Mexico City Guide
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- Official name: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States)
- Capital: Mexico City
- Language: None at federal level, Spanish (de facto)
- Religion: Mexico is predominantly Roman Catholic (about 89%). Also, 6% of the population adheres to various Protestant/Restoration faiths. Mexico is the nation with the second largest LDS population (a little less than 1%). The remaining 5% of the population adhere to other religions or profess no religion. Some of the country's Catholics mix Catholicism with various elements of Aztec or Mayan religions. There are estimated to be more than 45,000 Jews in Mexico today. Islam has 318,608 adherents, according to official data. Mexico has a very tiny Sikh population in the country of east Indian origin. The small number of Asian ethnic groups in Baja California have introduced Hinduism and Buddhism.
- Currency : Peso
- Visa: Citizens of the United States, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile and more or less all European countries do not need visas to visit Mexico
Mexico Sights and Museums
WHAT TO SEE
Mexico City is the world’s third biggest city. You can find whatever you want, just be careful.
- Acapulco where you find a romantic history of spice ships and pirates, tropical jungles and lagoons but also a glittering nightlife, high rise hotels and of course the famous daredevil cliff-divers.
- Baja California offers peaceful bays, imposing cliffs and a long coastline of white sand beaches.
- Teotihuacán can be found only 50km from Mexico D.F. It is what is left of the capital of Mesoamerica from the 2nd century BC to the 6th AD.
- Chihuahua-Pacífic Railway is 655km long and takes the traveller through a multitude of tunnels and canyons, to be exact the Sierra Tarahumara's sheer canyons, from Los Mochis on the Pacific coast with Chihuahua in the country's arid inland. The views are amazing and the whole trip is an adventure.
- Guadalajara is the capital city of the state of Jalisco and it is also the second most populated city in Mexico. Located in the Western-Pacific region, Guadalajara is known as La Perla del Occidente ("Pearl of the West") and Ciudad de las Rosas (“City of the Roses”). The city is also the birthplace of mariachi music and charreadas. This attractive city is considered by some to be the "most Mexican" city. Guadalajara is also the home to one of the most popular and beloved soccer teams in Mexico: Guadalajara.
- Oaxaca was built by the Spanish. It has one of the most dense indigenous populations of all the cities in Mexico which is reflected in the laid back but vivid street-life and the colourful and arts craft packed markets.
Mexico Entertainment
EVENTS
- January
06/01 - Día de los Santos Reyes - Three King's Day, the Epiphany or the day of the Three Wise Men is celebrated with colourful parades and figures dressed as camels and kings, throwing out candy and small gifts to the children. This is also when Mexico the Christmas presents are traditionally exchanged.
17/01 - San Antonio de Abad Celebration Day – The day when people take their farm animals to church, so that they can be blessed.
- February
Carnaval: it is a colorful and lively affair and shouldn’t be missed
05/02 - Día de la constitución – Constitution Day in Mexico
24/02 - Dia de la Bandera – Flag Day in Mexico
- April
Semana Santa ("Holy Week") beginning on Palm Sunday through to Easter Sundayit is signaling the ending of the 40 days of Lent. In Mexico this is the second most important religious festival, after Christmas.
- May
01/05 - Día del Trabajo - Labor Day
10/05 - Día de la Madre (Mother's Day) – this day especially meaningful because of the importance given to the matriarchal figure in Mexican culture.
- June
01/06 - Día de la Armada - Navy Day – Celebrated mostly in Mexico’s coastal cities, decorated ships are paraded and regattas are also held.
- September
16/09 - Día de la Independencia (Mexico’s Independence Day); this day commemorates the country’s long, hard struggle for independence from Spain. Miguel Hidalgo announced the Mexico’s revolt against Spanish rule.
- October
12/10 - Día de la Raza (Columbus Day); the day Colombus arrived in the Americas.
- November
02/11 - Día de los Muertos (All Soul's Day); the day Mexico honours the dead.
20/11 - Día de la Revolución (Revolution Day), the day in memory of the Mexico’s Revolution of 1910.
- December
06/12 - Las Posadas (Christmas Posadas); Christmas celebrations begin with this commemoration of the time when Joseph and Mary began looking for shelter in Bethlehem. The Christmas season and celebrations are a very important time for many Mexicans and last until January 6th.
12/12 Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Mexico's patron saint.
24 & 25/12 - Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) & Navidad (Christmas Day).
Mexico Transports
HOW TO GET THERE
- Most travellers arrive to Mexico by plane. Aeroméxico and Mexicana are the most known Mexican airlines, flying, as well as numerous international companies, to the majority of Mexico’s big cities.
- With car or bus you can cross the border from the United States at forty points, Guatemala and Mexico has 10 border-crossings.
TRANSPORTS
- By road: There are lots of federal highways (carreteras federales) in Mexico. Toll roads (in Spanish, autopistas) are named after the parallel free road, with the letter D added.
- By metro: The Mexico City Metro (formally: Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro or STC Metro) provides metro service to the central and northern area of the Mexican Federal District and surrounding municipalities in the State of México. A ticket from any station to any other currently costs MXN$2.00 (around USD$0.19).
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