What draws most visitors to Coyoacán is the former home of Frida Kahlo, Casa Azul — it’s one of Mexico City’s most popular sites. But there’s much more to this charming bohemian borough, located 7 miles south of the historic center. I recommend making a day of it, touring new museums and lively markets and exploring the modernist architecture of Latin America’s largest university.

Museo Frida Kahlo / Casa Azul

Born here in 1907, Kahlo ultimately spent 36 of her 47 years at Casa Azul. Much of that time she shared with muralist Diego Rivera, whom she married twice. Within these walls they hosted friends and cultural luminaries, including Leon Trotsky, Georgia O’Keeffe and George Gershwin. Today, visitors can wander through the lush gardens and interior to view treasured paintings, family photos, pieces from Kahlo’s pre-Hispanic art collection, her traditional Mexican attire and personal belongings. But the museum is not just for Kahlo devotees. For those who know her only as a face with a unibrow on cheap tchotchkes, Casa Azul paints a fuller picture. Photographs depict the profound bond she had with her father; her studio preserves her brushes and easel just as she left them; a simple cot recalls the long periods she spent bedridden; and the orthopedic back brace she wore through more than 30 surgeries speaks to a lifetime of physical suffering. Select artworks also offer insight into the  anguish she felt over her inability to become a mother. It’s nearly impossible to leave without a deepened appreciation for both the artist and the woman. Advanced tickets are essential and sell out fast. Closed Monday.

Museo Frida Kahlo
Londres 247, Del Carmen. Tel. (52) 55-5554-5999