Mexico City
Cool, sunny days. Long, tequila-fueled nights. Los reyes magos (the three wise men) bearing gifts along with Santa. A swinging mariachi sound track to one of the best Christmas parties around.
WHERE TO STAY If you're looking for world-class service in the Distrito Federal (D.F., as the locals call it), check into the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico. Each guest receives a delicious Tronco Navideño, or yule log, during the holidays. Across town, the 36-room Hotel Habita, with its swinging rooftop lounge and lap pool, has become a draw for design-savvy scenesters. CHRISTMAS DINNER At chef Patricia Quintana's Izote, it's all about nouvelle Mexican cuisine, such as shrimp in tamarind mole and shredded venison in a rich achiote marinade. For a more traditional meal, try the San Ángel Inn, a former Carmelite monastery built in 1692. Ask for a table in the courtyard and order bacalao a la vizcaína (salt cod with tomato and pepper sauce), mole poblano de pollo, shrimp brochettes with adobo sauce, and plenty of spiced rum ponche. BEST GIFTS Head to the Bazar del Sábado in the San Ángel district's main square for artisanal pottery and hand-embroidered linens. For one-of-a-kind pieces of Oaxacan jewelry from the twenties and thirties, check out the Zona Rosa shop Bazar Sosa. MIDNIGHT MASS Join the thousands of celebrants at Catedral Metropolitana, one of the world's largest cathedrals, in El Zócalo, one of the world's largest squares. After mass, you'll want a snack, so look for street vendors selling buñuelos—fried tortilla dough sprinkled with sugar. BEST OUTING Drive 45 minutes north to Tepotzotlán for a lighthearted Mexican holiday tradition: the pastorelas, or shepherd's plays, which re-enact Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem. The 17th-century village is brightly decorated with poinsettias (nochebuenas are originally from Mexico) and elaborate Nativity scenes. Villagers carry candles and sparklers, sing holiday songs, break piñatas, and revel in the streets till dawn. —Niloufar Motamed
The List
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico 500 Paseo de la Reforma, Colonia Juárez; 800/332-3442 or 52-555/230-1818; doubles from $270
Hotel Habita 201 Avda. Presidente Masaryk, Polanco; 52-555/282-3100; doubles from $225
Izote 513 Avda. Presidente Masaryk, Polanco; 52-555/280-1671; dinner for two $40
San Ángel Inn 50 Calle Diego Rivera, San Angelín; 52-555/616-2222; dinner for two $50
Bazar del Sábado Plaza San Jacinto; Saturdays only
Bazar Sosa 161-42 Calle Londres, Juárez; 52-555/525-5923
Pastorelas in Tepotzotlán Dec. 16-23; 52-555/325-9000
San Antonio
More than 100,000 lights dangling from the trees along the downtown Riverwalk like neon Spanish moss. The pungent scent of cajeta, a Mexican confection of caramelized sugar and goat's milk used to top desserts and pancakes.
WHERE TO STAY The 337-room La Mansión del Río, a Spanish colonial restoration of an old Catholic college, has private balconies overlooking the San Antonio River. The hotel's restaurant, Las Canarias, sets up breakfast along the water's edge. The Havana Riverwalk Inn has Mediterranean Revival architecture and eccentric 1920's antiques. CHRISTMAS DINNER The cozy El Mirador serves a sinus-liberating "shrimp diablo"—plump prawns coated in garlic and cayenne and black pepper. MIDNIGHT MASS Choose services at San Fernando Cathedral downtown, one of the oldest churches in the nation, or at the San Jose Mission, an 18th-century treasure in the city's sprawling barrio. SWEET TREATS Mi Tierra in downtown's Market Square has more than 50 varieties of Mexican pastries, including crisp, sugary pan dulce and chewy leche quemada (Mexican vanilla fudge). LOCAL TRADITION Even if you're completely tone-deaf, you'll sound great when caroling through the Natural Bridge Caverns north of town, thanks to the serious reverb from the 100-foot-high ceilings of the largest known caves in Texas. —Jim Atkinson
The List
La Mansión del Río 112 College St.; 800/292-7300 or 210/518-1000; doubles from $169
Havana Riverwalk Inn 1015 Navarro; 888/224-2008 or 210/222-2008;
doubles from $109
El Mirador 722 S. St. Mary's St.; 210/225-9444; dinner for two $30
San Fernando Cathedral 115 Main St.; 210/227-1297
San Jose Mission 701 E. Pyron; 210/922-0543
Mi Tierra Café & Bakery 218 Produce Row; 210/225-1262
Natural Bridge Caverns 210/651-6101
Comments (0)
Open / Close