INFORMATION ABOUT TRAVELING TO MEXICO

As a traveling destination, Mexico City is a must. It has been since pre-Hispanic times! Those BALAS scholars participating in the BALAS 2023 Conference will be visiting what has been the center of trade and political power of all Mesoamerica, accounting today for almost one-fourth of the gross domestic product of the whole nation. Dare you pass this invitation to be part of history?

For those whose travel agendas include sampling the culinary delights of the host city, Mexico City offers a wide range of options in exciting gastronomy. If you wish to explore the dishes of Mexico City, or if your tastebuds crave for spices hailing from all corners of the nation, the capital city has it. You might want to snack on a tlayuda or tlacoyo, or try a dish of mole or pozole, or tacos al pastor (declared in 2019 by Test Atlas the best dish in the world.) And if you are lucky, you might get the chance to drink the delicate cocoa foam of the ancestral pozol, once worthy of the emperor alone. Can you already taste these gourmet delicacies? 

For sure, Mexico is at the top of options for cultural activities, and spectacular sites to visit. Mexico City is the second city in the world with the most museums, such as the Museo Nacional de Antropología, encompassing Mexico’s wide range of pre-Hispanic cultures in one single complex of buildings, or the Museo Soumaya, holding one of the most extensive and complete art collections in the world of European and Mexican masters, and the intimate Casa Azul of Mexican icons Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. 

The city’s soothing climate can vary from 78°-55° Fahrenheit (26°-13° Celsius) from June-July. This makes it perfect for exploring the magical architecture of Chapultepec Castle or the Palacio de Bellas Artes, or taking a car ride around Paseo La Reforma, which modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, runs across the heart of the city. No doubt, you do not want to miss these iconic must visit destinations in Mexico City.

For the seasoned traveler with yearnings for serious archeological endeavors we have some tips: If you want to learn about the pre-Hispanic foundations of the current megalopolis, you should visit the Templo Mayor at the Zócalo, although you may also want to take the daytrip to the imposing Teotihuacán, a city so mysterious the Aztecs themselves thought the gods once lived there.