Mexico City Through a Different Lens

It can be hard to picture ancient Mexico in full color. In museums, we often see carved stone and faded remnants. They’re important, yes, but dulled by time. The vibrancy of what once was is easy to forget.

As we moved through Mexico City, that began to change. We started to see how today’s color helps bring the past into focus. Marigolds in the market, graffiti on the walls, the textures of vintage fabrics, they all offered something a museum alone could not. They gave us a sense of what life in Mexico has always looked and felt like. You just have to know where to look.

At the Flower Market

Start at Central de Abasto, the largest wholesale market in Latin America and one of the most important flower distribution hubs in the world. From here, growers ship blooms across Mexico and far beyond.

But once you walk into the flower section, the global scale fades. You’re immersed in something immediate, personal, and very much alive. Trucks arrive before dawn, packed with marigolds, hibiscus, and bougainvillea. Their colors and scents overwhelm the senses.

In Mexico, flowers are more than decoration. Marigolds guide spirits during Día de Muertos. White flowers represent purity or remembrance. Red blooms can mean deep affection or sacrifice.

While we were there, we learned how to craft a bouquet. A local florist guided us, explaining the meaning behind each flower and how to pair them. Our creations would wilt in a few days, but that made it feel even more special. In a market that echoes the ancient open-air tianguis (an open-air market or bazaar that is traditionally held on certain market days), making something beautiful and fleeting felt like participating in something timeless while staying rooted in the present.

At La Lagunilla

Mexico’s recent past lives on at La Lagunilla, a sprawling vintage market just north of the historic center. It’s open all week, but Sunday is when it really shines. Crowds of collectors, artists, and locals come in search of rare finds, old favorites, and unexpected treasures.

We wandered through racks of secondhand clothes, flipped through vinyl records, and browsed retro toys and painted movie posters. We found mid-century glassware stamped “Hecho en México,” relics from the country’s golden era of design.

The market felt like a living archive. It was part flea market, part fashion incubator. Toward the back, the market spills into a food zone where people sip micheladas (drink made with beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices, and chili peppers, served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass), eat tacos and grilled meats, and dance to DJs spinning cumbia and funk. It was chaotic and full of life. The objects here aren’t behind glass, but they carry history. They’re not quite past, and not yet forgotten.

Inside the Museums

Of course, Mexico’s museums offer the deeper, curated context. The National Museum of Anthropology is one of the world’s finest collections of pre-Hispanic history. Inside, you’ll find the Sun Stone, often mistaken for the Aztec calendar. You’ll see jade masks and stone figures that once stood in sacred temples.

Then there’s Museo Anahuacalli, built by Diego Rivera to house his personal collection. The building, made of volcanic rock, feels ancient itself. Inside, the exhibits reflect Rivera’s belief that pre-Hispanic artifacts are not just relics but living expressions of Mexican identity.

The markets gave me the palette. The vivid oranges of marigolds, the deep reds of record sleeves, the woven textures of denim and straw, they stayed with us as we stepped into the museums.

With those colors in mind, the stones and statues began to shift. They felt less like remnants and more like echoes. We could start to imagine what the past looked and felt like in full. We could see how today’s patterns, rituals, and even flower arrangements still carry that lineage forward.

The museums preserve, but the markets animate. And together, they reveal something essential: that history here isn’t buried. It’s still moving, still vibrant, still very much alive in Mexico City.

Looking to have a similar experience? Contact us for more information about Creative Retreats and Itineraries in Mexico or across Central America.