I imagine one rarely associates Mexico City with beautiful parks! In fact, I never really thought about it myself until recently. It was only when I started thinking about home that I began to miss the things that I love like family, friends, food and the great outdoors!
I spent all of my life living in Ireland, where there are no huge cities, towering buildings, harmful pollution or even densely populated areas, so moving to Mexico City was a significant change for me, and looking for or finding anything here that helps me feel more comfortable is ideal!
Mexico City really is a concrete jungle! It is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, there is very little natural beauty left, there are hundreds of towering buildings, and the pollution is terrible!
Butttt! It ain't all that bad to be fair, amongst all of the noise, the hustle and bustle, there are actually quite a few gems here that are worth checking out.
Bosque de Chapultepec
Not only is Chapultepec the biggest park in Mexico, but it is also one of the biggest parks in the entire western hemisphere. With the park being so massive you can expect that there is a lot for one to see, do and enjoy here!
One of the best things to do in Chapultepec is to visit the famous Chapultepec Castle that is situated right in the heart of the park.
The castle has a long, colourful and tragic history, only when exploring its walls, you get the feeling that if this castle could speak, it would have some amazing stories to tell.
If you are interested in learning some of the histories of the castle, you can read more about it over here.
Apart from the castle being one of the obvious reasons to visit the park, there are also a ton of other gems and treasures that are worth looking for:
La Feria Chapultepec Magico
A theme park located inside the park! That's right, the park is that big that there is a theme park located inside of it. This is an excellent choice for a family day out, with rides, rollercoasters and food, what's not too like.
Visit one of the many Museums
There is something here for everyone, with more than four different museums for you to check out like Museo Tamayo, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Anthropology, and the National History Museum, this is history/art lovers paradise.
Check out the Market
There is a great market that has hundreds of different Mexican vendors selling all kinds of things! You can find everything from traditional gifts, folk-art or food, clothes and pretty much anything you can imagine to find in a Mexican market.
I'll leave it there for now, but Chapultepec park is easily one of my favourite places in the city I now call home.
Parque México, Condesa
Not quite on the same level as Chapultepec, but Parque Mexico is a great place to find some peace & quiet from the surrounding noisy city.
This park is one of the highlights of Mexico City, attracting thousands of tourists every day, mostly due to it being located in the trendy neighbourhood of Condesa, it's great finding such a gem that can help you get away from it all, if even only for a little while!
While the park does have a little lake and some monuments for you to admire, there aren't quite as many options to choose from like the previous entry, but this park has the got the advantage of being surrounded by so many cafes, trendy bars, fantastic restaurants and great street food vendors!
Cafe de Olla
I recommend picking up a coffee (Cafe de Olla) a traditional Mexican coffee, and make your way to the park, have a bite to eat, sit down, and relax for a while!
If it wasn't for the Mexican food and coffee I was enjoying, I could almost forget that I was in this giant foreign city.
Parque Alameda, Centro Histórico
Once again, we find ourselves a little further away from what many would consider to be a traditional park, to be fair, this park is really more walkway than it is a park.
Even though it doesn't quite remind of home, I would still consider this to be a special place worth visiting, In fact, I would say most people who have visited Mexico City have most likely visited this park or area, whether they realise it or not.
Alameda park is as central as it gets, you won't find a more visited or accessible park anywhere in the country!
If you find yourself trekking around the city all day, visiting museum after museum or even just taking a leisurely stroll around the famous Centro Historico, this is the place to sit down and rest those tired legs.
Street Food
Around this entire area, you will find some incredible street food, coffee, drinks and traditional folk art, Mexican vendors have set up shop literally everywhere, If you are visiting for the first time I highly recommend that you try Cafe de Olla and enjoy a Mexican Torta.
Folk-Art
Also be on the lookout for little stalls selling traditional Mexican Folk Art, bringing home an Alebrije or a Huichol is a great little reminder of your visit, plus you will also be supporting a local who most likely makes considerably less than you.
Parque Masayoshi Ôhira, Coyoacán
This is easily one of my favourite places to be in the entire city! I love Coyoacán, I find myself visiting this area of Mexico City more so than anywhere else.
While the park itself is only small, it serves as a great place to meet up with friends, have a coffee or read a book, what really makes this place special though is the trendy neighbourhood in which it is located.
Coyoacán is a cultural melting pot, the area itself is not too big and also not so small that overcrowding becomes an issue, I have met people from Canada the U.S and European countries all in this neighbourhood, it's the perfect place to hang about for a day!
Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones
Fantastic for a great day trip, this park is located roughly only 20-minutes from Mexico City centre, surrounded by lush forests, towering trees and beautiful mountains, you could almost forget that this is a park in a bustling city.
This is the park of choice for those who love all things outdoor, hikers, runners, mountain bikers and just your average nature nut will defiantly love this place!
Old Monastery
In the park you can find an old monastery that was built in the 17th-century, much of the old convent still stands today, I wouldn't exactly call it a museum but you can take a tour or explore the grounds and ruins, you can find things like the monks’ cells and also the ancient catacombs where bodies would be kept.
Best Views of the City
I'm an avid mountain biker myself, so getting to those peak points is what I aim to do, getting to the top or outskirts of this park provide some spectacular views of Mexico City to say the least.
Los Dinamos
This is another magnificent park which can be found on the outskirts of the city centre, just like the last park mentioned, I would consider this park to be better suited to those of you nature lovers out there!
I would also say this is one of those places that you really wouldn't expect to find in such a vast city, but it really does serve as a great reminder that no matter where you are in the world, you are never far from beautiful landscapes and nature.
Mountain Biking
This is the place for mountain biking! I would give a slight preference to this over the last mention for biking, as I think it's easier to find more diverse and challenging landscapes if that is what you are looking for.
Dangers!
I would also consider this park to be the most dangerous place on this list, it has gained quite the bad reputation over the years, this is mainly due to the fact of criminals finding easy pickings.
Couples or families taking hikes or walks in the upper parts of the park will find themselves far from help if looking for it! So with this in mind, I can't recommend this place to visit for a family adventure or a leisurely stroll for a couple.
If you are planning to visit, apply common sense, visit early in the day and on weekends, you most likely won't have a problem.