The Arc of Chapultepec

This is Mexico’s story told through three spaces within Chapultepec, the great forest in Mexico City — a journey through its origins, empires and modern vision. You begin at National Museum of Anthropology, one of the world’s most remarkable cultural institutions. Beneath its vast courtyard “paraguas” canopy — a concrete umbrella supported by a single column — you walk through galleries that hold Mexico’s ancient imagination and Indigenous legacy: Mexica calendar stone, Zapotec urns, Mayan reliefs. Then choose, in advance, between Castillo de Chapultepec, former imperial palace that crowns the hill with 19th-century grandeur, or Museo Tamayo, Mexico’s leading space for contemporary art, designed by Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky, where raw concrete meets color and abstraction. A traditional Mexican lunch and visit to Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros close the afternoon — founded by muralist Siqueiros, it’s a living studio where art and politics meet at mural scale.

Few places compress Mexico’s history as clearly — and few are set within one park whose roots predate the Spanish conquest. The Anthropology Museum holds the past as a living system of thought and belief. Then, if you’re drawn to history, choose Castillo de Chapultepec, a 15-minute uphill walk through forest paths. Its terraces once watched over battles and ceremonies; inside, imperial mirrors and republican flags tell the story of power. If you prefer the modern, and wish to skip the climb, Museo Tamayo captures Mexico’s artistic turn — a vision of color, material and dialogue with the world, housed in one of the finest examples of modernist design. At Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros, murals rise like manifestos — a powerful finale that links Mexico’s artistic legacy to its civic conscience. Andrea curates the essential works for your journey and shows how each era folds into the next. You continue the conversation over lunch, tracing how Mexico continues to reinvent its art.

Andrea Bustillos, trained in Madrid, is an art historian and currently Curator in Chief of Fundación Casa Wabi. With a strong focus on contemporary painting, she has curated numerous exhibitions and collaborated with a wide range of artists, from emerging voices to established names. Andrea Villers, educated in Granada, with a maste's in curatorial studies, runs a consultancy that develops exhibition projects and advises on cultural strategies.

Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Wear comfortable shoes — the day involves extended walking. Bring a bottle of water. ** If you choose the Castillo de Chapultepec, note that it’s an uphill path through the forest (about 15–20 minutes). Keep in mind Mexico City’s high altitude, which may make the climb more demanding for some visitors. If you select the Museo Tamayo instead, expect more time indoors.