Mexico City/Chapultepec

Chapultepec is a district of Mexico City. "Chapultepec" means "Grasshopper Hill" (Chapul - Grasshopper, Tepec - Hill) in Nahuatl, the language of the "Aztecs". The hill and surrounding district has much significance in Mexican history. The Bosque de Chapultepec ("Chapultepec Forest") is Mexico City's principal park and, with an area of 4 km² (2.5 sq mi), its largest.

Understand
The Chapultepec district centers on Chapultepec Park (also referred to as Bosque de Chapultepec). It is Mexico City's largest park and includes wooded natural areas, winding pedestrian walkways, and some of the city's top museums and other attractions. The city publishes a Guide to Chapultepec Park which contains far more information than this high-level summary. The park is very large with too many attractions to experience in a single day, and some travelers may find that they want to focus on only one section of the park or on only a few attractions.

The park is organized into four major sections:


 * Section I - This is the most tourist-friendly section and is the best section for a first-time visitor with limited time to explore the city. It is the area closest to Paseo de la Reforma and is close to many of the city's biggest high-rise hotels. Top attractions in Seccion I include:
 * Castillo de Chapultepec - the imposing castle on top of the hill calls to visitors, it is hugely important in the history of Mexico and its capital city and also houses the National Museum of Mexican History. It is one of the city's undisputed "must see" sites.
 * Museum of Anthropology - the country's main museum dedicated to the Indigenous cultures of Mesoamerica, with reconstructed temples, galleries filled with relics from archaeological digs of Mayan, Aztec, Olmec and all the myriad other cultures that existed before the Spanish conquest. Fascinating place for anyone with an interest in history or cultures.
 * Chapultepec Zoo - Mexico City's main zoo is a modern, fascinating zoo with pandas, reptiles, African mammals, and a new museum focused on the axolotl, a peculier amphibian that can live completely in water, or on land, and that can regenerate limbs and even vital organs. An amazing creature!
 * There are also numerous cultural attractions including major art museums, important monuments, historical baths used by Moctezuma, and two lakes.


 * Section II - This is a more natural area with fewer strolling tourists, but it includes some very significant sites that will be of interest to certain kinds of tourists and some museums that are ideally suited to families traveling to Mexico City with children. Most of the museums are in the south end of the section and are most easily reached via Metro to the Constituyentes station. Major sites in Seccion II are:
 * Papalote Childrens Museum - Cutting edge hands-on childrens activities to nurture young minds.
 * Museum of Natural History - Dinosaurs, whales, viruses, bugs, plants, human organs and more. If it's natural, it's here.
 * Technology Museum - Planes, trains and automobiles. Pretty much any other kind of machine too, from steam engines of the industrial age to AI and the robotics of tomorrow. Great place for teens!
 * Los Pinos - Mexico's "White House", which isn't white, but is the official residence of recent presidents, though the current president (AMLO) moved in the capitol downtown and dedicated the residence to historical and cultural attractions


 * Section III - This is a natural area that is used by active fitness fans for running, hiking and biking as well as the odd urban naturalist who needs to escape traffic and the built-up world to hug a few trees. There are no major tourist attractions in this section (which is just the way people who enjoy the outdoors like it).


 * Section IV - The newest section of Chapultepec was formally known as Industrias Militares and was owned by Mexico's Department of Defense (SEDENA) where they operated military maintenance shops and similar facilities. It includes rugged terrain with hills, cliffs, and rough rocky backcountry. The most interesting feature is a former Royal Gunpowder Battery (Ex-Fabrica de Polvora) that was built by the Spanish military at the end of the colonial era; it is now used for cultural exhibits.

Get in
You can easily walk to Chapultepec from popular neighborhoods like Reforma, Polanco, Zona Rosa, Roma and Condesa. Nearby Metro (subway) stations include:
 * Metro de la Ciudad de México (logo) version 2019.svg Line:
 * Metro de la Ciudad de México (logo) version 2019.svg Line:
 * Metro de la Ciudad de México (logo) version 2019.svg Line:
 * Metro de la Ciudad de México (logo) version 2019.svg Line:

By bus
Long-distance buses from cities and states outside the Mexico City metropolitan area arrive and depart from Terminal de Autobuses Poniente, which is on the south side of Chapultepec, 1 km south of Av Constituyentes on Sur 122. Use Metro line 1 to station Observatorio.



By foot
It's a park so the obvious way to get around is to walk and this is the best option if you plan to just visit the biggest attraction which mostly cluster in Section I of the park (which is also the smallest section), or if you plan to just visit the museums of Section II (which cluster close to the park edge along Av Constituyentes).

By bike
Chapultepec is a big park....really big, and if you plan to explore the northern parts of Section II or much of Section III or Section IV, your best option is to rent a bike and get around by pedal power. Most roads, walkways, and trails are paved so the ride is smooth though there are a lot of hills once you get into Section III and Section IV. The city's Ecobici program has several rental kiosks on the major avenues that border the park and there are kiosks in Section I and Section II that may be better options (Ecobici does not have childrens bikes).



There are 4 Ecobici stations on the north side of Section I along Av Reforma between the Museum of Modern Art and the National Auditorium and 3 stations along Av Constituyentes on the south side of Seccion 1.



See








Do
Chapultepec Park has many natural walking paths through the trees. Vendors line the paths in many areas where you can buy souvenirs, juices, tacos, ice cream, toys, and even lucha libre masks.







Eat
There are several restaurants inside Chapultepec Park as well as sidewalk cafes both in the park and on nearby streets. If you are on the northern side of Chapultepec (near the Museum of Anthropology or the Rufino Tamayo Museum, you may find some excellent nearby restaurants in the Polanco neighborhoods. If you are on the south side of the park, the restaurants of nearby Condesa might offer some great dining opportunities.

Drink
Soft drinks and bottled water are sold by sidewalk vendors throughout Section I of the park. Plan to bring your own drinks if you are visiting other, less heavily used sections of the park. Numerous restaurants in the park sell drinks (including alcoholic beverages) and nearby neighborhoods like Polanco and Condesa have numerous restaurants and convenience stores.

Sleep
Much of the area of this district is public park land so travelers will find many more hotels in neighboring districts that border Chapultepec. Parts of the nearby districts are within easy walking distance (no more than 2 Km) from Chapultepec Park. Look for more hotels in Polanco, Zona Rosa/Reforma, and Condesa.



Connect
All of Mexico City has excellent 5G cellular coverage with virtually no dead zones. Broadband internet is ubiquitous and almost all hotels and restaurants offer WiFi service. The city government also provides free WiFi access in public spaces such as local parks. See parent article for Mexico City for more details.