I visited Mexico between February and April 2019. I visited most WH colonial towns around Mexico City and the capital itself was the fifth one.

From what I've read when preparing this visit, I was expecting Mexico City to be chaotic, loud, noisy and dirty. However, I exited the Metro near Alameda Central, only to find flowering jacarandas and ladies sweeping the street. In the end, Mexico City proved to be a fantastic world-class city, with good atmosphere. Excepting the Metro at the rush hour, it is not very chaotic, and it's definitely not dirty or too noisy.

Previous reviewers shared experiences similar to mine for the historical center. Most of its highlights are undoubtedly great! I particularly enjoyed the Cathedral with the Zocalo, el Palacio Nacional and el Secretaria de Educacion Publica with their murals by Diego Rivera, el Palacio de Bellas Artes, el Palacio Postal, la Casa de los Azulejos but I was more disappointed by Templo Mayor where few interesting remnants can be seen.

I will therefore review more Xochimilco, the second part of this WHS, mostly overlooked by other reviewers (excepting a review not really flattering by Solivagant). Actually, like he suggests, I decided that this kitsch mexican experience was not worth the long metro ride. Furthermore, I was visiting Xochimilco on a weekday afternoon when it would have been quiet, probably boring and expensive to rent a whole trajinera for myself. I therefore headed to el Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco. To get there, you need to take the metro to General Anaya and then a pesero for Tlahuac Paradero. The park has walking trail around ponds ans canals and offers many birding opportunities. This park is however not part of the WHS core zone. To actually reach it, and I believe this is the best way to visit the canals, you need to walk to the close Parque Ecoturistico Michmani. It possible there to rent trajineras, but also kayaks! I spent about two hours paddling the Aztec built canals enjoying the dense vegetation and the abundant birdlife, including a group of about 100 pelicans on Laguna Tlilac. Night herons and egrets are also numerous. It is really impressive to think that all Mexico City was a lake before. To me, the grandeur of the Aztecs was revelled by their civil engineering skills here rather than by the rocks of Templo Mayor. It requires at least a half-day trip from the center and there's nothing else to see on the way, but I highly recommend getting here to wander in the canals!

Let's finish on a note about modern architecture in Mexico City. You probably already know the many WHS (or TWHS) related to modern architecture in CDMX hotspot. However, my favorite modern building is not inscribed (and probably will never be) and lay just north of Plaza de la Republica in Buenavista. It's la Biblioteca Vascocelos. Its industrial and futuristic look, as well as its hanging whale skeleton, captivated me.