The Top 10 Things You Must Do In Polanco, Mexico City
Fashionable and upmarket, Polanco is one of Mexico City‘s most popular neighborhoods. Famous for its shopping and restaurants, Polanco is also full of culture and history too. We pick the 10 must-dos while you’re in the area.
Plaza Uruguay is a small wooded park in the middle of Polanco, a relaxing location which is perfect for taking a break from the busy city. Inside the Plaza Uruguay, you can find a bronze statue of General José Artigas, a dignitary of Uruguay. Montevideo donated the statue to the park, thus giving it its name.
The Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros is a fascinating display of the artwork by David Alfaro Siqueiros. The 20th Century Mexican artist, who specialized in murals, also created numerous paintings, drawings and graphic works. Before his death in 1974, Siqueiros donated all of his work to the public, opening the doors of the artist’s world to the citizens and tourists of Mexico.
The Soumaya Museum contains the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s private collection of art, sculpture and other items. Painters such as Picasso, Renoir, Dali, Van Gogh and many notable Mexican artists feature in the exhibition. The collection of over 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 is the Aztec name that was given to weekly street markets, and still used today. The idea of a temporary market that sets up either weekly or monthly is one which stretches far back through Mexican history and remains an important part of Mexican culture. Today, tianguis are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, tacos and other Mexican snacks, providing an easy way for tourists to taste the flavors of modern-day Mexico and immerse themselves in an authentic local scene.
The Museum of Anthropology is the most visited museum in the country, containing one of the world’s largest collections of Mayan artifacts, from pre-Columbian Mexico and pre-Hispanic civilizations up 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. A single column supports the renowned umbrella roof, symbolizing the three important pre-Hispanic symbols of a mythological tree, eagles and jaguars.
Dining and cuisine is a huge part of Polanco’s image and you can find some of Mexico’s and indeed Latin America’s best restaurants here, such as the renowned Pujol and Quintonil.
Considered to be Mexico’s Champs-Élysées, Avenida Presidente Masaryk is famous for being 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 its reputation as an upmarket area. A wander down the avenue is a chance to buy all the top Mexican and international brands, albeit at a price.
This sophisticated and stylish theater is Polanco’s newest addition to its creative scene, supporting the arts and culture in all its forms. 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. With its platforms and terraces, the theater’s architecture is reminiscent of the ancient Aztec temples.
Located within Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the world’s largest city parks, 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 Mexico’s culture, history and poetry.
The Rufino Tamayo Gallery offers contemporary art within the Bosque de Chapultepec. Its 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.
