as you walk around the plaza.