🚶 Mexico City: San Ángel neighborhood walk
Our guide to open-air art markets, pocket parks, and tucked-away churches and museums in the affluent San Ángel neighborhood in Mexico City.
Quick guide: San Ángel walk details
Starting point: San Ángel Inn
Ending point: Plaza del Carmen
Distance: About a half mile
Time: 1 to 2 hours, depending on shopping and photo stops
Best time to visit: Saturdays, when the parks are filled with Mexican artists selling paintings, sculptures, and fabric art.
With its tree-lined streets and understated affluence, San Ángel is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Mexico City. It’s also an ideal place for a stroll. Just be sure to wear comfortable sneakers or walking shoes—you’ll be glad you have them when you’re navigating the cobblestones.
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San Ángel Inn
Start at San Ángel Inn (1). This is one of our favorite restaurants in Mexico City, and we begin many San Ángel visits with a meal here and then walk it off.
Even if you don’t want to eat at San Angel Inn, it’s worth visiting its open courtyard, indoor and outdoor restaurant areas, and gardens. The property is gorgeous and well cared for.
Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo
Cross the street to the northeast to Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (2). This often-overlooked gem is worth a visit, and unlike Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, you can walk right up and buy tickets on the spot.
You can also simply enjoy its cactus-lined exterior if you don’t have the time to explore inside right now.
Head east on Avenida Altavista (3) then rurn right (south) and stroll down Calle Reyna (4).
Crucifix statue
Check out the crucifix statue tucked into the corner of Calle Reyna and Gral Aureliano Rivera (5), then continue south on Calle Reina (6).
Plaza de los Licenciados
Cross the street to visit the small Plaza de los Licenciados, then turn left (east) onto Calle Benito Juárez (7).
Parroquia San Jacinto
Turn into Parroquia San Jacinto (8) on the right (south). Check out the pretty garden inside the wall and take a look inside the church if you like.
Bazar San Ángel
Head east on Calle Benito Juárez (9) and where you’ll find Bazar San Ángel (10), a collection of shops selling Mexican handicrafts.
If you’re ready for a break, you’re close to Oxa, where you can get a meal or a drink. We’re fans of their brunch menu.
Plaza Tenanitla
Plaza Tenanitla hosts Bazar Sábado, a charming outdoor art market, on Saturdays.
Plaza san Jacinto
Kitty-corner from Plaza Tenanitla is the larger Plaza san Jacinto (11). The park surrounds a fountain and hosts local artists selling their work on Saturdays.
Calle Madero
Head northeast on Calle Madero (12) and explore the shops and stores on both sides of the street.
Plaza del Carmen
Finish your walk at Plaza del Carmen (13), a small triangular park, which also has a wonderful art fair each Saturday.
From here, you can relax on a park bench, grab a quick drink—we recommend a glass of wine at Bistro 83 across the street to the north in the Mercado del Carmen—or see if there’s an event at Centro Cultural San Ángel, across the street to the south.
Then, you can catch an Uber back to your vacation rental or hotel of, if you’re still feeling adventurous, to Coyoacán.
If you can’t get enough of San Ángel and have the time, you could wander through the three blocks or so behind the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo between Calle Diego Rivera and Calle Reyena (north of Avenida Altavista), or the other streets that parallel Calle Reyana south of Avenida Altavista.
This is where Mexico City’s wealthiest residents live, not in Polanco. Most homes have private security with a dedicated security booth that’s manned 24/7, and yet the area retains a subdued, quiet, and natural beauty.
