MUAC

If you happen to be on the hunt for Mexican designer jewelry and you’re already at the Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo (University Museum of Contemporary Art), then be sure to stop by the museum’s large store, where the work of more than 200 designers is on display. The pieces tend more toward contemporary than traditional, though there’s a style and piece for practically every taste. And if you need a scarf, shawl, or purse to complement your newly acquired ring, bracelet, or necklace, the store sells those, too.

The trek to MUAC, a contemporary art museum located on the campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, may not seem worth the effort, particularly given the number of museums clustered in the center of the city. But those who head to UNAM, located in the southern part of the city, will be rewarded not only with this large, spectacular museum, which has shown such international heavy-hitters as Cai Guo-Qian and Regina Jose Galindo, but with the art of and on the campus itself. Spend as much time as you can in MUAC’s exhibition halls, then head to the heart of the campus to see amazing architecture and art, including the mosaic-encrusted library designed by Juan O’Gorman and the Olympic stadium, which makes visual reference to an inverted volcano and features a mural by Diego Rivera. If you’re hungry, eat at the excellent and affordable Café Azul y Oro, a full-service restaurant, right on campus.