Mexico City for The Family Explorers: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Volcanic stone, Barragán pink, and a sinking city.
A weekend the children will remember and the parents will survive. Short walks between real highlights, a boat or a tram instead of a museum queue, dinners at six, and room to run.
Friday: Boats and the dancing fountains
- Rowing boats on the Lago de Chapultepec
Pedal boats and rowing boats rented by the hour until the lake closes; the ducks come to the boat, and the castle is the thing to point at.
- La Casa de Toño
Pozole in a loud, cheerful hall with high chairs and quick service; the small bowl is plenty for a child and the flautas come fast.
- Fountains at the Monumento a la Revolución
Jets of water shoot from the plaza floor on the hour after dark and children run through them; bring a towel and a change of socks.
Saturday: The canals by light railway
- Trajinera ride, Xochimilco
Take the Tren Ligero from Tasqueña to the last stop, then an hour on a painted boat with a floating marimba and a man selling elote from a canoe.
- Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares
A courtyard museum of giant alebrijes and papier-mâché, with a shaded patio for the after-lunch slump and a garden the children can run in.
- La Coyoacana
A cantina that has become a family restaurant, with a patio, quesadillas off the comal and a mariachi who will sing happy birthday to anyone.
Sunday: Bikes on the avenue and the zoo
- Paseo de la Reforma Sunday ciclovía
Every Sunday morning the avenue closes to cars and fills with bikes, scooters and dogs; free bike loans for children at the stands near the Ángel.
- Zoológico de Chapultepec
A free zoo with the axolotl house as the thing to find, shaded paths, and the playground by the lake for when the animals stop being interesting.
- Sanborns de los Azulejos
Enchiladas suizas in the tiled courtyard of an eighteenth-century palace, with a children's menu, high chairs and a mural on the stairs to climb to.
Monday: The whale and the churros
- Alameda Central
The oldest park in the Americas, flat and full of fountains, with balloon sellers and a playground at the Bellas Artes end for one last run.
- Biblioteca Vasconcelos
A whale skeleton hangs over the entrance of the library and the children's section has a garden; open on a Monday when every museum is shut.
- Churrería El Moro
Churros rolled in sugar and a cup of chocolate, five minutes from the Buenavista train; the lighter Mexican chocolate suits small cups.