Neighborhood 48H guide
Santa María la Ribera: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The Moorish kiosk in the Alameda, the Museo del Chopo and a neighborhood that still feels local.
Santa María la Ribera, north of the Centro, is one of the city’s oldest planned colonias: faded 19th-century houses around the Alameda de Santa María and its Kiosco Morisco, the iron-and-glass Museo del Chopo, and everyday markets.
Photo gallery
Photo: Ulisesmorales · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: GAED · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
It’s affordable and quiet, with the Centro and San Rafael a short ride away.
Who it's for: Budget and repeat visitors who want a local neighborhood near the Centro.
Pros
- Very local feel
- Affordable
- Beautiful kiosk and museums
Cons
- Only simple hotels
- Few restaurants for visitors
- Some blocks feel empty at night
48H in Santa María la Ribera
Kiosk, museums, then the Centro.
10:00 – Kiosco Morisco
The 1880s Moorish pavilion in the Alameda.
11:00 – Museo de Geología
UNAM’s 1900s geology museum on the Alameda.
13:00 – Museo Universitario del Chopo
Contemporary art in an iron-and-glass hall.
16:00 – Ride to the Centro
Bellas Artes and the Alameda Central are minutes away.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Kiosco Morisco
Alameda de Santa María
Moorish-style iron kiosk built for the 1884 world’s fair.
Photo: Ulisesmorales · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Museo Universitario del Chopo
Dr. Enrique González Martínez 10
UNAM contemporary art museum in a prefabricated iron hall.
Photo: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Museo de Geología UNAM
Jaime Torres Bodet 176
Fossils and minerals in a 1906 building.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Santa María
Manuel Carpio 82
Simple, budget hotel with free parking near the Alameda and El Chopo.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Santa María la Ribera.
Mexico City requires short-term rentals to be registered with the city. Prefer listings that show a registration and a responsive host.
Browse vacation rentals in Santa María la Ribera on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Mexico City
- Roma Norte — Plaza Río de Janeiro, bread at Panadería Rosetta and a long seafood lunch at Contramar.
- Condesa — Morning laps of Parque México, the Avenida Amsterdam loop and art deco apartment blocks.
- Polanco — The Soumaya and Jumex museums, boutiques on Masaryk and a tasting menu at Pujol.
- Centro Histórico — The Zócalo, the cathedral, Templo Mayor, Bellas Artes and breakfast at El Cardenal.
- Coyoacán — Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, the coyote fountain in Jardín Centenario and tostadas at the Mercado de Coyoacán.
- Juárez — Coffee at Café Nin, Indian-Mexican at Masala y Maíz and the old Zona Rosa, a block from the Ángel.
- Reforma / Chapultepec — The Ángel de la Independencia, Chapultepec Castle, the Anthropology Museum and cocktails at Fifty Mils.