Last week marked the beginning of Spring, and we’d have to say that this is a season in which Mexico flourishes.

The flowers are already in bloom, the streets are busy, and warm weather invites you outside. As such, we’re focusing our location guide today on the best places to be in nature, right in Mexico City.

The first sign of spring might be the beautiful violet jacarandas that bloom throughout the city center. A walk just outside the Zocalo will show you these purple beauties on full display, painting the sky with their beauty (and eventually the streets as their petals fall off towards the end of the season). It’s a beautiful floral display that feels just as much a part of Mexico as the Zocalo itself.

You can’t go through the season without spending a significant amount of your days in Chapultepec, Mexico’s biggest and best park. You might be able to spend the whole season there and still not see the whole thing. Clocking in at 1695 acres, Chapultepec has a huge variety in sights and sounds. You can spend an afternoon strolling through the plants and flowers (be sure to check out the Montezuma cypress trees), all the botanical goodness the park has throughout its sweeping landscape.

Or if you have the family in tow, head to the Chapultepec Zoo (yes, located within the park and with free public access). The zoo opened in 1924 and has been a leader in conservation in Mexico, making large strides in giant panda breeding (no pun intended). If you visit the zoo now, you can meet two such pandas: Shuan Shuan and Xin Xin.

Venture further into Chapultepec and you will find the Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art). Open every Tuesday through Sunday, the Museo is currently featuring an exhibition on the life and work of Tina Modotti and Edward Weston, famed photographers of Mexico. Check it out as well as the many other arts-oriented programs available for viewing to the public at the Museo de Arte Moderno five days a week.

We could spend another day or two selling you in on all the park has to offer as well as the various other moments of tranquil seasonal bliss around the city. For now, we will sign off by wishing you a Happy Spring in Mexico City!