10 Things to Do in Mexico City in Summer

Summer in Mexico City is accompanied by a wide range of tourist attractions and annual celebrations that you can enjoy during your stay. You'll have no excuse for not having fun in the city, as you'll find as many activities as there are types of tourists.

For example, some of the best things to do in Mexico City in summer include the city's marathon or half-marathon, the celebration of the Grito de Independencia, a bird's eye view of the summer landscape from a balloon or the viewpoint of the Torre Latinoamericana, among other destinations.

During the summer season in Mexico City, you can enjoy the half marathon and the summer marathon. This is a sporting initiative organised annually and you can join as a spectator or as a runner.

If you are in Mexico City in July, specifically during the second week of that month, you can participate in the 21K half marathon, which starts at the Torre del Caballito and ends at the Angel de la Independencia.

But, if you travel to Mexico City in August, then you will enjoy the 42K marathon. You can go to Insurgentes Sur avenue to watch the runners leave, whose final destination is the Plaza de la Constitución in the Zócalo.

After this sporting experience, you can continue with your itinerary of activities. For example, take a guided tour of Mexico City to learn about its history, or buy tickets for the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City, among others.

Mexico City in summer is characterised by its picturesque sky, charged with a series of warm hues. The sun's rays pierce the clouds and cover everything in their path. It's a great time to take a hot air balloon ride and see a different perspective of some of **Mexico'**s most famous landscapes.

One of the best hot air balloon rides in Mexico City is usually over the valley of Teotihuacan. You will fly over this ancient pre-Hispanic city, getting an amazing panoramic view of the vast archaeological complex and its surroundings.

During the balloon flight in Teotihuacan you will be able to identify iconic sites such as the following:

• The Pyramid of the Sun, 65 metres high. This construction, consecrated to worship the sun god, is considered the largest in Mesoamerica.
• The Pyramid of the Moon; this is a 43 metre high building, whose platform used to be the stage for sacrifices in honour of the goddess Chalchiuhtlicue.
• The Museum of Teotihuacan Murals, Beatríz de la Fuente, specialised in Teotihuacan culture, history and legacy.

The heat can be a bit exhausting during the summer season, so during your 2-day visit to Mexico City or longer, you can choose to cool down with some traditional drinks. You'll enjoy a variety of flavours (sweet, sour, spicy) and textures (creamy and light).

Some of the drinks consumed during the summer include the following:

• Tepache, made from fermented pineapple and sweetened with sugar cane.
• Pozol, which is a mixture of fermented corn, cocoa, sugar and water. It is served with ice.
• Horchata; a drink that incorporates almond milk, rice, vanilla and cinnamon.
• Cebadina, which is a fizzy, refreshing drink made from barley and pineapple.
• Fresh fruit, seed and flowerwaters. Such is the case of hibiscus water, tamarind, lemon, etc.

In the city you will find many places where you can refresh your palate: the beverage carts in the historic centre, the aguas frescas shops, the stalls in the main markets of the city, such as those in the Mercado de la Merced. An unmissable destination if you set out on a gastronomic tour of the centre of Mexico City.

If you want to be in contact with nature and enjoy a magical scenery illuminated by hundreds of fireflies, then the forests of Mexico City are the ideal destination during the summer. You will spend a different time walking under the moonlight and accompanied by these peculiar insects that decorate the forest environment.

The best time to go to Mexico City to see fireflies is summer. These insects tend to appear annually, thanks to the humidity produced by the characteristic rains of the warmer months.

This is an activity that you can do on your own without joining a guided night tour of Mexico City, although that is always a good option. To see the fireflies, just visit the Bosque de Chapultepec and Bosque de Tlalpan at nightfall. Both are protected natural spaces that you can access without leaving the city.

Enjoy the summer sunset is another of the things you can incorporate into your itinerary of at least 3 days in Mexico City. To do so, you can go up to the observation deck of the Torre Latinoamericana and, from there, contemplate both the city and its surroundings, bathed in the last rays of the sun.

The Torre Latinoamericana in Mexico City is a skyscraper approximately 182 metres high, built between 1948 and 1956 and representative of the modern architectural style. You can access the 44th floor of this iconic building and, from its terrace, get a 360º view of the city.

You will be amazed by the warm summer light, full of intense shades (red, orange, yellow). You will see how the sun slowly sinks into the horizon, giving you a different perspective of the Mexican capital. In addition, with tickets to the observation deck of the Torre Latinoamericana in Mexico City, you will have the opportunity to access the Bicentennial Museum, located on the 38th floor.

Your 4-day summer itinerary in Mexico City or longer cannot be complete without a visit to a water park or spa. You'll be able to cool off and relax while enjoying a different kind of day out. You will also have the opportunity to have a picnic and practice some sports, depending on the place visited.

The options of aquatic centres in the city are varied, some of them being the following:

• The Balneario en el Bosque San Juan de Aragón, with a couple of pools in the middle of the forest and several areas to rest and eat.
• The Utopia Tezontli recreational centre where you will find slides, water jets, semi-Olympic pools, sports courts, among other attractions for children and adults.
• The spa-spa El Geiser, this is a place far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, where you will enjoy swimming pools, zip lines, hanging bridges, etc.

After this refreshing experience you can continue discovering the capital. Perhaps take one of the top 10 gastronomic tours in Mexico City, or attend a night of wrestling, mariachis and tequila in Mexico City.

Touring the historic centre of the Mexican capital is an unmissable activity at any time of the year. However, if you want to take pictures of the main monuments and buildings, the summer months are more favourable. You will enjoy a slightly clear sky and a fairly warm natural light.

You will be able to get close to tourist sites such as the following:

• The Metropolitan Cathedral, current seat of the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico, which will surprise you with its gothic, baroque and neoclassical architectural style.
• The Monument to the Revolution, which is a work commemorating the Mexican Revolution.
• The Plaza de la Constitución, also known as the Zócalo, representative of Mexican baroque.
• The Palace of Fine Arts. A monumental work built between 1904 and 1934, in which you will be able to identify the art deco, neoclassical and modern architectural style.

You can do this tour at your own pace or join a guided tour of the historic centre of Mexico City. On the latter, depending on the tour you are looking for, you could be accompanied by a professional photographer, who will help you get the best angles and make the most of the summer light.

If you find yourself in Mexico City in June, specifically during the last week of this month, then you will have the opportunity to witness the Gay Pride parade. This is a very lively and crowded event, full of colour and music.

This parade started in 1979 as a small march. However, nowadays it is one of the most awaited events by the LGBTQ+ community and by people (locals and tourists) who support cultural and gender diversity.

The route of this parade usually starts at the Angel de la Independencia, which is located between Paseo de la Reforma Avenue and Florencia Street. From this point, the parade advances through the Zona Rosa in Colonia Juárez until it reaches the Plaza de la Constitución, better known as the Zócalo.

In addition to the parade, you will find many parties in the city to celebrate this day. Just head to the LGBTQ+ bars and clubs. For example, Marrakech Salón or Teatro Garibaldi in the historic centre, Blow Bar in the Zona Rosa, among others.

Every year, in mid-August, the Summer Flower Festival takes place, whose purpose is to showcase the great wealth of local floriculture. Come to this small garden in the centre of the city and let the sweet aromas of the flowers, vibrant colours and varied textures capture your senses.

This fair is considered one of the oldest in the city and brings together approximately 140 agro-ecological and flower growers, who usually set up shop on Paseo de la Reforma. There, you will be able to see and buy a great variety of plant and flower species: sunflowers, daisies, lavender, roses, palms, etc.

In addition, throughout the day (10:00 to 20:00 hours) you will enjoy some workshops that promote the conservation of the cultivation areas. You will also find food stalls where you can sample traditional Mexican cuisine and live music performances.

Perhaps your stay in Mexico City in September coincides with the second week of September. If so, you'll have the opportunity to celebrate with the locals the anniversary of the beginning of their country's independence.

This event begins with a ceremony, known as the Grito de Independencia, held in the Zócalo. You will have to go to this square in the historic centre of the city. There, you will find hundreds of Mexicans gathered, anxiously awaiting this call to freedom. All this in an atmosphere of celebration with live music and fireworks.

The following day, the commemoration continues with the military parade, whose route is usually from 20 de noviembre Avenue, surrounding the Zócalo to Campo Marte, passing through Paseo de la Reforma.

Along this route, you will see a series of weapons displays by soldiers of the different divisions of the national army. All of them moving to the rhythm of the military marches.

Mexico City in summer, from the last weeks of June to the first weeks of September, is a very hot place. During this season, temperatures range between an average maximum of 26ºC and a minimum of 14ºC.

This summer season in Mexico City is usually accompanied by some rainy days, with an average rainfall ranging from 74 to 121 millimetres. There is also a high percentage of cloudiness and winds that rarely exceed 6.8 kilometres per hour.

During your visit to Mexico City in summer you should consider some alternative plans to protect yourself from the high temperatures. This way, you will be able to make the most of the different tourist activities offered during these months.

• Constantly apply sunscreen with SPF 50+ to avoid radiation damage.
• Take a bottle of water with you, in order to stay hydrated at all times.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat while you are outdoors.
• Incorporate some indoor activities into your itinerary so that you are not exposed to the sun all day. For example, a visit to one of Mexico City's best museums or take a scenic tour on the Mexico City sightseeing bus.