6 outdoor activities to enjoy in Mexico City

Dynamic Mexico City is mainly known for its museums, historic buildings, world-class restaurants, markets and streets where you can find luxury boutiques and craft stores alike.

It is a multifaceted city that also offers enjoyable outdoor experiences that everyone, visitors and locals alike, can do at any time of the year.

If you want to enjoy the Mexican capital in a different way, here are 6 outdoor activities you can do in Mexico City.

#1 Picnic in Chapultepec Forest

Chapultepec Forest will always be one of the main places to enjoy outdoor activities in Mexico City.

Although you can do a wide variety of things here, one of the favorite activities is to have a picnic in its green areas. We propose two options:

1. Have a picnic around the lake in the first section of the forest. After your picnic, you can take the opportunity to go up to Chapultepec Castle, take a walk through the Botanical Garden, or be part of one of the cultural events held at Casa del Lago.
2. Have a picnic near the Cárcamo de Dolores in the second section of the forest. This area is charming, and you can see the impressive Tláloc fountain created by Diego Rivera and enter the Museo del Cárcamo de Dolores, where you can see a mural (also by Rivera) made especially to be underwater.

There’s a lot to do and see in Chapultepec Forest, so we recommend you to read our blog "Discovering Chapultepec Forest" to learn about other amazing places and areas you can visit here.

#2 Sunday bike ride

Every Sunday, from 8 am to 2 pm, some of the city's streets are closed so that residents can enjoy a relaxing bike ride (some go on roller skates or just walking). Mainly, it is Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, the street that closes part of its vehicular flow for this activity.

This is a great plan to get to know the city from another point of view, besides being an excellent activity to feel like a local. On your route, you can stop for breakfast at a restaurant with a terrace or visit a museum and then continue the ride.

And where do you get the bikes? Well, you can get a temporary plan (1, 3 or 7 days) of Ecobici, the public bicycle system of CDMX. Also, on Paseo de la Reforma you can find some bike loan kiosks.

#3 Xochimilco Canals

The canals of Xochimilco had existed since pre-Hispanic times when they were a commercial route between the different towns that now form Mexico City. Today, some locals still navigate them to trade their agricultural production, and they are also an interesting tourist attraction.

Navigating these ancient canals aboard a colorful trajinera while you eat something delicious and watch other trajineras pass by with musicians ready to play the songs you want is an outdoor experience that you will enjoy a lot.

#4 City’s National Parks

Mexico City has protected wooded areas with an immense variety of flora and fauna. These areas are known as National Parks, and you can visit them to enjoy a day immersed in nature.

Los Dinamos, Desierto de los Leones and Cumbres del Ajusco National Park are some of the favorites and the ones we recommend you to visit. You can do different activities: hiking, picnics, biking, and eating Mexican antojitos. In addition, you will be amazed by the beauty of their landscapes.

#5 La Mexicana Park

Continuing with the city's parks, La Mexicana is an incredible green space located in the middle of Santa Fe's ultra-modern urban landscape. It's not a National Park, it's just a park like many others in the city, but it's worth a visit.

Surrounded by skyscrapers that look like something out of a futuristic movie, in its more than 30 hectares, there are bodies of water, restaurants with terraces, cafes, areas for relaxing and picnics, a skatepark, and even an outdoor amphitheater where all kinds of artistic events are presented.

#6 Ángela Peralta Theater

Finally, this list would not be complete without mentioning the Ángela Peralta Theater, located in Lincoln Park in the heart of Polanco.

This fantastic open-air forum hosts mainly concerts, but also cultural presentations of different kinds.

Enjoying a jazz concert under the moonlight on a warm night is an experience that will stay forever in your memory.

These are the 6 outdoor activities we recommend you to do on your next visit to the beautiful Mexico City. We are sure you will enjoy them to the fullest.

At Central Hoteles, we are waiting for you to offer you the best lodging experience in the heart of the city’s Historic Center. Our Central Care team is always at your service to help you with everything you need during your stay.

We look forward to seeing you soon!