coyoacan by bike 1

coyoacan is one of 16 boroughs of mexico city. it’s name, in nahuatl, means ‘place of the coyotes’ and is where the aztecs named this pre-hispanic village mostly populated by the tepenec people. hernan cortes and the spanish used this area as their headquarters making it the capital of ‘new spain’ around 1523.  over the centuries the urban sprawl of mexico city developed around coyoacan leaving its’ cobble stone streets, alleys, plazas, gardens and many homes relatively intact amidst a vibrant, thriving bustling community. for locals or tourists, i can think of no better way to explore this gorgeous neighborhood than by bike. so we did. heathermarie’s friend febo, a professor of urban planning at the university, also operates a bike tour company and was our knowledgeable, enthusiastic guide/host. in the cool of mid-morning we breezed through the streets, taking in the sites, while febo explained  historical and social significances, often stopping along the way to explore gardens or alleys or doorways or whatever caught our eye. you get to cover so much more ground, breezing around by bike. we had a light lunch at a nearby cantina and afterwards, walked back to wander some more on own. febo and his mexico bike tour offer tours of other areas i would’ve liked to explore, had i the time. next visit. when you visit mexico city i highly recommend adding their bike tour to your list of must-see + do’s.

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