What to do in Mexico City: the craft travel guide
Mexico City – North America's biggest metropolis – bursts with both ancient cultural heritage and the avant-garde. Explore the city's treasures with our local guide to the best places to stay, eat, and shop
Travel writer Natalia de la Rosa, and Claudia Muñoz Morales, textile designer and curator of the city’s Popular Art Museum shop, give their insider recommendations for visiting Mexico City through the lens of local design and one-of-a-kind crafts.
The shop at Museo de Arte Popular works with over 500 craftspeople from all over Mexico
Visit
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Considered one of America's most important ethnographic and archaeological collections, the National Museum of Anthropology is a must-visit when it comes to getting to know Mexico's Mesoamerican heritage. The museum's architecture, designed by Pedro Ramírez Velázquez in 1964, is as stunning and monumental as the pieces in the permanent collection. Among its 22 exhibition halls, the Mexica, Maya, and Toltec displays are where you’ll find some of the museum's most iconic pieces, such as: the Sun Stone (also known as the Aztec Sun calendar), a mural and scale model of ancient Tenochtitlan (the settlement that is now Mexico City), the Coatlicue statue, a replica of Moctezuma's feather headpiece, and a colossal Olmec stone head.
Av. Paseo de la Reforma and Calzada Gandhi s/n, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560, Mexico City
The Popular Arts Museum showcases Mexico's unique craft traditions, including: textile work, basket weaving, glassware, papier-mâché, woodwork, pottery, and sculpture. If you are interested in loom weaving and hand-stitched work, there are great examples of traditional dress and attire, and tapestry from small communities in Mexico, such as Otomí iconographic embroidery, regional huipiles and loom work. It’s a great place to buy craft too. ‘The museum's shop works with over 500 craftspeople from 26 states of Mexico, ensuring each piece is authentic and representative of a region, style, and technique,’ says Claudia Muñoz, director of the museum's craft shop. ‘Unfortunately, there are a lot of replicas so when buying crafts in Mexico City, you want to make sure you support best practices and local communities.’
Revillagigedo 11, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06050, Mexico City
Laguna, located in the Doctores neighborhood, is a factory space for creative entrepreneurship and those with a contemporary take on Mexican traditional crafts The building dates back to the 1920s when it housed a textile manufacturing business. Nowadays, it houses 19 creative projects devoted to crafts, interior design, architecture, and art with the common thread of traceability and community building. On a walk-through you can scout Anfora's workshop for local ceramics, visit La Metropolitana's showroom to shop for wood furnishings, or stop by Década for interior design pieces and vintage furniture. While you are at it, get a cup of coffee at Buna, and don't forget to check in advance for any temporary art exhibits and events hosted on the weekends.
Doctor Lucio 181, Doctores, 06720, Mexico City
Shop
Since 1960, the San Ángel weekend bazaar has been frequented by locals and international visitors looking to shop for unique souvenirs, arts, and vintage pieces. ‘Not only is it a great place to shop, but also it is an experience in itself to walk around the San Jacinto Plaza which is filled with artisans and their work,’ says Muñóz. One of its treasures is the Maestras Artesanas shop, a few steps from the plaza. This women's collective specialises in backstrap looming to create table runners, pillowcases, huipiles, and the like, intersecting traditional designs with a contemporary eye. ‘The co-op is among the oldest collectives of craftswomen from Chiapas and Puebla. They've been working together for about 30 years,’ she explains.
Calle Benito Juárez 2D, San Ángel, Álvaro Obregón, 01000, Mexico City
This is the kind of shop where you will find something you never knew you needed. Casa Mimi's curiosities range from rugs, mats, posters, pottery, objects, jewelry, and textiles, all with a particular allure and character. Muñóz says: ‘I love Casa Mimi's curatorship. Here, they have a rare collection of vintage and antique crafts.’ Behind its collection is Nicole Alejandra Pierpont, an antique curator, and former restauranteur. It is best to book an appointment to get the most from this popular shop.
San Luis Potosí 180, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Mexico City
Located in the Polanco neighbourhood, Onora focuses on home accessories and textiles. Maggie Galton and María Eladia Hagerman founded the project in 2013, collaborating with Mexican artisans to develop pieces that respond to a contemporary aesthetic. ‘What I like about Onora is that it honours the identity of the artisanal communities and their local techniques,’ explains Muñoz. Onora's home goods go from everyday items like dining ceramics and tableware to unique and luxurious decor pieces such as candle holders and centrepieces.
Lope de Vega 330, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560, Mexico City
Eat
Botanico is the perfect restaurant for an afternoon of great food and wine in a restored Art Deco house in the Condesa neighbourhood. The restaurant's dining area surrounds a lush courtyard and a small pond, creating a relaxed ambiance to enjoy Botanico's elegant and well-executed menu. The flavours serve a cosmopolitan audience, with dishes like mussels and curry with a side of French fries, a gorgonzola pappardelle, and an heirloom tomato salad as some of the best options on the menu.
Alfonso Reyes 217, Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06100, Mexico City
Tetetlán is inside Casa Pedregal, the iconic house by Mexican architect Luis Barragán. The restaurant lets visitors get a sneak peek of Barragán's unique architectural style while enjoying a menu centred on Mexican flavours and dishes prepared in the comal, like tetelas and tlayudas. Tetetlán offers breakfast, brunch, and dinner, and the space includes a listening room, bookshop, and a small cafe.
Av. de Las Fuentes 180 - B, Jardines del Pedregal, Álvaro Obregón, 01900 Mexico City
Caracol de Mar is located in the heart of Centro Histórico, occupying the courtyard of the boutique hotel Circulo Mexicano de Diseño. The restaurant is a food oasis, secluded enough to escape the hecticness of the area and take a breather after a day of museums and sightseeing. The menu mostly centres on seafood and local produce with culinary accents from Mexico. The charred octopus, the grilled tuna neck, and the Baja-style seafood tacos are some of the most vibrant dishes, which can be delightfully paired with a round of margaritas or Mexican wine.
República de Guatemala 20, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06000, Mexico City
Entrance to Hotel San Fernando. Photo: Chad Wadsworth Inside a room with kitchenette at Hotel San Fernando. Photo: Chad Wadsworth
Stay
Within walking distance of Condesa's biggest park – Parque Mexico – Hotel San Fernando occupies what used to be a 1947 Art Deco apartment building. It offers comfortable and beautifully styled rooms (some equipped with a kitchenette) for a short but sweet or a more extended stay in Mexico City. The hotel has a rooftop, typical of Condesa's lifestyle, and a lobby bar for a pre-going-out drink. Hotel San Fernando's location is its winning card since guests can step right into Condesa's social scene and explore nearby boutiques and galleries without leaving the neighbourhood.
Iztaccihuatl 54, Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06100, Mexico City
For travellers looking for a place with a unique colonial character and all the comforts of boutique accommodation, Casa Nueve Zócalo is a flawless option. The hotel is part of Casa Seminario 12, the oldest inhabited house in Mexico City – it dates to 1640 – built on top of an Aztec ceremonial temple. The house was abandoned for many years, but in 1988, the current stewards acquired it, undertaking a long restoration to eventually open a cultural centre and now, a boutique hotel. Casa Nueve Zócalo is a three-suite bed and breakfast with an unequivocal colonial charm that takes guests to another period in Mexico City's history. The hotel's location can't be beaten: the views over the Cathedral from the balconies are stunning.
Seminario 12, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06060, Mexico City
Guests who prefer a minimal and slick style will find that Octavia Casa fits the bill: neutral-coloured rooms, lots of natural light, greenery scattered around halls and corridors, and luxurious bedding. Octavia Casa is on a quiet street in the Condesa neighbourhood and offers seven perfectly designed suites that feature the work of Mexican designers, from crystalware to ceramics, decor, and linen. The overall look and feel of the hotel is zen and low-key, best for travellers who value a good night's rest.
Av. Amatlán 126, Hipódromo Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06170, Mexico City
Read about the contemporary Mexican makers breaking new ground in our Autumn/Winter 2023 issue
