Sustainable Traveler's Guide to Mexico City
Mexico City is definitely a hidden gem when it comes to worldwide travel – beautiful, colorful streets, amazing local culture and scenery, and an unforgettable culinary experience. With that said, Mexico does get plenty of tourists during certain times of the year (for example, early April), but tourists aren’t always mindful of the local communities or about keeping their holidays to a sustainable standard.
My complete guide to Mexico City contains everything from accommodation, transportation and food to nightlife and fun activities to try with friends – hopefully it gives you the insight you need on how to plan the most enjoyable environmentally-friendly holiday in this beautiful city.
Where to Stay:
When it comes to accommodation, there’s no better option than staying in one of the two most scenic neighbourhoods in the entire city: La Condesa and Roma Norte are definitely your best choice, and they border each other so you can easily travel between them. Not only is the accommodation top quality, but there are tons of cute restaurants, cafes, and bars everywhere.
Mexico City also has a renown green hotel, the only one in the city – if you want to keep your holiday as sustainable as possible, El Patio 77 is definitely the choice for you. It offers lots of comfort, as well as filtered water and 100% organic breakfasts.
While Airbnb is always an easy option - you are going to end up overpaying by quite a bit. I recommend simply looking at online pages like this Facebook group for cheaper, more local options (expect to pay a third or forth the cost of booking via Airbnb). Or if you are feeling adventurous, skip the booking and just respond to for rent/sale signs after you arrive in the city (you’ll see them on like every other building!)
What to visit:
If you are interested in eco-tourism, then the best places to visit are green parks and neighbourhoods built upon local businesses and communities. The Roma neighbourhood is absolutely the most spectacular - you can eat the most amazing vegan food here, as well as eateries working on no-waste policies. You can also visit Huerto Roma Verde, beautiful gardens that are tended to by volunteers.
You can also go to any of the main three parks - Bosque de Chapultepec, Viveros Coyoacán or Parque México - to enjoy walking in nature surrounded by magical scenery or visit museums and enjoy a coffee at a local cafe.
Where to eat/drink:
When it comes to local cafes, my best recommendations are definitely Freims, Madre Café and the Rosetta Bakery. The last one in particular is lovely for anyone who enjoys the homely atmosphere of an Italian bistro, combined with freshly made pastries using only local ingredients and recipes. All of these are also nice places to work for all the digital nomads out there!
As for restaurants, in La Condesa and Roma Norte you will find everything you need to enrich your holiday with spectacular cuisine, made with locally sourced ingredients and plenty of vegan alternatives. Maximo Bistrot is at the top of the list, with its no-waste policies and usage of seasonal food, as well as cutlery, furniture and even crockery made by artisans from around Mexico.
If you want to eat their traditional tacos, there are so many options to choose from – El Polpo and El Habanerito are my top two (the first being more upscale, the 2nd more laid back), or you can even go for El Carinito if you are feeling adventurous and want to try Asian fusion tacos. Or you can go super local and head to Los Güeros De Juanacatlan - a very popular taco truck that specializes in birria. Make sure to get the quesabirria. It’s out of this world, but don’t expect it to be a light meal lol.
There are also some high-end options for food, and although they tend to use less local food, they can still be a great way to support the local economy – first off, there’s Pujol - which is often considered the best restaurant in Mexico City. But I personally prefer Quintonil - I’ve been twice and found the menu much more inventive and exciting. Or head to Contramar for amazing seafood - the tuna tostadas absolutely melt in your mouth and are a MUST GET.
Mexico City also offers an amazing alternative to the typical restaurant scene for vegans, named Los Loosers. This one is a vegan lunch service, where they announce their daily menu on their socials and vegans from around the city can order a delivery – the food is always amazing and the service itself is super convenient and loved by locals and tourists alike. Other great vegan restaurants include Veguísima, Utopia, and La Pitahaya Vegana.
What about nightlife:
This may come as a surprise, but Mexico City also offers an incredibly fun, vibrant nightlife. For those of you who enjoy a tasty cocktail or partying on the dancefloor while on holiday, here’s some options for you – you can try Limantour (cocktail bar), Toledo (rooftop bar) or Departamento (multi-level restaurant turns club after dark where all the expats hang out), or one of my personal favorites, Gin Gin (good G&Ts, loud music, good vibes - with multiple locations all over the city).
Handshake Speakeasy is another good one, which was voted among 50 best bars around the world, especially due to their innovative, high-quality cocktails, so you should definitely try it out if you’re a fan of a high-end, luxurious experience. Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time - because it’s tough to get into otherwise (small venue).
To keep things green, always make sure you know where your food and drinks are coming from, if they are locally sourced or seasonal – they have a much lower carbon footprint due to reduced emissions involved in farming, transportation and storage.
What else can you do:
Besides the lively nightlife and cute restaurants and cafes, Mexico City also has some amazing day activities that can become the adventure of your lifetime, no matter whether you are alone or with friends.
One of my greatest memories from Mexico City was taking a short hot air balloon trip over Teotihuacan. The ruins offer a great view from above, making you feel like you’re taking part in a grand adventure, while also protecting the environment – contrary to what one might think, hot air balloons are actually a fairly sustainable mode of transportation, as they use propane gas which is non-toxic to water or soil and is one of the cleanest alternatives to regular fuel.
If you feel like exploring more than just Mexico City, then you can always travel to nearby cities- those are the true hidden gems in my opinion. If you’re into old baroque architecture and a lively arts scene, you can also take the bus to San Miguel de Allende for a super nice and comfortable weekend getaway.
You can also go to Tepoztlan, a traditional village with amazing scenery. Here, you can stay overnight at one of the local hotels or go bar hopping – you can even do massages and temazcal, a traditional ritual meant to increase your mindfulness and relax your body. If you engage with these traditional ceremonies, make sure you stay respectful, as the locals put an immense value on them.
Another thing I definitely recommend is paying the neighbourhood of Xochimilico a visit, especially if you are travelling with friends. Here, you can pay somewhere around 400-500 pesos per hour to take a boat down one of the many canals, as well as enjoy the unique experience of having people bring you drinks and food by boats – make sure you always ask the prices before buying anything because there tend to be lots of tourist traps in the area. You can play your own music or have local mariachi bands play music for you – the whole atmosphere is fun, cheerful and reminds one of summer festivals with friends. If you don’t feel like doing it on your own - check out THIS airbnb experience.
Last but not least, you can always search for various local events and classes to take part in. My favorites are this mezcal cocktail experience, where you learn how to make the fanciest cocktails using their special spirit drink Mezcal – after this one, you will never have boring parties back home ever again. Plus the host of the experience is so engaging and informative! I went back for a 2nd go with a bunch of friends I liked it to so much. Or consider a bike taco tour - biking is a very sustainable form of transportation! I did THIS tour with a bunch of nomads and we had a blast.
How to move around:
As I mentioned, biking is one of the most sustainable ways to move around a city, and luckily Mexico City has an amazing bike renting system you can use. The so-called Ecobici is used by locals and tourists alike and can help you explore the city at your own pace, side by side with the locals. You simply pay through an app, grab the nearest Ecobici and go exploring – make sure to leave it at a designated bike stand when you are done, instead of leaving it wherever you want.
Mexico City also has a well-preserved metro system, which is great if you need to travel for longer distances. I recommend avoiding it during hora pico (rush hours), which are between 6-9am and 6-9pm – you will feel much more stressed, and holidays are meant to be enjoyable and relaxing after all.
And, of course, you can always walk around the beautiful city centre by foot, to really take in the views and take photographs of the amazing architecture.
The best part is that Mexico City is also incredibly dog friendly, so if you decide to bring your furry friend with you on holiday, you can take it in many places. I was able to take my precious dog June to a fitness class, a cycling studio, and she was also let into every single store and restaurant (there was a single exception the whole trip), so you can confidently bring them with you to enjoy the holidays.
Mexico City is an amazing place to explore, and it also has an incredibly welcoming community of people – even when the language barrier makes it difficult to communicate, the locals will not hesitate to help you out. For any people looking for their next sustainable holiday destination, Mexico City is my number one recommendation!