Canadian travellers often default to beach resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, or the Mayan Riviera. But in Mexico City, the Polanco district offers a very different escape: a compact, walkable neighbourhood where embassies share streets with galleries, and leafy parks sit only blocks from some of the country’s most acclaimed restaurants.
Along Avenida Presidente Masaryk—Mexico City’s answer to both the Champs-Élysées and Rodeo Drive—global fashion houses mix with Mexican designers, giving the boulevard a cosmopolitan but local flavour. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Cartier sit steps from cafés, independent boutiques, and late-night cocktail bars, underscoring Polanco’s reputation as Mexico City’s most glamorous address.
Just off Masaryk, Parque Lincoln, named for the American president, has been a landmark in Polanco since the 1930s. Its rectangular reflecting pools, nicknamed Parque de los Espejos, still attract hobbyists who sail model boats, while the small aviary remains a family favourite.
Nearby, the Museo Soumaya houses the private collection of billionaire Carlos Slim, who founded the museum in 1994. Designed by Fernando Romero with input from Frank Gehry, the building is clad in 16,000 hexagonal aluminum tiles. Inside are more than 60,000 works, including the world’s most extensive Rodin collection outside France, along with pieces by Dalí, Matisse, and Rivera. Across the street, Museo Jumex, the only Latin American building designed by David Chipperfield, winner of the 2023 Pritzker Prize, presents a contemporary roster that rotates between international names and emerging Mexican artists. —Mark Sissons
Day 1: Arrival and Anatol
From Mexico City International Airport, Polanco is a 30–40-minute drive outside peak hours. Many visitors choose Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel set in a converted grand residence on Presidente Masaryk Avenue. With just 35 rooms and suites, it is known as one of the capital’s most intimate luxury properties. Transfers can be arranged through the concierge, and arrival feels discreet: the hotel’s understated entrance contrasts with the bustle of Masaryk outside. Inside, Yabu Pushelberg’s 2020 redesign introduced earth-toned furnishings, polished rosewood, and original Mexican artwork, while a sweeping spiral staircase in wood serves as the architectural centrepiece.
Guestrooms range from 400 to 1,600 square feet, with jacaranda views through large windows. Interiors feature a mix of suede furnishings, ruched drapery, leather wall panels, and custom rosewood furniture, complemented by native-inspired details, such as alebrijes tucked into closets. Bose speakers, bedside touch-screen controls, and flat-screen televisions provide high-tech comfort. Marble bathrooms feature rain showers and whirlpool tubs with aromatherapy and chromotherapy functions, stocked with Bulgari amenities, handmade soaps, and terrycloth robes. Minibars are filled with Mexican snacks and sweets; turndown adds another indulgence with hand-painted boxes of chocolates. The Pasaje Penthouse elevates the experience, featuring a dining area, a butler’s kitchen, and an expansive terrace that offers a stunning view of the cityscape.
Dinner is at Anatol, the hotel’s 60-seat restaurant led by Chef Rodrigo del Valle. The menu features seasonal Mexican produce prepared with Italian influences, including handmade pastas and market vegetables, as well as slow-cooked meats. Standout dishes include short rib poutine with Oaxaca cheese and roasted chicken with pepperoncini sauce. Drinks range from jalapeño-spiked margaritas to mezcal cocktails, and the wine list balances Mexican regions such as Baja and Querétaro with European labels.
Day 2: Shopping, Spa, and Malix
Many of Polanco’s early 20th-century mansions have been replaced by boutiques and upscale shops. LAGO, a design gallery transformed into a lifestyle store, offers handwoven textiles, ceramics, and furniture by Latin American designers who collaborate closely with artisan communities. A few blocks away, Sandra Weil’s shop presents tailored women’s wear with clean lines and fluid silhouettes, and offers salon-style fittings for clients seeking something custom.
IKAL, a concept store and cultural showcase, emphasizes eco-conscious luxury by bringing together independent designers from across Latin America. Rotating art exhibitions mean the store always feels new, even to repeat visitors. For guests at Las Alcobas, these shops can be woven into private itineraries arranged by the concierge, complete with drivers and introductions to designers.
The Aurora Spa at Las Alcobas is small, with just two treatment rooms, and uses local ingredients such as cacao and agave in its therapies. Guests can also choose from in-room bath blends, including rose petals and cacao for relaxation, or arnica and lemongrass to help ease jet lag.
Dinner is a short Uber ride away at Malix, a 2024 MICHELIN Guide entry. Yucatán-born chef Alonso Madrigal combines regional ingredients with broader influences, serving plates like lamb tartare, fermented vegetables, and duck breast with mole and figs. The pared-back room, anchored by a U-shaped counter and open kitchen, has a relaxed feel, matched by a wine list that highlights Mexican producers.
Day 3: Coyoacán, San Ángel, and Siembra Comedor
South of Polanco, Coyoacán is one of Mexico City’s oldest neighbourhoods, once home to Hernán Cortés and later a hub for artists and intellectuals. Its cobbled streets and colonial plazas give it a village-like feel within the sprawl of the capital. The main draw is the Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as Casa Azul, which preserves the house where Mexico’s most famous female artist was born and died. Visitors can walk through her studio, kitchen, and bedroom, decorated with corsets and Tehuana dresses, and explore gardens filled with pre-Hispanic figurines collected by Diego Rivera. Timed entry is mandatory, and guides help connect Kahlo’s intimate rooms to her wider influence on art and politics. Nearby, the Leon Trotsky Museum commemorates the Russian revolutionary’s life in exile, from his 1929 arrival until his 1940 assassination, including the study where the fatal attack took place.
The next stop is San Ángel, once a colonial village at the city’s southern edge. Its cobbled streets and thick-walled houses preserve a sense of the past. On Saturdays, the Bazar del Sábado fills the central plaza with artisans selling silver, textiles, and folk art. Nearby is Diego Rivera’s studio, designed by architect Juan O’Gorman. Lunch is at San Ángel Inn, a grand 17th-century Carmelite hacienda converted into a restaurant in 1963, where courtyards, gardens, and fountains provide the setting for traditional plates such as mole poblano and seasonal chiles en nogada.
Back in Polanco, the weekend comes to a close at Siembra Comedor, sister to a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand tortillería. Opened in 2019, the restaurant mills heirloom corn varieties—blue, red, yellow—on site, pressing tortillas in view of diners. Seasonal plates such as fish al pastor, pulpo zarandeado, and arrachera with guajillo chilli illustrate how Mexico’s staple grain anchors both tradition and innovation.
If You Go
- Flights: Aeroméxico and Air Canada offer nonstop service from Vancouver (YVR) to Mexico City (MEX) in 5.5 to 6 hours.
- When to visit: Spring and fall bring mild weather; summers are wetter, winters are cooler but still comfortable.
- Where to stay: Las Alcobas, a 35-room Luxury Collection hotel in Polanco. Rates from USD $400–600.
- Dining costs: About USD 50–70 per person at Anatol, USD 50–80 at Malix, and USD 40–60 at Siembra Comedor.
- Getting around: The area is walkable, and Uber and other ride-hailing apps are reliable options for longer trips.
- Sightseeing: Las Alcobas can arrange curated cultural experiences, including muralism tours of Rivera and Orozco, architecture visits to Luis Barragán’s homes, taco tastings in Navarte, and sunrise hot air balloon rides over Teotihuacan.
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