Mexico City – buzz galore, a joy to behold. So many things to do, to see, to explore, discover and enjoy.

Chapultepec Park – double the size (1,695 acres) of New York’s Central Park – a great place to start.

One could spend days here, given what it has to offer.

We went on a Sunday – a favourite for Mexican families – when most major streets in Mexico City are closed to cars.

After the park we went for a leisurely stroll, ending up at the nearby Palace of Arts aka The Cathedral of Art.

A gorgeous Art Deco building, the palace, an apt description, it hosts art exhibits and music recitals.

The inside – one of the finest examples of the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movement – magnificent, imposing, dramatic, in its splendour.

The palace walls are covered with murals and art by some of Mexico’s finest artists, Diego Rivera, Francisco Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, each which often pointed to the horror, struggle, mysticism, surrounding Mexico’s quest for independence – causing many non-Mexican observers to refer to the art as controversial and propaganda.

It’s controversial- yes.

But not propaganda – it’s perspective on the Mexican reality by top notch artists.

All great art has perspective, challenges conventional perceptions and beliefs.

The National Museum of Anthropology is another must see.

One of the world’s most comprehensive natural history museums, it houses four square kilometers of exhibits in 23 exhibition halls. And while the outside is modern, sleek, and contemporary, the inside is a treasure trove of Mexico’s cultural traditions and history.

Neighborhoods

Mexico City is terrific for the variety of its unique and different neighbourhoods. If you love food the city has amazing choices – fabulous street food and the best of fine dining.

Centro Historic

This is the heartbeat of old Mexico – ancient Aztec ruins, more than 1,500 historic buildings, some of Mexico’s best, most absorbing museums. The Zocalo, Latin America’s largest public square, the spoke for a beehive of activity.

Roma

Hip and happening, stately and elegant, terrific restaurants, beautiful old mansions and buildings.

Coyoacán

Cobbled streets, colourful plazas, charming small homes in bright colours, a genteel village charm prevails – home to the world-renowned painter Frida Kahlo and husband, another powerhouse painter Diego Rivera.

Frida Kahlo House

Today the blue house where Kahlo and Rivera lived in Coyoacán has been turned into a museum.