Mexico City/Santa Fe

Santa Fe was developed in the early 1990s on the remnants of an old landfill -- yes, a junk yard turned into a modern business district. It wasn't until the early 2000s that Santa Fe gained attention, radically different from the rest of the city, because of its ultramodern architecture and contrasting wealth lifestyle signs.

The paranoia that the local authorities have against photographers in Mexico City goes double for Santa Fe. Guards will yell "no photo" at you, or even shoo you away from a building if you as so much approach with a camera, tripod or no. This building is nicknamed, "The Washing Machine Building" (or "Lavandería").

Santa Fe is not served by the Metro, so the only ways into the area are by car, taxi or bus. Cars and taxis are probably the fastest, but are certainly not the cheapest. However, Santa Fe is served by Mexico City's RTP network and much more frequently by pesero buses, which leave from 🌍 Tacubaya station (Metro Lines 1, 7 and 9) and take around 30-45 minutes to get there. Look for buses that say "Sta. Fe" in the window.

You will recognize instantly when you are in Santa Fe, when the two-lane road widens to lessen stop-and-go traffic and grand office buildings replace stucco shanties. If you're on a pesero, it will travel around the skyscrapers rather than go in between them; a good place to get off and look around is when the bus is on Avenida Vasco de Quiroga, or on the opposite end of the line of skyscrapers. Don't wait too long though, because the bus continues onward into the residential area of the hills.

If you just want to see a radically different side of Mexico City, Santa Fe is the place to be, with lots of skyscrapers and modern architecture. Also, take a stroll in the Alameda, the central park of Santa Fe.

• 🌍 Dutch Embassy (La Lavadora). The washing machine, an example of modern architecture. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Paso Florentino. A quite steep road with (reportedly) 45% slope. The street by itself isn't too interesting, but be careful driving down by car. (updated May 2021)

There's not much to do; Santa Fe is a business district first and foremost, so during nights and weekends it looks like a ghost town. But you can visit Parque La Mexicana for a sort of World's Fair exhibition of modernist architecture that make up the Santa Fe skyline.

• 🌍 Centro Santa Fe, Avenida Vasco de Quiroga, ☏ +52 55 3003 4330. Su-F 11:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-21:00; individual store hours vary. This is the country's largest shopping center with more than 500 stores and a movie theater. Buy the unimaginable, from a t-shirt to a yacht. Anchor stores include Liverpool, El Palacio de Hierro, Sears and the first Saks Fifth Avenue in Mexico. Other remarkable stores include French Connection, Mango, Zara, Massimo Dutti, Armani, Hugo Boss, Tous, Scappino, and Chanel. 
• 🌍 Zentrika, Prolongación Vasco de Quiroga and Mario Pani St. Features an IMAX 3-D theater and a big food court. 

• Los Canarios. Haute Mexican cuisine. Refined ambiance. M$200-350. 
• Estoril Bistro, Gonzalez Camarena 999 1A. Haute Mexican and international food. M$350. 
• Ruben's Hamburgers. Mesquite charbroiled sirloin hamburgers. $70-120. 
• La Buena Tierra, ☏ +52 55 21-67-40-37. Healthy food. M$120-170. 
• Fisher's, Antonio Dovali Jaime # 75-L-1. Seafood, refined ambiance. M$300-500. 

• Sens, Paseo de los Tamarindos 90 Priv.01, Bosques de las Lomas, Cuajimalpa de Morelos, Arcos Bosques, ☏ +52 55 5246 3580. (updated Nov 2018)

• 🌍 Camino Real Santa Fe (formerly Vesta), Calle Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena 300, ☏ +52 55 5004 1616. This appealing hotel tower in the shape of an arc holds its own in the Santa Fe array of buildings and has a cheery breakfast and spa/wellness center offering. M$933. 
• 🌍 Distrito Capital, Juan Salvador Agraz #37, ☏ +52 55 5257 1300. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. This one is like a glass obelisk and should be easy to spot. 
• 🌍 DoubleTree/Hilton Garden Inn, Calle 3 55 Col., ☏ +52 55 11-05-50-00. Interestingly, these two hotels share a space that used to be occupied by a Fiesta property and both cater to the adjacent Santa Fe convention center. Doubletree website. ~M$954. 
• 🌍 Haus Suites, Cruz Manca, Prolongacion Paseo de la Reforma 1190 (inside the Haus Santa Fe apartment building), ☏ +52 55 5258 7100. You can stay at this innovatively designed hotel and appreciate the architecture firsthand, or try out the indoor pool or free breakfast. M$829. 
• 🌍 NH Hotel Santa Fe, Juan Salvador Agraz 44, ☏ +52 55 9177 7380. Here you can sit at the rooftop bar/patio to take in the Santa Fe scene from up high. 
• 🌍 Novotel Santa Fe, Antonio Dovali Jaime 75, ☏ +52 55 9177 7700. The architecture is not too inspiring, but there's an outdoor pool and restaurant (breakfast for a fee). M$1099. 
• 🌍 Sheraton Mexico City Santa Fe, Calle Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena, ☏ +52 55 5258 8500. Such a demonstrative presence in Santa Fe. Here breakfast costs extra. M$1078. 
• 🌍 Stadia Suites, Juan Salvador Agraz 60, ☏ +52 55 5004 2000. This one is set apart by the big orange chair on top of the front entrance. Otherwise, its diminutive presence among the surrounding architectural giants and general appearance overall make it seem like a hotel in Minsk or something. All suites and good breakfast buffet though. M$1057.