Mexico City/Coyoacán

This relatively large area in the southwest of Mexico City has always been a counterculture hotbed. This is where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived, a few blocks away from Leon Trotsky (their houses are now the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Leon Trotsky Museum, respectively), and the tranquil residential area, with parks, squares, and cobblestone streets, is now a favourite spot for the bohemia set.

Understand
Coyoacán (from Nahuatl: place of coyotes) has been populated since pre-Hispanic times, when it was a settlement on the southern shore of Lake Texcoco. During and after the conquest it was Spain's headquarters for several years; some of the oldest Spanish buildings still standing in Mexico are located here. The city was independent until well into the mid-20th century, when it was subsumed into Mexico City. Even today the district has retained its colonial charm, and when strolling in the old town center it is easy to forget that one is immersed in the megalopolis of greater Mexico City.

Coyoacán is also the seat of UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), the oldest university in North America and the largest in Latin America, which has itself been declared a UNESCO site. The active student body contributes to the bohemian and liberal atmosphere of the district.

By metro
Metro stations are not conveniently located to the Coyoacán center – don't let the existence of a Coyoacán station (Line 3) fool you. Be prepared for at least a twenty-minute walk from any of the nearest stations:, , , and (all on Line 3). The neighborhood is safe, so you shouldn't have a problem if you decide to walk from the metro. You may also approach from station (Line 2); take the Calle 20 de Agosto exit for a picturesque twenty minute walk to the Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky museums. serves the University City area and has connections to Pumabus. There is also a bike rental station called Bicipuma that could be useful because the area is bike friendly.

By microbus
If you don't fancy a 20-minute walk from Metro Coyoacan to the main square Plaza Hidalgo, you can take a microbus also known as a pesero. These are the small green and grey buses that can be seen breaking road rules all over the city. As you leave either exit of Metro Coyoacan, cross the to the other side of the large road directly outside the metro (Avenida Universidad). Peseros will stop outside all metro stations, and all display their destinations in the front windscreen. Look for a sign saying Plaza Hidalgo, or ask the driver.

By bus
If you are coming to Coyoacan from outside the Mexico City metro area, the best bus station to arrive/depart is Taxqueña (also known as Central de Sur). The bus station is about 10-15 minutes by taxi from most locations in Coyoacan.

Get around
Coyoacan is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Mexico City. Rideshare and taxi are good for longer distances. Metro is okay for getting to or from Coyoacan, but it only serves the northwest corner of the neighborhood and is of no value for getting around within Coyoacan.

There's a (taxi stand) on the corner of Caballocalco and Higuera, near the Plaza Hidalgo. Another taxi sitio is outside the Coyoacan Metro station and Centro Comercial Coyoacan.

The Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) operates a free bus service, called Pumabus, in and around the University City campus. 12 routes with 93 stops are covered by a large fleet of modern, environmentally friendly buses. The free service is available to all visitors as well as university students and staff. Buses pickup at the Universidad Metro station. See the official website for current schedules and route maps.

University City
The Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) is Mexico's largest university. The sprawling campus, called Ciudad Universitaria, is a city unto itself and contains a number of significant landmarks, museums, and cultural attractions. The entire campus is a, recognizing its breakthroughs in urban planning and architecture as well as its several murals by some of Mexico's most famous artists. The campus was also a host facility for the 1968 Olympic games.

Landmarks
In the general center of Coyoacán there is a pair of large squares, and, which together are the center for a lot of the activity in the area. On Saturdays and Sundays, there's an open-air market in the squares, mostly focusing on arts and crafts, clothes (a lot of tie-dye and T-shirts), piercings and tattoos. With a bit of selectivity, and some haggling, you can pick up a lot of interesting things here, and none of them are horribly touristy or tacky. There are also impromptu African dance performances, Aztec dancers, fortune tellers, and lots more to see. The market square is surrounded by cafes and restaurants, as well as a small 16th century church and a small public library. In the smaller streets nearby are even more cafes and restaurants, as well as stores selling antiques, clothes, crafts, and so on.

The small neighborhood around the Anahuacalli Museum has several nice cafes and a quiet charm; it is popular with university students and creative bohemian types.



Do

 * Wander the old churches around the neighborhood
 * Inspect the interesting crafts, souvenirs, and trinkets for sale in the central squares and surrounding markets, and watch children play with various entertaining toys, balloons, balls, etc.
 * Watch a music or dance performance

Viveros de Coyoacán National Park
A 39-hectare greenspace in the heart of Coyoacan, is one of Mexico's most interesting ecological projects.

Conceived by Miguel Angel de Quevedo in the early 20th century, this park is Mexico's oldest and largest tree nursery. Angel was alarmed at the deforestation he saw occurring in Mexico, particularly in the once verdant forests of Central Mexico, in the late 19th and early 20th century so he became an advocate for re-forestation. Key to his efforts was growing young trees that could be planted in damaged forest lands. In 1913, he grew 140,000 trees in this park. It was incorporated into the Mexico national parks system in 1938. Today, more than 1 million young trees are produced here for reforestation projects in other national parks, with another 1.5 million in two other tree nurseries operated by the Department of Forestry.

The park is a beautiful, serene setting with wide walking and jogging trails, numerous benches, and interpretive kiosks that identify tree species. More than 3,000 visitors enjoy the park each day, many coming to sit and feed the squirrels, which are notoriously unafraid of humans.

Sleep
There are not many hotels in Coyoacán, but there are quite a few privately owned apartments and rooms that can be booked on travel web sites. Beware of Airbnb listings which are (as is the case everywhere) prone to last-minute cancellations, absentee landlords, bait and switch, and exorbitant cleaning fees.



Connect
Cell service is excellent in Mexico City with several carriers providing 5G service with 100% coverage throughout the core city (including Coyoacan), though service may step down to 4G in parts of nearby Xochimilco.

For those with unlocked phones, travelers can purchase a pre-paid SIM card at (Parque Centenario 5) or at another branch of  in the Centro Coyoacán shopping center.

WiFi service is provided by virtually all hotels and restaurants and is provided by the CDMX city government as a free service in public parks throughout the city.

Go next
While you're in the southern part of Mexico City, take the time to explore nearby Xochimilco.

If you want to get out of the Mexico City area, use the Taxquena bus terminal (Central del Sur), which is a good choice for buses to Acapulco or Cuernavaca.