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The story behind the founding of the Museo del Juguete Antiguo México (Museum of the Antique Mexican Toy) is almost as charming and intriguing as the collection of toys itself. Roberto Shimizu, Sr., who founded the museum with his son, Roberto Shimizu, Jr., began collecting toys when he was a child and in the decades since, has amassed a collection of literally millions of toys. He decided it was important for the collection to be accessible and visible to the public, partly to document the history of toy-making in Mexico and the world. The space occupied by the museum covers several floors, but it’s barely large enough to showcase all of Shimizu’s treasures, which he has catalogued carefully in numerous notebooks and binders. That may be hard to believe, given the fact that the museum is crammed wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with toys of every type: from plastic soldiers to board games and Barbies to model trains. The museum is a cabinet of curiosities for the kid in all of us.

Plate-sized, Pop Art–colored lollipops. Candied and dried fruits rolled in chile powder. Crackling peanut brittle stippled with sesame seeds. Gelatins of every conceivable flavor. Names you can’t pronounce, much less decipher, even if you speak Spanish fluently. The Mercado de Dulces, a specialty section within the Merced Market, is a delight for all ages. More than 150 vendors hold down stalls selling dulces del país, candies made in Mexico. Even if you prefer savory over sweet, a turn through the market is an enjoyable experience.

Chapulín is a restaurant that aims to fuse Mexico‘s traditions and contemporary influences into a single experience. That idea isn’t found just on the menu—where diners will find dishes like scallops with jicama and green melon—but also in the music and the restaurant’s decor. And yes, diners can put in an order for chapulínes, the grasshopper for which the restaurant is named.

In operation since 1958, Mercado San Juan de Dios (also known as Mercado Libertad) is one of Mexico’s largest markets, with three floors and nearly 3,000 stands and stalls. Vendors sell everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to handicrafts and housewares. Even if you have no intention of buying a souvenir, a stroll through the market makes for a colorful, enjoyable experience.

Foro Sol, like Auditorio Nacional, is a massive venue for big concerts, and if your favorite group hasn’t played Auditorio Nacional, it’s probably taken the stage at Foro Sol. Newer than Auditorio Nacional (it was built in 1993), Foro Sol is also an entirely different kind of venue; the Auditorio is entirely indoors, while Foro Sol is a stadium. Familiar names who have played here in recent years include Bon Jovi, Joan Baez, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Tool, among dozens of others.

The AAA Five-Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya features 491 spacious suites boasting sweeping views of the shimmering Caribbean Sea or lush jungle vegetation. Top drawer amenities include: whirlpool bathtubs, 42” flat screen plasma TVs, Wi-Fi, Nespresso machines, DVD, CD and MP3 players, iPod docking stations - and an all-inclusive stocked mini-bar. Abundant dining is assured with 15 food and beverage outlets ranging from Spanish specialties, to Mexican fine dining, French haute cuisine and Italian fare. Five diverse bars, including the Sky Bar, Sen Lin Bar, Piano Bar, Karaoke Bar and Aqua Bar, serve innovative libations and sensory ambiances for every mood. A full service spa offers treatments incorporating products of the earth - such as honey, vanilla and lemon herbs - traditional Maya ingredients

One of Mexico’s most interesting and varied gastronomic markets, Mercado 60 is home to eighteen culinary options that serve up everything from homemade pasta and sandwiches to Lebanese specialties and, of course, Mexican cantina fare. Get ready to hobnob with locals and travelers alike. The events calendar is packed too, with concerts, dance lessons, performing arts, and even dog adoption days. You’ll find yourself returning time and again to grab a bite or learn to salsa.

First established in 1945, in an odd no-man’s-land between Chapultepec and Polanco, Los Panchos calls up the Mexican restaurants you may have known in childhood, with a wide-ranging (laminated) menu, whitewashed walls, and potted plants (not an Edison bulb in sight), plus a garrulous, family-friendly set-up serving trough-sized platters of classic Mexican grub like enchiladas, gorditas, moles, and chicken taquitos, tortilla soup, and tostadas, multi-colored margaritas and, most especially, Mexico’s answer to confit, carnitas: utterly delicious, ferociously caloric chunks of pork, fried in their own fat. The restaurant is perfect for larger groups who make their own tacos seasoned with cilantro, chopped onion, and the full hot-sauce portfolio. Nostalgic and lively, nobody leaves hungry.

There’s no shortage of sex shops or love stores in LGBT-friendly Zona Rosa, but Erotika may be the cleanest and most inviting, with its hot pink color scheme and “No shame here” attitude. This is one of several stores Erotika runs throughout the city. The surrounding neighborhood is filled with gay-themed nightclubs and bars, so you’ll have plenty of choice about where and how to spend an evening in Mexico City.

A detour to the centrally located yet way-off-the-tourist-track neighborhood known as Buenavista leads to one of Mexico City’s most dazzling 21st-century landmarks, the Biblioteca Vasconcelos, a gorgeous public library. The structure, by Alberto Kalach and Juan Palomar, has the public entering a pyramid-style form, on an almost subterranean level, that opens up, cathedral-like, into a soaring space lined on either side by cantilevered book stacks that float nobly above it all. Dramatic artworks contribute to the overall temple-of-knowledge feeling that is, in fact, quite moving. More beautiful yet could be just how busy the library is, filled with eager students and bookworm families alongside (no joke) groups of teens always practicing pop-music dance routines in the library’s lateral gardens.

Much of Mexico City’s fervid contemporary art movement—galleries and collectors abound; the scene is now a launching pad for Mexican artists looking to conquer the world—can be traced to art patron Eugenio López Alonso, heir to the Jumex packaged-juice fortune, who over decades has amassed Latin America’s most extensive contemporary art collection and brought dozens of artists to the international spotlight. The collection’s flagship museum, itself a work of art by the British architect David Chipperfield, is a surprisingly intimate exhibition space that supports a rotating calendar of shows; the basement bookstore will delight bibliophiles and design freaks alike. Right nearby lies the Museo Soumaya, whose dramatic architectural form (which earned it the nickname “the Blender”) makes up for a collection some consider erratic.

Most travelers can’t resist a bargain, but for some visitors, the real pleasure of shopping comes in haggling expertly to secure a lower price for the object of their desire. If that sounds like you, then head to La Ciudadela or any of the other craft markets in Mexico City, and practice your bargaining skills... in Spanish. Can you negotiate a lower price for those vasos marked 6 for 120 pesos? How about the blouse that’s marked 200 pesos or the hand-beaded mask that’s officially priced at 500 pesos? See if your Spanish skills pay off—literally—by saving you money during your market excursions.

The Saturday tianguis is a Mexico City tradition, and many neighborhoods have one of these open-air flea markets, where vendors peddle everything from rare books, maps, and postcards to locally made T-shirts, vintage jewelry, and art. One popular tianguis is the Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, near the Buenavista Metro station. This tianguis has been around since the 1960s and has long been known for its countercultural offerings. If you’re looking for old-school vinyl records or punk rock tees, this is the place. Even if you don’t plan to buy, spending a Saturday wandering through a tianguis just browsing the wares is a fun experience.

If you find yourself staying at Hotel Las Alcobas on a Saturday, ask staff to point you in the direction of Parque Lincoln (Lincoln Park), just a three-minute walk from the hotel, so you can stroll through Polanco’s Saturday tianguis, or street market. Tianguis are a beloved tradition in Mexico City, and many neighborhoods, including Polanco, host these weekend markets. At a tianguis, you can find everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to “fast food” snacks, from tacos to tropical fruit adorned with lime and chile. Prices are more than reasonable and the scene is entirely local. It’s a perfect way to spend part of your Saturday.

Mexico City’s fabulous Sundays-only flea market—in a down-at-the-heels neighborhood near the Centro Histórico that looks worse than it is—is a must-do for anyone who loves the nostalgic or the campy. No fewer than six block-long aisles host dozens of stalls featuring all manner of trash and treasure, including antique furniture and light fixtures; frilly housewares that get you back in touch with your inner grandmother; books and vinyl LPs (record players, too); artworks that might be worth a fortune; toys; dolls and action figures; and fantastic vintage beer and soft-drink trays that make great, practical CDMX souvenirs.