What to Do in Coyoacán Mexico City: One Day Itinerary
This post may contain affiliate links.
Visiting Coyoacán is a bucket list item for any trip to Mexico’s capital city! This one-day itinerary is full of my favorite things to do in the bright and vibrant historic Coyoacán Mexico City neighborhood that you can experience all in one day or spread out over a weekend.
And if you enjoy this post, you’ll love my guide to Las Grutas de Tolantongo in Hidalgo, too!
What is Coyoacán known for?
Coyoacán means “place of many coyotes” in the indigenous Mexican language of Nahuatl and nods to the history of Coyoacán, Mexico’s oldest neighborhood. This former village predates the Spanish colonial era and became the first capital of New Spain after Spanish conquest began.
And now, it’s the second most popular destination for tourists in Mexico City.
The Coyoacán district is known for art and architecture as well as an abundance of churches and markets. While spending time here, I noticed that it felt almost like a whole other city–very distinct from CDMX–and in some ways, like stepping back in time!
Once you’re done with this article, be sure to review my full solo Mexico City itinerary!
Eight Things to do in Coyoacán in a Day
Photos by Freelens Foto
Book a Guided Photo Shoot
There’s so much to see and learn about in Coyoacán, that I highly recommend learning from a local person who can point you to things you might not otherwise notice. I booked Daniel of Freelens Foto for a historical walking tour photo shoot Airbnb experience.
Daniel is talented and knowledgable and he was my local guide for the morning in Coyoacán as we walked through and took photos around ordinary street corners as well as historic sites like Plaza Hidalgo and Jardín Centenario. He even put me onto amazing street food in Coyoacán (more on that below)!
And here’s a top-rated walking tour of Coyoacán without the photo shoot if that’s more your thing.
Here are my tips for how to get ready for a vacation photo shoot anywhere in the world!
Visit Casa Azul
Casa Azul is the converted former home of the late Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo. Today, it’s a museum that’s filled with her works of art–both complete and in progress–as well as furniture and other personal belonging.
I purchased my timed entry pass to the Frida Kahlo Museum in advance online and highly recommend that option because the process was very smooth. Note that photography is only allowed inside if you buy a separate photo pass, which you can do at the door.
Shop at Mercado de Coyoacán
No trip to Mexico City is complete without a mercado shopping trip and Mercado de Coyoacán (Coyoacán Market) is a popular one that spans an entire block! This is the perfect place to buy souvenirs.
I walked over after visiting Casa Azul because the two buildings are close to one another so keep that in mind as you plan your visit. I don’t recommend going to Mercado de Coyoacán before Casa Azul because you won’t be able to carry bags and such through visit the museum.
Inside the market, you’ll find all kinds of Mexican produce, coffee, treats, housewares, clothes, and more. Want to check off the bucket list experience of eating edible insects like crickets or chapulines? You can here!
There are restaurants and bars inside, as well, and it’s easy to get lost checking everything out. Budget at least an hour of time to take everything in.
Planning to go to Coyoacán by yourself? Get into my top tips for solo travel so you’ll have the most amazing experience!
See the Jacarandas
Jacarandas are pretty purple flowering trees that line streets throughout Mexico City but I saw the most in this area. One of my favorite parts of spending the day in Coyoacán was strolling through the streets with jacaranda petals falling all around me!
By the way, to see the jacarandas in full bloom, go to Coyoacán between February and May.
Go to Church
The Coyoacán district of Mexico City is home to over 100 churches due to Spanish conquistadors dispatching monks to the area to convert the indigenous residents (the Tepanecs) to Christianity. So if you’re ever wondering what to see in Coyoacán, you’ll run into a church on almost every corner.
The San Juan Bautista Church and Monastery is probably the most notable and located in Centro de Coyoacán. This historic church is also home to Parque Coyoacán.
I’ve also had SO much fun taking day trips from Ciudad de México. Here’s a recap of my Mexico City hot air balloon experience at sunrise!
Enjoy Local Ice Cream
Picnic Helados is a hot spot for cold artisan ice cream made with locally sourced ingredients like the ultra smooth and creamy mamey flavor I enjoyed!
During my last trip to Ciudad de México, I stayed at an artsy boutique hotel in Roma Norte and visited lots of cafes and restaurants in the area and I think next time I’ll choose a Coyoacán hotel and do the same.
If you have more time, try a Coyoacán food tour! You can enjoy authentic street tacos in the birthplace of tacos al pastor or do a mezcal and mole tasting or take a food tour with a local guide.
Fuentes de los Coyotes
Located in Plaza de Centenario, Fuentes de los Coyotes is a bronze statue that celebrates the significance of coyotes to the people of Coyoacán. This iconic water feature translates to “fountain of coyotes” in English. As you can see, it’s a fabulous photo opp!
But if you don’t want to book a professional for the photo opps, here’s how to take great pictures of yourself while traveling.
Eat Authentic Street Food
Because Coyoacán is a residential area, there are plenty of amazing authentic food vendors lining the routes people living there take to work and church! And you can pull up a seat right on the street. This hearty tamal with a warm cup of atole was one of my favorite meals of the trip.
Check out all my best Mexico City restaurants for the best bites and sips in other boroughs!
Prefer a more done-for-you option to tour Coyoacán? Check out these packages:
Frequently Asked Questions
Coyoacan is widely thought of as one of the safest neighborhoods in Ciudad de Mexico. When I visited during the day, I had no issues walking around as a woman traveling alone.
Coyoacán is about 13 kilometers from the Mexico City airport.
More Favorite Mexico City Experiences
If you have any questions about the best things to do in Coyoacan, don’t hesitate to ask me a question in the comment section below. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this post for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
