Plaza de Coyoacan

Coyoacan is a place I liked very much. It has colonial/barroque style architecture on the surroundings of its central plaza. The central square has a kiosk, a church and also you may find people trying to seel their handcrafts, offering to read you tarot cards among other things.

You'll be having a nice time just by wandering on the surrounding of the Coyoacan central square, drinking at one of its many cafés, and visiting the bookstores spread all over the place.

There are also Bazaars where you can get many souvenirs of all sorts, markets that sell al kinds of stuff from artcrafts to food and of course there is also the Frida Kahlo museum.

Note: I love bookstores, librarys and Cafés, so anything that has 2 out of those 3 deserves a 5 star rating from me...maybe not so much for you.

One of the more interesting corners of Mexico City is the square at Coyoacan. On any day of the week, it is an interesting place to visit and go for a walk. One of Mexico's most beautiful examples of barroque arquitecture sits across the street from the main square in Coyoacan. The inside of the church is beautifully decorated with gold and frescoes that tell a series of biblical stories. Unlike so many other churches in Mexico, the overall impression is of light and of beauty. A wonderful former convent next door has gardens with founatains and is a place of solitude and quiet. Outside, though the air is more festive.

This is especially true on weekends. Sunday night is the most popular time for people to amble to the Plaza. This is one of the few places in Mexico where the upper classes mingle with the Mexican middle class and all, in turn cross paths with the native Indian population. The square is basically an open stage for anyone and everyone, and groups of spectators crowd at different points around the square to listen to a group of Mariachis, or a group of Latin American music. A different corner may host a mime, while just down from there, painters will work on their pop art with dozens of people watching. Little kiosks sell everything from tacos to cotton candy, and cafes along the edges serve up the sangria and coffee. A small market with all kinds of handicrafts has set up in one section, and churros and hot chocolate are for sale around the corner.

The crowds can be overwhelming on a Saturday or Sunday night, but if you can snag a good table at a cafe, there is no better place to people watch. Indians in their typical outfits, a group of men in tuxedos headed into church for a wedding, hippy college students, families out for a walk in the evening, well-dressed teenagers out for the evening, tourists with their big cameras, a woman taking her pet snake out for a walk, it can all be found in Coyoacan. After a long evening out, you almost wonder, did I dream up the carnival, or was it real? That is Coyoacan on the weekend.