A VERY MODERN MEXICO
TEN YEARS AFTER HER FIRST VISIT, Lucy Halfhead DISCOVERS DELECTABLE DINING AND A THRIVING ARTS SCENE IN MEXICO’S MOST VIBRANT NEIGHBOURHOODS
Ten years after her first visit, our travel director fell back in love with the vibrant country
My love affair with Mexico started over a decade ago, while travelling around the world on a shoestring budget. My memories of its cosmopolitan capital had kept it high on my list of favourite places, and so, a decade on, I was curious to know: could it be as good as I remembered? Mexico City has had its fair share of troubles but today, revamped public spaces are bustling with life and the culinary scene is flourishing. We stayed at Condesa DF, in the city’s fashionable Condesa neighbourhood. Its 4O calming, airy suites take their cue from monastic cells and provide a peaceful haven amid the urban bustle. Foodies will love it there – you’ll find a fusion of Mexican and French cuisines at the hotel’s El Patio restaurant, and amazing sushi at its rooftop spot La Terraza, which has incredible views of Parque España and Chapultepec Castle.
THE STARTING POINT Mexico City
Venturing out of the hotel, there’s no shortage of places to eat your bodyweight in tacos, from cheap and cheerful taquerias – such as hole-in-the-wall spot Café de Tacuba (opt for the legendary breakfast enchiladas) – to fine dining at Pujol, where head chef Enrique Olvera serves food so popular you’ll need to make a reservation two months in advance. The sightseeing list is endless: we visited the former home of architect Luis Barragán, now a fantastic museum, and joined a tour of the Palacio Nacional, where Diego Rivera’s famous mural The History of Mexico gives a fascinating glimpse into the country’s history. We also ventured to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, boarding a trajinera (a gondola-like boat) to explore the waterways and artificial islands.
THE NEXT STOP San Miguel de Allende
We headed to the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, a UNESCO World Heritage site about three hours’ drive north of Mexico City in the cactus-studded state of Guanajuato. There are plenty of boutique hotels to choose from but, hoping for a traditional aesthetic, we checked into Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, which spans several historic buildings. It is laidback luxury at its finest: no two rooms are the same, but all offer sumptuous interiors, and there’s a secluded pool and several stellar dining options. It’s also perfectly located, just a few blocks from the main plaza, El Jardin: a fairy-tale scene beneath the neo-Gothic pink church, La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. The city is best explored on foot: its network of cobbled streets in El Centro – the almost 5OO-year-old city’s oldest district – are often steep and uneven, so prepare for a workout. At every turn, we found colonial buildings with wrought iron balconies and tumbling floral displays, and caught glimpses of leafy courtyards behind antique doors. We spent hours strolling around and browsing in shops selling artesanías (handicrafts), from intricately painted ceramics and woven bags to whimsical día de los muertos figures, before snapping up souvenirs at hip outlets Mercado Collective and Mixta.
With our daily step count at a record high, thankfully we were never far from a street vendor selling fresh churros, served warm and sugary in paper bags. You certainly won’t go hungry in San Miguel, with an innovative dining scene that encompasses cool food courts like Dôce 18, high-end modern cuisine at The Restaurant and more rooftop hotspots than you can shake a stick at. The Rosewood hotel’s Luna bar was our favourite place to linger at sunset with a margarita and watch the sky shift from blue to a brilliant pink above the city.
WHERE TO VISIT The day trips
While there’s more than enough to keep you occupied in the heart of the city, we embarked on some excursions further afield, including a soak in the crystal-clear thermal waters at La Gruta spa’s indoor hot spring and a mesmerising tour of The Chapel of Jimmy Ray Gallery – the home and passion project of American artist Anado McLauchlin and his partner Richard. It has to be seen to be believed (all glittering mosaics, effigies made of sticks and bedazzled cow skulls). Sensory extravaganza complete, we stopped at San Miguel’s 88hectare botanical garden, where paths wind through cacti and around a deep canyon with a sparkling freshwater spring.
THE FINAL DESTINATION Isla Holbox
Having been enchanted by the storybook city, we went back on the road to our final destination, Isla Holbox. This charming fishing village is the preserve of in-the-know travellers willing to go off the beaten track, and so remains unspoilt, without cars or tarmac roads. Our home for the weekend was Casa Las Tortugas, a chic hideaway just a stone’s throw from the beach.
" IN SAN MIGUEL'S BOTANICAL GARDEN, PATHS WIND TROUGH magnificient cach AND AROUND A DEEP CANYON WITH A SPARKLING SPRING"
Rooms cluster around a courtyard by the pool, with cloud-like loungers for sleepy afternoons curled up with a book. We relished the chance to practise yoga in the hotel’s lovely studio, and drank sundowners in pretty gardens lit by fairy lights and lanterns. Our routine was simple: a breakfast of pastries and a rainbow of fruits, before getting lost in the sandy lanes, admiring the street art and popping into shacks selling trinkets and tacos. By night, a host of restaurants enticed us in, from Rosa Mexicano, with its playful swing seats and guacamole made at the table, to an unforgettable feast of lobster pizza (the island’s trademark) at Roots. We loved listening to live music at La Combi Holbox before dancing at Hot Corner: an open-air bar with potent mojitos and conga lines spilling onto the street.
On our last morning, we set out early in search of flamingos, which you can find on the island from April to October. Getting to them isn’t easy, but the scenery is beautiful – borrow bicycles from the hotel and cycle along the coast, parking up at Las Nubes de Holbox hotel before entering the protected land. From here, it’s an hour’s trek along the Punta Mosquito sandbar at low tide. And there they were: with impossibly skinny legs dancing in the shallows to free up food from the seabed – a surreal sight to wrap up our magical Mexican adventure.
GETTING THERE British Airways has return flights from London Heathrow to Mexico City from £683. Condesa DF, from £220 per night. Belmond Casa de Sierra Nevada, from £305 per night. Casa Las Tortugas, from £129 per night
" LINGER AT A ROOFTOP BAR WITY A MARGARITA AND WATCH THE SKY SHIFT FROM BLUE to brilliant pink ABOVE THE CITY'S ROOFTOPS"