Mexico City

Mexico City is a privileged place. It offers what many other cities and regions cannot. Being in the center of the country, Mexico City has everything that might interest you. Besides having amazing weather and being located near many areas of natural beauty, it is abound in cultural, touristic and social diversions—all of which can contribute to your academic experience.

An easy metro ride to the center of town, our campus is strategically located within the greater Mexico City area. This has many benefits. One of which is that it helps us take advantage of being at the vortex of all the action. This convenient fact enables us to offer you everything from politics to culture as well as interests of a social nature, thus enhancing your experience here in Mexico City.

In the center of time

As the one time center of the Aztec Empire, and later capital of New Spain, Mexico City is a wonderful example of the rich cultural diversity that was left behind by this clash of civilizations. The city contains many pre-Hispanic structures as well as numerous buildings from the colonial era. The most representative areas or neighborhoods of this discourse are the downtown district “Centro Histórico”, Coyoacán and Xochimilco.

The Centro Histórico contains the most significant remnants of pre-Hispanic Mexico, plus it contains a range of buildings from the long lasting colonial era. Among many others, here you can visit the ruins of the “Templo Mayor” (Aztec political center), the Cathedral and the palace of the ex-archbishop.

Founded as an area so that the wealthier residents of Mexico City could build “country” homes (though now well incorporated into the city) Coyoacán boasts many art schools and galleries that give life to one of the more important parts of town.  For its cafes, parks, restaurants, and shops, Coyoacán is a preferred spot for young people. Such attractions, mixed with the beauty of the churches, colonial houses and convents, give Coyoacán an eclectic atmosphere that many people enjoy.

Even though Mexico City is sometimes referred to as “The City of Palaces”, it also has one of the largest areas of natural interest in the area: the Xochimilco ecological park. Here you can enjoy the peace and tranquility that its botanical gardens and bird sanctuary offer.

A cultural center

Mexico City has a wide variety of museums, galleries and venues for live music and theater presentations. As a result, the majority of Mexico’s well known artists come here to give performances, concerts and expositions.

Among other forms of artistic representation, Mexican Colonial Art is showcased at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, the museum of the Basílica de Guadalupe, the cathedral, el Nacional del Virreinato, the Franz Meyer museum and el Castillo de Chapultepec.

And for Modern and Contemporary Art, one can visit the Museo Rufino Tamayo, the Carrillo Gil, el de Arte Moderno and the Nacional de Arte. In addition to these, one must see the murals at the Palacio de Bellas. And finally there is the Soumaya. In terms of its permanent collection ranging from the classic to contemporary genres, the Soumaya is probably the most sophisticated museum in the south of the city.

The remains of the pre-Hispanic culture are preserved in the Templo Mayor museum, the Anthropology museum and in the archeological sites of Xochimilco, Cuicuilco and Anahuacalli.

And for those more interested in nature, science and technology, then there is the Botanical Gardens (Jardin Botanica) and the medicine museum (museo de la medicina as well as the Science and Technology, Geology, and natural history museums. There are also three interactive museums: the Universum, with a focus on science, the economy museum, and the Papalote. All of which are fun and educational for the whole family.

Museums, however, are not all about traditional, artistic representations. For example, there is the cartoon museum, the stamp museum, the wax museum, and the graphic arts museum.

Examples of Mexico’s many ethnological inclinations can be appreciated at Museo de Artes and Industrias Populares, el Nacional de las Culturas and the Nacional de las Culturas Populares.

Last but not least, one has to visit the House-Museums of León Trotsky and Frida Kahlo, as well as the Intervention museum. These three museums contain a unique historical richness like no other. All are located in Coyoacán; and, given their historical and political interconnectedness, these museums should be seen on the same day.

Up town

Checking out the many fashionable areas and night life hot spots is a real pleasure.

The Zona rosa is an agreeable area for hanging out and shopping. Its restaurants and bars are very popular. This area is frequented by famous people from Mexico and around the world.

Paseo de la Reforma is a fashionable avenue that runs alongside Chapultepec Park and connects the Chapultepec Castle to the downtown area. Many of our city’s landmarks are located along this famous stretch of road: the Diana Cazadora fountain, el Ángel de la Independencia statue, the stock exchange, the art garden, the Revolution monument, and the majority of the city’s newspapers.  And finally there is Chapultepec Forest located at the far western end of Paseo de la Reforma.

Polanco is an area where sophisticated hotels, restaurants, night clubs and high-end stores are found. It is also an upscale residential area and business center.

Colonia Roma is known for its architecture. The palaces and apartment buildings have preserved the style and architectural features from the era during which it was founded, that of the dictator, Porfirio Diaz. It is also known for its fashionable homes, restaurants, gardens, churches and palaces, such as the Casa Lamm and the Casa Universitaria del Libro.

San Ángel was named in honor of the colegio Carmelita. Today it is an area that has religious traditions as well as an amazing artistic and cultural vibe. In order to understand the enigmatic character and origins of San Ángel better, it would be convenient to visit the del Carmen museum and the ex-convent, Chimalistac.

Tlalpan shows two faces to those who tread its cobblestone roads and alleys. It has preserved the remnants of its pre-Hispanic past; it was a political center before being buried in a volcanic eruption; plus it has many examples of XVII century architecture. It offers its visitors an ample variety of restaurants and cafes. And at certain times of the year, Tlalpan is a common venue for religious and cultural fairs that preserve the traditions of yesteryear.

The center of tourist destinations

Mexico City is surrounded by diverse states that provide a visitor with many attractive tourist destinations.

For example:

Guerrero: Acapulco, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo y Taxco

Morelos: Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán y Tequesquitengo Estado de México: Toluca y Valle de Bravo

Puebla: Puebla, the volcanoes Iztaccíhuatl y Popocatépetl

Tlaxcala: Tlaxcala, Apizaco y Huamantla

Michoacán: Morelia, Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan y Paricutín

Querétaro: Querétaro, San Juan del Río, Tequisquiapan

Hidalgo: Pachuca, Actopan, El Chico, Tula y Dolores Hidalgo

Oaxaca: Oaxaca

Veracruz: Jalapa, Orizaba y el Puerto de Veracruz