This fascinating, must-visit capital can be overwhelming. Here are nine ways to break it down

Mexico City, a vast area that’s home to around 22 million people, can be as overwhelming as a habanero chili. Spicy street foods, bustling markets and serenading mariachis provide flavours, colour and sounds that are nothing but Mexican. But the city provides more than the country’s cliches. The following “must visits” will help you experience the many faces of this fascinating capital within accessible locales.

The Frida & Diego trail

The Anahuacalli Museum, crated by Diego Rivera.Credit: iStock

The famous Casa Azul flaunts Frida and her belongings, including books, paints and easel, dolls and jewellery. But you can get your Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera fill elsewhere, too. The Anahuacalli Museum, a replica of a pre-Hispanic temple, contains Rivera’s extraordinary collection of figurines while Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, The Palacio de Bellas Artes and nearby Museo Mural Diego Rivera display his other famous works. Don’t miss Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo, the artists’ joint home-studio, designed by architect Juan O’Gorman.
See museofridakahlo.org.mx; museoanahuacalli.org.mx

The drink

Mexico City is home to some world-renowned bars that specialise in posh mezcal cocktails. But it’s pulque – the fermented sap of the agave plant – that’s made a popular comeback after losing traction since its heyday in the 19th century. Many pulque pundits head to Los Insurgentes Pulqueria in Cuauhtemoc (no website), a casual, multi-floored bar that serves flavoured pulque brews. Sip slowly, it’s an acquired taste. And it packs a punch, especially to the uninitiated.

The neighbourhood(s)

Many visitors will have heard of the two adjoining neighbourhoods, Condesa and Roma, before they arrive, and with good reason. Lovely residential buildings dating from the late 19th century to the 1950s fill the tree-lined streets, avenues and glorious leafy plazas. Throw in hip cafes, long-standing taco stands, upmarket restaurants and stylish boutiques. The only pitfall? It’s easy to become entrenched here and miss some of Mexico City’s other “faces”.

The accommodation

Book ahead to secure a room at The Red Tree House.

Hospitality defines The Red Tree House, a blend of upmarket guest house and boutique hotel. The rooms (all different) are unfussy and inviting. Evening drinks are served in the art-filled lounge rooms and the communal plant-filled patio, and breakfasts showcase a Mexican specialty daily. Delightful staff provide local tips and the location near Parque Mexico in trendy Condesa is perfect. The downside? The 17 rooms and five apartments can be difficult to secure; plan ahead. See theredtreehouse.com

The restaurant

Maximo has some of Mexico’s best high-end cuisine.

White-washed walls and curated plants are a feature of this expansive space, a former car garage and billiards hall that is now home to Maximo. For a restaurant that whips up some of Mexico’s best high-end cuisine its informality comes as a surprise. But it’s all about invention here and owner-chef Eduardo Garcia (“Lalo”) performs magic on pasta, seafood, meat and root vegetables. Dishes change daily, but expect the likes of a sweet onion pie cooked in whey and comte cheese, tagliatelle with oxtail ragout and parmesan, and wood-grilled sea bass presented with foams and micro herbs, all laid out like the patterns of a kaleidoscope. See maximobistrot.com.mx

The food tour

On tour with Eat Like a Local.

One of Mexico’s best food tour companies, the female-owned and run “Eat Like A Local” visits exemplary local foodie spots and provides massive bites of culture and history. The “Mexican Food 101″ itinerary is ideal – a local guide leads small groups to humble taco stands, third wave coffee spots, and the famous La Merced Market, where you sample everything from quesadillas and insects (grasshoppers and ants) to tepache, a local beverage. Go hungry and wear your runners – you cover over seven kilometres in around four hours via walking and on the Metro. See eatlikealocal.com.mx

The museum

If there’s time for only one museum here, this is it: the National Museum of Archaeology. This vast space will make your mind boggle so in advance, choose the sections that interest you, rather than wandering aimlessly. Halls are arranged by chronological order in a counterclockwise direction. That said, don’t miss the Olmec heads, Pakal’s tomb, Moctezuma headdress and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Note: It’s closed on Mondays. See mna.inah.gob.mx

The viewpoint

Pick a clear day (yes, smog can be a downer here) and head up 44 levels to the observation deck of the Torre Latinoamerica for incredible vistas of the city and its geographical confines that are home to 22 million people. Although a humble 166 metres, the tower was once Latin America’s tallest structure when it was built in 1956. A little-known secret is that you can head up to the 41st level (for free) and knock back a cerveza or two at the bar, along with other Mexican tourists and visitors. See torrelatinoamericana.com.mx

The sport

Attending a live lucha libre (wrestling match) is a rite of passage for Mexicans. The best place to go is Arena Mexico, a 17,000-seat stadium where, despite what touts might declare on route, you can buy a ticket at the window. Don’t worry too much about your seat location; half the fun is watching the crowds around you heckling the action. And the combat is convincing: wrestlers perform mind-blowing manoeuvres. See cmll.com/arenas/arena-mexico

The (contemporary) coffee spot

It sounds like an Irish joke (and you’ve heard it here, first), but if you want to find a coffee spot in Mexico City, look for a digital nomad; good caffeine joints serve as their “offices”. An excellent choice is Cardinal Casa de Cafe, located in both Roma and Condesa. The company supports and trains a group of bean growers to ensure fair incomes and sustainable practices. And the baristas make excellent brews. See instagram.com/casacardinal

One more thing…

Between 8am and 2pm every Sunday, you can ride along the usually hectic Paseo de la Reforma on a bike (others also skate and scoot). Rent a cycle from Ecobici and enjoy wheeling along this grand avenue and past its historic buildings and parks. See ecobici.cdmx.gob.mx

The writer was a guest of Maximo, Eat Like a Local Tours and The Red Tree House.