Three Days in Mexico City, According to a Local Creative

Luisa Salas knows Mexico City inside out. Originally from northern Mexico, the artist and creative director spent years living along the Caribbean coast and the Yucatán Peninsula before settling in the capital five years ago. She came for the art scene. She stayed for everything else.

“Mexico is full of incredible places, but Mexico City has a global energy that’s hard to find anywhere else,” Salas says. “People from all over the world come here to do interesting work. There’s constant movement, and a feeling that opportunity can come from anywhere.”

She admits the city’s scale can be overwhelming at times. But that intensity, she says, is exactly what makes it thrilling. What Salas loves most is the contrast. For every crowded street and chaotic market, there’s a quiet courtyard or a sleek modernist building. Style is everywhere—in the way people dress, in the architecture, in the rhythm of daily life.

“That tension between fast and slow, raw and refined—that’s what keeps me here,” she explains. “There’s inspiration on every corner, if you know where to look.”

For travelers with just three days, Salas recommends balancing the city’s energy with moments of calm. Start mornings in neighborhoods like Roma or Condesa, where tree-lined streets give way to galleries and coffee shops. Spend afternoons exploring the historic center or the sprawling markets of Coyoacán. End evenings with a rooftop drink or a quiet dinner in a local fonda.

Her advice? Don’t try to see everything. Pick a few spots and let the city surprise you.