Viva mexico

Set over 2400m up in its shallow mountain bowl and crammed with over 20 million people (from fewer than five million in 1960), MEXICO CITY is one of the world's most densely populated urban areas, said to receive a thousand immigrants each day from the rest of the country. At times frustrating, the longer you spend there the more rewarding it can become,

with unstructured wandering throwing up all sorts of surprises, and in a few days you can get around the main sights and soak up a good deal of the vibrant atmosphere. Despite a certain seediness found amidst the elegance of the new quarters and the genteel decay of the older parts of the city, the capital is nowhere near as intimidating as you might expect. Nonetheless, you may still prefer to take in the city a couple of days at a time, taking off in between to the smaller neighbouring colonial cities to recharge. You'll also find the city easier still if you acclimatize to the country first - if at all possible try not to spend too long here when you first arrive.

As you fly in or arrive by bus over the mountains, you'll catch glimpses of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl, the volcanoes which every visitor used to admire, and which Sybille Bedford, author of a book on Mexico in the early 1950s, described as "Japanese-contoured shapes of pastel blue and porcelain snow, and thin formal curls of smoke afloat in a limpid sky". These days, "Popo" is more often perceived as a threat, with the international press depicting its recent activity as a major menace to the capital. In reality, the volcano is 65km away, and though dust may temporarily close the airport during major outpourings, the city is highly unlikely to get smothered. The volcanoes are now rarely visible from the centre, courtesy of the city's pollution, which compensates by diffracting the light and producing wonderful golden sunsets

Mexico City comes with an unenviable reputation for overcrowding, grime and crime. To some extent this is deserved, but things have improved a lot over the last few years, and in general they're no worse than you might expect of a city of the same size and population elsewhere in the world, and often a lot better. Certainly none of these issues is reason enough not to visit, and the frenetic atmosphere is part of what makes this such a fascinating city.

For clarity, we've referred to Mexico's capital as Mexico City throughout this guide, though its literal translation "Ciudad de México" is rarely used. To Mexicans it is known simply as México, La Ciudad or El DF (El "day effay") - the Distrito Federal being the administrative zone that contains most of the urban areas. It's a source of infinite confusion to visitors, but the fact is that the country took its name from the city, and "México" in conversation almost always means the latter. The nation is La República, or occasionally in speeches La Patria - very rarely is it referred to as Mexico.

For all its size and frantic pace, once you're used to it Mexico City is surprisingly easy to get around, with an efficient and very cheap public transport system as well as reasonably priced taxis.

You'll want to walk around the cramped streets of the centre, but remember the altitude - walking gets tiring quickly, especially for the first day or so. If you're heading for Chapultepec or the Zona Rosa, you're better off taking the bus or Metro - it's an interesting walk all the way down Reforma, but a very long one. As for the outer suburbs, you've got no choice but to rely on taxis or public transport. You'll save a lot of hassle if you avoid travelling during rush hour (about 7-9am & 6-8pm).

Tours that take in the city and often include the surrounding area are available from most of the more expensive hotels, and from specialist operators such as Gray Line, Londres 166 (tel 5208-1163); Maxi Tours, Amberes 69 (tel 5525-6812); and American Express, with various locations around the city (tel 5326-2877).

Rental cars are available from the airport and elsewhere, but it is generally better to wait until you are ready to leave the city before renting. If you already have a car, it's advisable to choose a hotel with secure parking and leave it there for the duration of your stay, except possibly to do a tour of the south of the city. Driving in the city is a nightmare, compounded by confusing one-way and through-route systems, by the impossibility of finding anywhere to park and by traffic police who can spot foreign plates a mile off and know a potential "fine" when they see one. If you insist on driving, note that the "Green Angels" that operate throughout the rest of the country do not operate within Mexico City: for breakdown help call the AAM (equivalent of the AA or the AAA) on 5578-7531.

Eating out seems to be the main pastime in the capital, with restaurants, cafés, taquerías and juice stands on every block, many of them very reasonably priced, even in the heart of the Zona Rosa, along Reforma or just off the Zócalo. As throughout the country, those on a tight budget wanting to eat well should make their main meal a late lunchtime comida. It is still the main meal for working people, but evening dining is very much the norm in restaurants frequented by the well-heeled. Costs vary enormously. There are excellent bargains to be found all over the city in small restaurants and taquerías, but as you move up into the mid-range places you'll be paying something approaching what you would at home. At the top end you can soon find yourself paying big money, especially if you order something decent from the wine menu.

The choice of where to eat is almost limitless in Mexico City, ranging from traditional coffee houses to fast-food lunch counters, and taking in Japanese, French, Spanish , expensive international and rock-bottom Mexican cooking along the way. There's even a small Chinatown of sorts where a cluster of Chinese restaurants line C Dolores, just south of the Alameda. There are also the traditional food stalls in markets throughout the city. Merced is the biggest, but not a terribly pleasant place to eat: at the back of the Plaza Garibaldi, there's a market hall given over to nothing but food stands, each vociferously competing with its neighbours.

There's a vast amount going on in Mexico City, which is the nation's cultural and social centre as much as its political capital. Dedicated bars are dotted all over the city and range from dirt-cheap dives to the classy cigar bars of the swanky hotels, but there's little in the way of comfortable moderately priced bars. The bottom rung is occupied by pulquerías and cantinas , from where it is a major step up to hotel bars (most of which are in the centre) or to the established night spots in well-touristed enclaves.

A lot of the obvious nightlife , especially in the larger hotels, is rather tame in its attempt to be sophisticated, but in recent years the live music scene has broadened appreciably. Finding what you want can still be hit and miss, a process full of disappointments but with occasional delights. Sometimes the genuinely appealing stuff is tucked away in less visited parts of the city, but by assiduous trawling of the listings magazines and following our recommendations, there's no shortage of diverting stuff to do in tried and tested areas. Rock and Latin music are common with US chart music and Europop filling in around that, but you'll also come across Cuban grooves, deep trance beats and even live jazz. Many of the best venues are to be found in the south, towards Coyoacán and San Ángel, but the Zona Rosa and Condesa are also good stomping grounds, and if you want to hang with the beautiful people there are several classy joints in Polanco.

Set over 2400m up in its shallow mountain bowl and crammed with over 20 million people (from fewer than five million in 1960), MEXICO CITY is one of the world's most densely populated urban areas, said to receive a thousand immigrants each day from the rest of the country. At times frustrating, the longer you spend there the more rewarding it can become,

with unstructured wandering throwing up all sorts of surprises, and in a few days you can get around the main sights and soak up a good deal of the vibrant atmosphere. Despite a certain seediness found amidst the elegance of the new quarters and the genteel decay of the older parts of the city, the capital is nowhere near as intimidating as you might expect. Nonetheless, you may still prefer to take in the city a couple of days at a time, taking off in between to the smaller neighbouring colonial cities to recharge. You'll also find the city easier still if you acclimatize to the country first - if at all possible try not to spend too long here when you first arrive.

As you fly in or arrive by bus over the mountains, you'll catch glimpses of Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl, the volcanoes which every visitor used to admire, and which Sybille Bedford, author of a book on Mexico in the early 1950s, described as "Japanese-contoured shapes of pastel blue and porcelain snow, and thin formal curls of smoke afloat in a limpid sky". These days, "Popo" is more often perceived as a threat, with the international press depicting its recent activity as a major menace to the capital. In reality, the volcano is 65km away, and though dust may temporarily close the airport during major outpourings, the city is highly unlikely to get smothered. The volcanoes are now rarely visible from the centre, courtesy of the city's pollution, which compensates by diffracting the light and producing wonderful golden sunsets

Mexico City comes with an unenviable reputation for overcrowding, grime and crime. To some extent this is deserved, but things have improved a lot over the last few years, and in general they're no worse than you might expect of a city of the same size and population elsewhere in the world, and often a lot better. Certainly none of these issues is reason enough not to visit, and the frenetic atmosphere is part of what makes this such a fascinating city.

For clarity, we've referred to Mexico's capital as Mexico City throughout this guide, though its literal translation "Ciudad de México" is rarely used. To Mexicans it is known simply as México, La Ciudad or El DF (El "day effay") - the Distrito Federal being the administrative zone that contains most of the urban areas. It's a source of infinite confusion to visitors, but the fact is that the country took its name from the city, and "México" in conversation almost always means the latter. The nation is La República, or occasionally in speeches La Patria - very rarely is it referred to as Mexico.

For all its size and frantic pace, once you're used to it Mexico City is surprisingly easy to get around, with an efficient and very cheap public transport system as well as reasonably priced taxis.

You'll want to walk around the cramped streets of the centre, but remember the altitude - walking gets tiring quickly, especially for the first day or so. If you're heading for Chapultepec or the Zona Rosa, you're better off taking the bus or Metro - it's an interesting walk all the way down Reforma, but a very long one. As for the outer suburbs, you've got no choice but to rely on taxis or public transport. You'll save a lot of hassle if you avoid travelling during rush hour (about 7-9am & 6-8pm).

Tours that take in the city and often include the surrounding area are available from most of the more expensive hotels, and from specialist operators such as Gray Line, Londres 166 (tel 5208-1163); Maxi Tours, Amberes 69 (tel 5525-6812); and American Express, with various locations around the city (tel 5326-2877).

Rental cars are available from the airport and elsewhere, but it is generally better to wait until you are ready to leave the city before renting. If you already have a car, it's advisable to choose a hotel with secure parking and leave it there for the duration of your stay, except possibly to do a tour of the south of the city. Driving in the city is a nightmare, compounded by confusing one-way and through-route systems, by the impossibility of finding anywhere to park and by traffic police who can spot foreign plates a mile off and know a potential "fine" when they see one. If you insist on driving, note that the "Green Angels" that operate throughout the rest of the country do not operate within Mexico City: for breakdown help call the AAM (equivalent of the AA or the AAA) on 5578-7531.

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