Welcome to part 2 of our Ultimate Guide to the districts of Mexico City. The wonderful world of Mexico’s capital, affectionately known as “CDMX,” can sometimes be as vast and confusing as the urban sprawl itself. So to help you plan your next visit, here are the remaining nine regions of the city.
If you missed the first instalment of this guide, you can read Part 1 here. Disclaimer: If you plan to visit as many alcadías as possible, please do your due diligence before going! While I’ve included colonias to stay away from, it is not an inclusive list. Areas like Iztapalapa, Xochimilco, Tlalpan, and parts of Cuauhtémoc are not safe and should be avoided, especially at night.
We recommended taking a guided tour where possible. In addition, the number of colonias per alcadía is often disputed. I included the number most repeated in my research.
The smallest borough in CDMX, Iztacalco’s name has been alternately translated as “where salt is produced” and “place of the white houses”. Once an island settlement in Lake Texcoco whose inhabitants helped develop the chinampa system of agriculture now associated with Xochimilco, Iztacalco turned into a hacienda hotspot after the Spanish conquest. It continued as an agricultural center until Mexico City’s expansion overtook the town, converting Iztacalco into a hub of cardboard and furniture manufacturers, as well as canneries and chemical plants.
How many colonias are there in Iztacalco? 27 colonias, 9 barrios .