Fashionable and upmarket, Polanco is one of the most popular neighborhoods in Mexico City. Here you’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants, plus a host of cultural offerings including the Soumaya Museum and Museum of Anthropology. Looking for more? Here are the best things to do in Polanco.
Plaza Uruguay is a small wooded park in the middle of Polanco, a relaxing location perfect for taking a break from the busy city. Inside the plaza, you’ll find a bronze statue of General José Artigas, a Uruguayan leader who is often named the father of the Uruguayan independence movement.
Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros
Art Gallery, Museum, Building
The Polyforum Cultural Siqueiros is a multi-functional exhibition space designed by celebrated Mexican muralist, David Alfaro Siqueiros. The main attraction here is the Forum Universal, which houses La Marcha de la Humanidad (The March of Humanity), the largest mural Siqueiros ever painted.
The Soumaya Museum contains the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s private collection of art, sculptures and other items. Painters such as Picasso, Renoir, Dali, Van Gogh and many notable Mexican artists feature in the exhibition. The collection of more than 66,000 pieces has been split into two buildings due to the sheer quantity of items; one in Plaza Loreto, which is itself a stunning piece of modern architecture, and the other in Plaza Carso.
Tianguis
Market, Park
Tianguis is the Aztec name given to street markets; these temporary markets (typically weekly or monthly) stretch far back through Mexican history and remain an important part of Mexican culture. Head to the Saturday tianguis in Lincoln Park to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, tacos and other Mexican snacks.
The Museum of Anthropology is the most visited museum in the country, containing one of the largest collections of Mayan artefacts in the world, from pre-Columbian civilizations to the time of the Spanish conquest. The museum is located in a building designed by Pedro Ramirez Vazquez in 1963; a piece of architectural artwork itself.
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Shopping on Avenida Presidente Masaryk
Shop, Building, Architectural Landmark
Considered the Champs-Élysées of Mexico, Avenida Presidente Masaryk is one of the most expensive, yet most popular, shopping streets in the country. It is the cosmopolitan vibe of this boulevard that has helped Polanco to cement a reputation as an upmarket area. A wander down the avenue is a chance to buy all the top Mexican and international brands.
The Rufino Tamayo Gallery
Museum, Art Gallery
Giovanni Carrada / Unsplash
The Rufino Tamayo Gallery offers contemporary art within Bosque de Chapultepec. Founder Rufino Tamayo, a Mexican artist himself, opened the museum in 1981 to display the great works of modern artists such as Picasso and Fernand Léger. This gallery was the first of its kind to be built with private funds in Mexico, and is now operated by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes.
Teatro Telcel
Theater
Six floors underground you’ll find the best-equipped auditorium in Latin America, with an advanced sound system so that everything on stage can be heard from any point in the audience as if it were only six meters away. The design of the theater is reminiscent of ancient Aztec temples.
Calzada de los Poetas
Park
Within Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the largest city parks in the world, is Calzada de los Poetas. This is a beautiful walkway dedicated to 10 of the most celebrated national poets and writers. The beautiful plants and tranquil natural surroundings add to the magic of the walk, which is alive with the best of Mexican culture, history and poetry.
Born to Chilean parents in London, but brought up in Buckinghamshire, Paula has benefitted from a multicultural lifestyle. An inexplicable love for even the most complicated grammar motivated her to study French and Russian at the University of Oxford. She had the opportunity of spending most of her year abroad in Yaroslavl’, Russia, but also of travelling around Belgium and France. Although devoted to world literature, there isn’t a moment where you won’t find Paula either listening to or playing music, whether it is rock, metal, classical, South American folk or Latin. This little addiction however does allow time for Paula to enjoy other passions, including fencing and chain-watching detective TV series.
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