OZU /MEXICO /MEXICO CITY /GUIDE
Where to stay in Mexico City
1 h route4 stopsBest: All yearUpdated July 2026
La Roma and La Condesa were laid out in the early twentieth century as well-off districts and today are where nearly every first-time visitor stays: tree-lined streets, art deco buildings, cafés and restaurants everywhere, and walkable distances, which in this city is a luxury.
Both were badly damaged in the 1985 earthquake and many residents left. That they’re now the centre of the city’s young life is a fairly improbable second act. Choosing here or in the historic centre is the main decision.
The route, stop by stop
4 STOPS- 01
La Roma and La Condesa
Two adjoining and slightly different districts: La Condesa is arranged around two oval parks, México and España, with curved art deco buildings following the outline of what was a racecourse. La Roma is bigger, with wide avenues, Porfirian mansions and more galleries and bookshops. Both are safe, very walkable, full of places to eat, and a quarter of an hour by car from the historic centre. It’s the most comfortable area for a first visit, and the priciest.
- 02
The Centro Histórico
Sleeping here means having the Zócalo, the Templo Mayor, Bellas Artes and dozens of colonial buildings at the door, and seeing the centre early, before it fills. There are hotels in converted palaces with roof terraces facing the cathedral.
The trade-off: by day it’s a churn of commerce and people, and at night it empties considerably, especially towards the east.
Look at the specific street and move by taxi or app at night, more for convenience than anything else.
- 03
Polanco
Polanco holds the expensive, quiet end of the city: international hotels, fine-dining restaurants, brand shops on Avenida Presidente Masaryk and tree-lined residential streets. It adjoins the Chapultepec woods, so the Anthropology Museum and the castle are a walk away. It’s the choice for anyone travelling on business or wanting comfort and quiet. It has less street life than La Roma and everything closes earlier.
- 04
Coyoacán and San Ángel
To the south, Coyoacán and San Ángel keep the layout and feel of colonial villages: tree-filled squares, coloured houses, cobbled streets and markets. Coyoacán has Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul. San Ángel has a Saturday art market in a square. They’re lovely for a day and pleasant to sleep in if you want quiet, but they’re far from the centre and this city’s traffic turns that distance into a lot of time. Better for second visits or long stays.
Frequently asked
What’s the best area to stay in Mexico City?
La Roma or La Condesa for a first visit: safe, walkable, leafy and with the greatest concentration of places to eat, a quarter of an hour from the centre. The Centro Histórico if you’d rather have the monuments at the door, and Polanco for comfort and quiet beside Chapultepec.
Is Mexico City big?
Enormous, and the traffic is heavy, so distances are measured in time rather than kilometres. Which is why it pays to group plans by area (the centre one day, Chapultepec another, the south another) rather than crossing the city several times a day.