Locals were always shocked to find I had visited La Merced, one of the notoriously rougher neighborhoods in CDMX. But in this barrio lies one of the largest and most alluring markets in the city!

Perfect for buying bizarre piñatas, fruits and vegetables, and pretty much anything you could imagine. This is the best place in the city to buy mole and dried chilis and spices to take home.

Have a michelada, a beloved local cocktail with beer, plenty of spices, and neon-hued fruit powders. If you can find her, there is sometimes an abuela cooking up blue corn quesadillas with quesillo and zucchini flowers– try one with her homemade salsa verde!