Coyoacán is the Art District of CDMX and the former stomping grounds of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. This was the first capital of New Spain in 1521 and a significant Aztec settlement before then, so there’s a lot of history here.
It takes about 30 minutes to cover the roughly six miles from central Mexico City to central Coyoacán, but it feels a world apart.
Many CDMX residents liken it to a village rather than a borough of the capital city, and many center-city residents make the trip down here for its slower pace and friendly locals.
After breakfast, we start our self-guided walking tour in Plaza Coyoacán—more specifically, at the Fuente de los Coyotes (Coyote fountain).
The name Coyoacán means “Place of Coyotes” in pre-Hispanic Nahuatl.
Central Coyoacán is teeming with leafy shade trees and Spanish-style cafes.
One of the big draws near the plaza is the Artisan Market. We had a quick look but didn’t linger. There didn’t seem to be a lot to distinguish it from the dozens of other artisan markets we’ve visited across Mexico, but we could have missed something.
Lori had done some research and put together a walking tour for us through town, which led us down a historic avenue to Callejón del Aguacate, a stonewalled alley showcasing an altar that is said to be haunted.
We didn’t notice anything unusual but decided not to press our luck and carried on.
Turning north, we soon find ourselves in the massive Viveros de Coyoacán.
The Viveros is no ordinary nursery. It’s a sprawling public park used for both recreation and reforestation projects. This is where Coyoacán residents come to work out, relax, and beat the heat.
No visit to Coyoacán would be complete without a visit to the Museo Frida Kahlo, also referred to as the Blue House. Lori visited many years ago and says it’s definitely worth a look. We begrudgingly decided to skip it this time around—it’s a bit expensive and you have to book your reservation days in advance.
Frida Kahlo was a famous painter and activist of the early 20th century who has gained a massive cult following, particularly since her death in 1954. Her partner, Diego Rivera, is also one of the most famous painters in Mexican history. It’s impossible to avoid artwork bearing Frida’s likeness across the entire country and around the globe.
A couple blocks south of the Frida Museum is Coyoacán Market, packed with an endless number of food stalls. However, we were here for one—the one and only Tostadas Coyoacán Las Originales.
Armed with only a fuzzy photo from google maps, we set out through the labyrinthine market looking for the place. Despite the bright yellow signage it was much more difficult than we thought it would be. Eventually, we struck gold…or yellow, rather.
This market stall is famous for its tostadas, of which there are numerous types to choose from.
After lunch, Noe and Lori had eye appointments scheduled while Riley and I continued our explorations.
But first, I thought we’d stop into this interesting looking (and tiny) coffee shop for a treat.
We had considered having breakfast here at Café Avellaneda but after visiting I’m not sure that would have been the right choice for us. Bar seating only and it’s popular and tight even on a weekday.
But it’s a great place for a cold brew…and something special to share.
We continued along Calle Higuera to Plaza de la Conchita hoping we’d find a playground. No playground here, but there is a bright yellow 16th century chapel.
A bit farther down the road, we found what we were looking for at Parque Frida Kahlo.
Riley, hanging out with Frida and Diego. Deeper in the park are a couple of playground sets mostly geared to younger kids but Riley didn’t mind.
All in all, we enjoyed our day trip to Coyoacán. I can definitely see the appeal (and why it’s become an expat magnet in recent years), but not sure I’d want to live so far away from the city center.
We were initially booked to stay through tomorrow night, but have decided to extend our stay for at least three more nights.
We have no plans to come back to Mexico City anytime soon, we went through a lot of effort to make this happen, and we’re enjoying ourselves—so…easy decision.
