A Weekend in Coyoacán

Coyoacán neighborhood is one place you should definitively visit if you ever are in Mexico City. It is a cultural hub hosting the bright-blue Frida Kahlo Museum, showcasing her life and work. Heres an itinerary for the perfect weekend in Coyoacan.

The main attraction of this place is the center of town. Coyoacán's central plaza, cobblestoned and plant-filled, is divided into halves, called Jardín Centenario and Jardín Hidalgo. They form a typical colonial Mexican town square, complete with benches for people-watching, gazebos for music and vendors selling balloons, toys and traditional sweets.

Eating in Coyoacán:

The Mercado de Antojitos (the town's food market) is housed in a well known garage-like space. It is found on the corner of Higuera street and Caballocalco street and offers traditional Mexican food for a low price. Inside there are at least 20 little restaurants where you can eat for less than $10.

If you want traditional Mexican food, you can eat at "La Coyoacana," which means cantina in English. It is a bar and restaurant and you can eat Mexican food, drink a lot of tequila and listen to "Mariachi" one of Mexico's traditional music genres. This place is more expensive than the food market. Usually, each person spends more than $10.

If you want just a snack, you can find a lot of small stores selling "churros" which is a fried dough-based snack, and you can add chocolate or some other toppings. You can buy one for less than $2.

Food Market

Churro

Attractions:

Coyoacana is Frida Kahlo's birthplace, and her final residence was turned into the Museo Casa Azul. It is on a quiet residential street between private homes. The folk art-filled museum opened in1957, can draw lines that snake around the tree-lined block

A short walk from the Casa Azul is the home where Leon Trotsky lived – and was killed with an ice-pick. The house has been preserved in detail: Trotsky's bathrobe still hangs on the hook where he left it. It's the area's other big draw.

At the eastern side of the plaza sits the church of San Juan Bautista, and across from the plaza to the left of the church is the Casa de Cortés, a large yellow building.

Shopping:

Coyoacán has a lovely handicrafts market a few blocks north on Calle Malintzin between Aguayo and Allende. Frida Kahlo used to shop here! and it offers colorful stands filled with flowers, fruits, and souvenirs for the whole family.

Transportation:

There is no metro station close to the Coyoacan center, but there are many ways to get there. The closest metro station is called Viveros/Derechos Humanos, and from there you can take a bus that will drop you in off in front of the handicrafts market.