Narvarte on Foot

Why Narvarte

Narvarte is where Mexico City’s middle class went to live in the 1950s, and where it still lives: long blocks of functionalist houses and small apartment buildings, palm trees, a Félix Candela church, a baseball stadium turned shopping mall, and some of the best tacos al pastor in the city.

It sits in Benito Juárez, just south of the Viaducto and east of Avenida Cuauhtémoc, about 5 km south of the Zócalo. Roma Sur is across the Viaducto to the north and Del Valle across Cuauhtémoc to the west. Locals say “la Narvarte” for what is officially five colonias: Piedad Narvarte, Atenor Salas, Narvarte Poniente, Narvarte Oriente and Vértiz Narvarte.

This walk suits people who have done Roma and Condesa and want to see how most chilangos actually live, fans of mid-century architecture, and anyone who will cross town for a taco. It is not pretty in the obvious way. There are no boutiques, the avenues are loud, and the big modernist landmark of the area has just been torn down. The pleasure is in the side streets.

Practical basics

The walk is about 5.4 km, one way, north to south, and takes half a day with lunch. Take an Uber or taxi to the start and home from the end. Do it on a Saturday.

Start	Parque Delta, Av. Cuauhtémoc at the Viaducto
Finish	Parroquia de la Medalla Milagrosa, Matías Romero 1402 at Ixcateopan
Distance	About 5.4 km; roughly 1 hour 10 minutes of pure walking
Time needed	3–4 hours with tacos, coffee and the churches
Best day	Saturday: the Medalla Milagrosa is open all day and the street market on Dr. Vértiz is out
Avoid	Weekdays 13:00–16:00 at the end of the walk, when the Medalla Milagrosa closes for lunch
Toilets	Parque Delta at the start; after that, buy a coffee at Buendía or Costra

For a shorter walk, skip Parque de las Américas and the Centro SCOP site and go straight from the Unidad Esperanza to the glorieta. It saves about 1 km. If you like sugar sculpture (you might, you just don’t know it yet), call the Museo de Arte en Azúcar a few days ahead. It only opens by appointment.

If you come by public transport, Metrobús Line 3 Obrero Mundial is at the door of Parque Delta (Metro Etiopía, Line 3, is about 800 m south), and Metro División del Norte (Line 3) and the Metrobús stop of the same name are two blocks west of the Medalla Milagrosa.

Narvarte is a residential area and feels calm in daylight. The edges are a different matter: Viaducto, Eje Central and Xola are fast, wide and unpleasant to cross, so use the traffic lights. Keep your phone in a front pocket around Parque Delta and the Metro exits.

A short history

Before the colonia there was a village. La Piedad, called Ahuehuetlán before the conquest, stood beside the Río de la Piedad, and the Dominicans built a church there that opened in 1652. The river is now the Viaducto, opened to traffic in 1950. The village and its church are gone; the old temple was demolished in 1935.

The land around it was the Hacienda de Narvarte, which grew maize, alfalfa and maguey. Its name comes from Felipe José de Narvarte (some sources spell it Nalvarte), who owned it in colonial times. In the 1940s the hacienda was subdivided into the colonias that make up Narvarte today, laid out with wide streets, medians and diagonal avenues. Most of the cross streets are named after archaeological sites: Xochicalco, Mitla, La Quemada, Petén, Uxmal, Yácatas.

The new neighborhood filled with functionalist, Art Deco and California-style houses, and with Japanese, German and Lebanese immigrants and Spanish Civil War exiles. In 1949 Carlos Lazo built the Unidad Esperanza, described as the city’s first multifamily housing complex. Agustín Lara spent time here.

In June 1954 Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visited Mexico to thank it for standing by his country during the Italian occupation. The traffic circle at Cuauhtémoc and Xola became the Glorieta de Etiopía, and palms were planted along Xola. The same year the government opened the Centro SCOP, the transport ministry, covered in murals by Juan O’Gorman, José Chávez Morado and others. In the 1970s the ejes viales and Metro Line 3 removed the glorieta. The Metro station kept the name and a lion’s head logo.

The 1985 earthquake damaged the Centro SCOP, and the baseball stadium on Cuauhtémoc served as a temporary morgue. The 2017 earthquake finished the SCOP building off; it was dismantled between late 2023 and April 2024 and its murals went into storage. On 31 July 2015, five people, among them photojournalist Rubén Espinosa and activist Nadia Vera, were murdered in an apartment at Luz Saviñón 1909. Ten years on, the case is still unresolved.

None of that has hurt the neighborhood’s food reputation. In 2020 Time Out ranked Narvarte 23rd among the world’s coolest neighborhoods, and the Michelin Guide now recommends El Vilsito, a car repair shop that sells tacos.

The route

The walk runs one way, north to south, from the Viaducto down to the Medalla Milagrosa, in 10 numbered stops. Food and coffee come in between, at the point where you pass them. Follow it on the Narvarte on Foot map, which shows every stop, the walking route, and the coffee places and bakeries along it.

Narvarte on Foot map — Red circles are the numbered walk stops.
**Coffee** 12Alquimia Café · 14Almanegra Café · 15Cultumkali café · 17Alma Café
**Bakeries** 11Panadería Maren · 13Buendía Pan y Café · 16Panadería Costra · 18IXCA Panadería · 19Cloud Bread Bakery
Click to enlarge. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

#	Stop	What it is
1	Parque Delta	Mall on an old ballpark; start
2	Mercado 1° de Diciembre	Neighborhood market
3	Unidad Habitacional Esperanza	1949 housing complex
4	Parque de las Américas	Neighborhood park
5	Centro SCOP site	Lost modernist landmark
6	Glorieta SCOP	Fountain, palms and ship-shaped buildings
7	Cumbres de Maltrata and Petén	Mid-century houses
8	Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón	Mosaic-clad church
9	Museo de Arte en Azúcar	Sugar sculpture house-museum
10	Parroquia de la Medalla Milagrosa	Félix Candela’s concrete church

The walk, part 1: Parque Delta to the Glorieta SCOP

The first half covers the oldest corner of the neighborhood, the market and the ghost of the Centro SCOP, heading east and then south.

1. Parque Delta

Av. Cuauhtémoc 462 at the Viaducto · daily 11:00–20:30 (Thu and Sat to 21:30) · free

A big, ordinary shopping mall with a less ordinary past. A ballpark called Parque Delta opened here in 1928, and the Diablos Rojos del México played on it. In 1952 part of the wooden grandstand collapsed during a game and killed two fans. The IMSS bought the stadium in 1955 and renamed it Parque del Seguro Social. After the 1985 earthquake it held the bodies of unidentified victims, kept on ice. It was demolished around 2000 and the mall opened in 2005. Use the toilets, then walk south down Cuauhtémoc, about ten minutes, to the market.

For a detour, the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Piedad is about 500 m west at Obrero Mundial 320. The current church was begun in 1945 to a design by Enrique Langenscheidt, on the site of the old village of La Piedad.

2. Mercado 1° de Diciembre

Uxmal 51, running through to Yácatas · daily 9:00–17:00 · free

A small neighborhood market of about 180 stalls, with fruit, meat and octopus. Many fondas inside serve three-course comida corrida for much less than the restaurants on Cuauhtémoc.

Seafood stop: Rómulo’s, stalls 23–28 on the Yácatas side of this market, daily 9:00–18:00. For almost three decades Don Rómulo fed ballplayers and fans before games at the Parque del Seguro Social. The stadium went; the seafood stayed. Order camarones al mojo de ajo or a shrimp aguachile with chiltepín. There is a second, calmer Rómulo’s at Uxmal 52.

3. Unidad Habitacional Esperanza

Between Xochicalco, Petén and Icacos · exterior only · free

Walk five minutes east. Ten buildings with 164 apartments, opened in 1949 and designed by Carlos Lazo, later one of the men behind Ciudad Universitaria, with Antonio Serrato. Only about a quarter of the land was built on; the rest was left as gardens and shared space, an idea later copied across the country. Many of the first buyers were Spanish exiles. It is private, so look from the street.

Coffee: there is no independent café on this first stretch. Tierra Garat at Xochicalco 121 is a block away, or use the Starbucks and Cielito Querido in Parque Delta before you set off.

4. Parque de las Américas

Diagonal San Antonio 1737 · open 24 hours · free

Six minutes further east. A neighborhood park, sometimes called Plaza de las Naciones Unidas, with an open-air theater, a basketball court, a dog run and benches full of people doing nothing in particular. Not a destination, but a good place to see Narvarte at rest.

5. Centro SCOP site

Xola between Av. Universidad and Eje Central · exterior only · free

Walk about eleven minutes south-east to Xola. This is where the Centro SCOP stood, the 1954 transport ministry by Carlos Lazo, wrapped in murals by Juan O’Gorman, José Chávez Morado, Arturo Estrada and others. It was one of the great modernist complexes in the city. The 1985 and 2017 earthquakes ruined it. About 2,000 m² of murals were taken off in 2023, and the buildings were gone by April 2024. The city has announced a Parque del Muralismo Mexicano for the site, with the murals reinstalled, and a “Utopía” community center. When I checked, neither had opened. What you see now depends on how the works are going.

The IMSS housing next to it, known locally as “la de SCOP”, went up in 1956 as the first of the IMSS housing complexes.

6. Glorieta SCOP

Av. Universidad at Dr. José María Vértiz · open space, free

Eight minutes south-west, a small traffic circle with a fountain and tall palms, named after the ministry. Neighbors say hawks nest in the palms; listen for them in the morning and afternoon. Look at the corners: on Vértiz stand a pair of functionalist buildings shaped like ships, with rounded prows. On Tepozteco, just off the circle, an octagonal building is covered in green mosaic.

Lunch: El Maquech Púrpura, Dr. José María Vértiz 808, right on the glorieta, daily 9:00–18:00. A Yucatecan place that started as a street stall and grew into four connected shopfronts. Everyone orders the cochinita pibil. Time Out and Chilango both say to order the tacos de lechón dorado instead, so order both. On weekends come early; the popular dishes run out. If you would rather wait, the taco corner of El Vilsito and Tacos Tony is on the way south after stop 8.

The walk, part 2: Cumbres de Maltrata to the Medalla Milagrosa

The second half is the residential core: mosaic houses, a taco corner, a sugar museum, and Candela’s church at the end.

7. Cumbres de Maltrata and Petén

Cumbres de Maltrata at Petén · exterior only · free

Four minutes north-west of the glorieta. This is the stretch of Narvarte to look up at. Along Cumbres de Maltrata and toward Universidad are mid-century houses with curved balconies, round windows, symmetrical facades and mosaic-covered walls. The house on the corner of Petén and Cumbres de Maltrata mixes mosaic and exposed brick.

Bakery: Maren, on this corner (gold circle on the map), daily 7:00–21:00 (Sun from 8:00). A large traditional panadería. Grab a tray and tongs and fill it with pan dulce for the walk.

8. Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón

Pedro Romero de Terreros 1507 · open around Mass times, check hours · free

A minute or two west. A neighborhood church with two prismatic towers and a facade covered in reddish mosaic tiles, very 1950s. The functionalist apartment building next door has porthole windows. Inside is a large ceiling mural of the Assumption. It is usually locked between morning and evening Mass, so you may only get the facade.

From here it is the longest leg of the walk, about 18 minutes south-west to the sugar museum on Av. Cuauhtémoc. Head south toward Av. Universidad and Petén, then west and south through the side streets. Two good breaks sit on this stretch.

Tacos: El Vilsito, Petén 248 at Av. Universidad, daily from 13:00 until the small hours (check hours). By day it is a car repair shop, as it has been since the 1960s. Later the shutter goes up, the trompo starts turning and the garage fills with stools. Order pastor, as tacos or a gringa, with the avocado salsa, and a side of grilled cebollitas. The orange salsa is properly hot. Half a block away, Tacos Tony (Torres Adalid 1702, daily from 8:00) cooks suadero and tripa on a curved choricera griddle. The original is the small stand; the sit-down branch is across the street. Get the lengua.

Coffee break: Buendía Pan y Café, Anaxágoras 630-B (gold circle on the map), Mon–Fri 8:30–20:00, Sat–Sun 8:30–16:00. A bakery-café with a garden at the back that you would never guess from the street. Good croissants and a proper brunch menu. On weekend mornings there is a wait. Alquimia Café, Torres Adalid 1515 (brown circle on the map), is the other option on this leg.

9. Museo de Arte en Azúcar

Av. Cuauhtémoc 950 · by appointment only, call 55 5523 8434 · check price

The quirkiest stop on the route. Marithé de Alvarado made her first sugar flowers for cakes in 1937, studied in France, and spent the rest of her life making sugar sculpture: allegories, stage sets, a hat shop, an Arab street scene. She founded the Instituto del Arte Mexicano del Azúcar in 1959 and at 92 opened her house as a museum. Her daughter, Dulce María, gives the tours. If you didn’t book, walk past and keep going.

Coffee break: Panadería Costra, Av. Universidad 482, on the way to the last stop (gold circle on the map), Mon–Fri 8:00–21:00, Sat–Sun 9:00–21:00. Sourdough, baguettes, croissants and a good flat white. The seeded loaf is worth carrying home. Dogs are welcome. Almanegra Café (Av. Universidad 420-A) is a minute up the same avenue.

10. Parroquia de la Medalla Milagrosa

Matías Romero 1402 at Ixcateopan · Mon–Fri 10:00–13:00 and 16:00–20:30, Sat–Sun 7:00–22:00 · free

About nine minutes south. The reason architects come to Narvarte. Félix Candela built this church in about ten months, finishing in 1955. The roof is a run of hyperbolic paraboloids, warped concrete shells about 38 mm thick, folding down into a nave that looks Gothic and is nothing of the kind. The story goes that the monks who commissioned it asked for Gothic and only realized what they had ordered once the forms were up. This is the building that made Candela’s name. Go inside. The walk ends here. Get an Uber home, or walk two blocks west to Metro División del Norte.

Coffee, food and drink

For tacos, go to El Vilsito; for seafood, Rómulo’s; for coffee and bread, Buendía or Costra; for the evening, a cantina.

Place	What	Where
El Vilsito	Tacos al pastor, gringas	Petén 248, between stops 8 and 9
Tacos Tony	Suadero, lengua, tripa	Torres Adalid 1702, between stops 8 and 9
El Maquech Púrpura	Cochinita pibil, lechón dorado	Dr. Vértiz 808, at stop 6
Rómulo’s	Seafood, aguachile, parrillada for two or three	Inside stop 2; also Uxmal 52
Tacos Manolo	The taco Manolo: bistec, onion and bacon; peanut salsa	Luz Saviñón 1305, near Buendía
Los Pericos	Pastor con queso	Enrique Rébsamen 701-A, near Buendía
Maren	Traditional pan dulce	At stop 7
Buendía Pan y Café	Croissants, brunch, garden	Anaxágoras 630-B, between stops 8 and 9
Panadería Costra	Sourdough, coffee	Av. Universidad 482, between stops 9 and 10
Almanegra Café	Specialty coffee, affogato	Av. Universidad 420-A, between stops 9 and 10
Alquimia Café	Coffee, chilaquiles, coffee cocktails	Torres Adalid 1515, between stops 8 and 9
Salón Los Cuates	Cantina, botanas, live music on Sundays	Dr. Vértiz 823, by stop 6
La Valenciana	Cantina with mariachis	Av. Universidad 48, near stop 5

If you just want a familiar cup, the chains are all along the route:

Starbucks and Cielito Querido inside Parque Delta, Av. Cuauhtémoc 462, at the start
Tierra Garat at Xochicalco 121, near stop 3
Starbucks at Xola 1159, by Metro Etiopía
Starbucks at Palenque 202, a block from El Vilsito
Tierra Garat at Dr. Vértiz 958, south of stop 6
Cielito Querido at Eje Central 911, Plaza La Perla, about 1 km north-east of stop 10

Shops worth the detour

Narvarte has no shopping street. Its shopping is markets and bakeries.

Tianguis on Dr. Vértiz: a street market from Concepción Beistegui on Wednesdays and weekends, with groceries, knick-knacks, carnitas, cecina and barbacoa.
Mercado 1° de Diciembre (stop 2): fruit, meat, octopus and cheap lunches.
Tianguis Orgánico Bosque de Agua: an organic market on Sundays 9:30–15:00 at Heriberto Frías 711, a few blocks west of Buendía. Vegetables, honey, bread, breakfast.
Panadería Costra (Av. Universidad 482): the seeded sourdough.
Parque Delta (stop 1): Liverpool, a Soriana supermarket and a cinema, if you need anything practical.

Which day to walk

Saturday gets you the most. Only the places with limited days or hours are listed below.

Place	Mon	Tue–Fri	Sat	Sun
El Maquech Púrpura (lunch)	9:00–18:00	9:00–18:00	9:00–18:00	9:00–18:00
Buendía (coffee)	To 20:00	To 20:00	To 16:00	To 16:00
9 Museo de Arte en Azúcar	By appointment	By appointment	By appointment	By appointment
10 Medalla Milagrosa	Closed 13:00–16:00	Closed 13:00–16:00	Open all day	Open all day
Tianguis on Vértiz	No	Wed only	Yes	Yes
Salón Los Cuates	Closed	From 13:00	From 13:00	13:00–20:00

On a weekday, time it so you reach the Medalla Milagrosa before 13:00 or after 16:00.

Keep walking

Narvarte borders several other areas, so you can carry on.

West: Del Valle. Cross Av. Cuauhtémoc from Buendía, between stops 8 and 9. The Parroquia del Purísimo Corazón de María at Gabriel Mancera 415, where Luis Miguel was baptized, is about 650 m away.

South: Parque de los Venados. From the Medalla Milagrosa, walk two blocks west to Metro División del Norte, then about 850 m south along División del Norte to Parque Francisco Villa, which everyone calls Los Venados. It is a big family park, busy on weekends.

North: Roma Sur and the Doctores. Cross the Viaducto from Parque Delta. Metro Centro Médico (Lines 3 and 9) is a short walk north, and from there you are a few stops from Roma.

About the author and where to stay

Brian has lived in Roma Norte for about five years and writes the See Mexico City guides. He speaks seven languages and still gets lost on purpose.

When you visit, stay with us at Penthouse El Cielo de Roma in Roma Norte.

Photo credits

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, used under the licenses shown. Numbers match the captions.

Centro comercial Parque Delta.jpg, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license
Murales en el Centro SCOP – panoramio.jpg, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license
Street Market – Cumbres de Maltrata – Col. Narvarte – Mexico City – Mexico – 06 (16327660029).jpg, Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Iglesia de la Medalla Milagrosa 04.jpg, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license, UNVERIFIED: file page could not be opened; check author/license

Sources

Hours and prices checked October 2026; confirm before you go.

Roma Penthouse — Penthouse Cielo de Roma