Zoológico Los Coyotes

What makes it different. Opened in 1999, Los Coyotes is the city zoo that shows only native or endemic species of the Basin of Mexico —a region that holds some 2% of the country's total biodiversity. That focus is the reason to come: the axolotl, the Mexican grey wolf, the coyote, the teporingo (volcano rabbit) and the white-tailed deer, rather than the usual international line-up.

What else is there. It works as much as a park as a zoo: a running track, open ground for camping and scouting activities, picnic areas and three children's playgrounds spread through the grounds, so small children can alternate between animals and play. The walking is gentle and the whole visit takes two to three hours.

Practical notes. It is in Coyoacán, on Heroica Escuela Naval Militar at the corner of Calzada la Virgen, and like the city's other public zoos admission is free. It opens early —from 06:00— and closes in the late afternoon, which makes it a good first stop of the day; check the day before you travel, as the zoo closes one day a week for maintenance. For a bigger collection, Chapultepec Zoo is the alternative.