Hidden LGBTQ History of Mexico: Plazas and Secrets
Description
It bridges forgotten pasts and vibrant futures of the hidden rainbow of Mexico City's past! You will embark on an eye-opening journey through the vibrant LGBTQ+ history of Mexico City with our exclusive "Gay Side of History, Plazas and Temples" walk. This isn't your ordinary walk - it is a time-traveling adventure that will challenge everything you thought you knew about Mexican culture and history!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Rooftop balcony overlooking the Palace of the Royal Duty, the Hideaway Rooms of Frida Kahl, and the Great Aztec Temple's ruins.
The Templo Mayor (Spanish for "Great Temple") was the main temple of the Mexica (former Aztec) people in their capital city.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico.
The central plaza. The heart of city and country. The meeting place since the 16th century.
The National Palace (Spanish: Palacio Nacional) is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico. Since 2018 it has also served as the official residence for the President of Mexico.
The Centro Cultural de España (Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico) is located at 18 Guatemala Street in the historic center of Mexico City. In the late 1990s, this old mansion just behind the Cathedral was in ruins when the Mexico City government ceded it to the Spanish government. When restoration work was finished, the new Centro Cultural de España was inaugurated by the King of Spain with the President of Mexico in 2002.
The Old Customs Building is located on the east side of Santo Domingo Plaza between Republica de Venezuela and Luis Gonzalez Obregon Streets just to the north of the main plaza of Mexico City.
Plaza Santo Domingo is flanked to the west by the Portal de Evangelistas, which is a Tuscan colonnade with round arches. Scribes with typewriters and antique printing machines work in this Portal.
The Spanish Inquisition was the civilian institution in charge of executing convicted homosexuals between 1521 and 1821.
The Church of Santo Domingo is located on the north side and faces the Santo Domingo plaza. The starting point of El Camino Real, from Old Mexico to New Mexico, a trading route and a safe haven for gay male couples.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 18 years
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- You will walk for 1 mile in 3 hours.
Reviews(55)
This tour provided us with the historical context of the city, as well as information about life here as a gay person. Carlos adapted the tour to us (we wound up having a private tour) and made it very unique and special. Lots of information in a 3-hour tour!
Nice tour, Carlos is knowledgeable and likes to teach. Showed me around the area and explained about the bars and history.
The tour was not interesting. He talked about the Catholic Regime and how so many people were ruled by fear. It was not a “lax tour” it was filled with heavy topics such as politics, religion, and discriminatory propaganda. The guide was very pompous about his knowledge and shamed and wrong answers to questions. It made me not want to participate. The tour was only about 8 blocks of walking. And to travel that little in such a long time period made it difficult to pay attention. There was very few talk and discussions about women and no mention about transgender individuals. It really should just go over the history of gay men and there acceptance in society
Just a reminder, this experience is not about your expectations or desires. It is about exactly what we offer in writing and by no means about what you are complaining. We're very sorry that you got everything wrong and that you did not like it. The words lesbian or trans are never mentioned or offered.
Our walking tour was cancelled due to protests in the city center and they never refunded us even though they guaranteed they would. They owe me $180 and ghosted me on WhatsApp, email and will not return my calls. I’ve tried to contact them and they are ignoring me. This is not a trustworthy tour company!!
We're very sorry but your tour was cancelled due to force majeure by the rules you signed to abide by at mexatmax.com/faq
The operator cancelled the tour 1 hour before it was meant to start. We were already on our way to the tour and the last minute cancellation made it difficult to arrange something else for our day. The operator gave no reason for cancelling nor did they answer our calls or messages to confirm the cancellation was accurate. This is very poor business management and incredibly disrespectful to your customers.
This was a great walk. Carlos balanced the history of Mexico City through a queer lens with great anecdotes, fun facts and genuine enthusiasm. Highly reccomended!
Had an amazing tour with Carlos, who is a walking encyclopedia of history and cultural knowledge. He's a great storyteller and I learned so much that I need to take a siesta to relax and try to process it all! I enjoyed learning about Mexico and the country, which Carlos clearly loves, and how it began and grew with respect to world events and gay influence - and much more. Note: I am ally (not LGBTQ+) and this is one of my favorite tours I have ever taken, and definitely one of the most educational! Just book it!
Carlos led us on two amazing tours over two days-- the gay plazas tour and the african walking tour (not listed here in the dropdown). Starting with a super informative and grounding introduction to the history of the United Mexican States, to the lasting impacts of that history on society and culture today. The tours were engaging and time flew by! My friends and I are coming back to take more tours to continue our exposure and learning!
My husband and I really loved meeting Carlos. He is an amazing teacher and a walking encyclopedia of gay, Mexican, and world history. I even learned so much about the US that we were never taught in school. A very worthwhile tour. Five stars
Carlos was such a fantastic and knowledgable guide! The tour is very well thought out with lots of fun reveals and great use of location. Over the tour he gives not only an overview of how LGBTQ+ life was perceived and experienced, but also wove the story of Mexico itself. We learned as much about the development of the Mexican empire, economy, and architecture as we did LGBTQ+ life! I would have preferred more up-front clarity abut the length and scope of the tour. I was under the impression the tour would go until about 1/1:30 but it ended at 2. It also was unclear from the description what year range would be covered by the tour content, we went from the formation of the Mexica empire through the 19th century. We definitely recommend this experience to anyone considering it, you'll get both a foundational and unique perspective on Mexico's history and be left with an excitement for more!
