Summers are confusing in Mexico City — although we get the driest season of the year from April to July, in recent years we’ve also had heavy rain and sudden winds out of the blue. However, this does not stop us capitalinos from enjoying our lush green areas, which come alive in the capital’s summer warmth.

While Chapultepec Park is a jewel of the city, it is also very busy almost every day of the year — especially when the weather is great. So where do locals go to beat the heat and unwind in a green space? Here’s Mexico News Daily’s list of the best picnic spots to enjoy this summer season for a well-deserved shot of vitamin D and hours of chatting with friends outdoors.

Jardín Botánico at UNAM

Operated by UNAM’s Biology Institute (IBUNAM), this protected natural area is home to more than 1,600 plant species native to Mexico City. Jardín Botánico holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first places my partner took me on a date. So, from experience, I know it’s a beautiful place to enjoy a sunny picnic brunch.

If you’re coming with young children, they’ll love running among the volcanic rock formations and encountering native lizards and various birds. If they’re lucky, they might even spot an osprey (Pandion haliaetus) — and yes, that’s actually pretty exciting. In addition to guided tours with specialists and biologists, you can use the common areas outside the protected zone for an outdoor feast. Watch out, though! An iguana might steal your sandwich.

• Where? Tercer Circuito exterior S/N, Ciudad Universitaria (C.U.), Coyoacán.

Cineteca Nacional

Cineteca’s Open Air Forum is the perfect spot for a romantic summer date. While taking advantage of the warm weather, grab some chips from a street vendor in the Historic Center of Coyoacán, add some Valentina hot sauce, and bring your special someone to see a movie. Which one? Anything! They’re sure to be showing something really unusual, like Scandinavian or Kenyan cinema and anything in between.

Besides being free, the Open Air Forum has spacious gardens, with areas adapted for relaxing on the grass. Trust us: no one from Coyoacán’s “alternative scene” could imagine a better spot for a summer picnic in Mexico City.

• Where? Av. México-Coyoacán 389, Xoco, Benito Juárez.

La Marquesa

If you’re looking for a place to have an outdoor barbecue, La Marquesa is the obvious choice. Located on the border between Mexico City and the State of Mexico, past Santa Fe, this area has benefited from the use of designated forest areas for horseback riding, picnics and even fishing. It’s also famous for its paintball spots.

This national park is so large, notes the Mexico City government, that “it covers most of the territory that divides the valleys of Mexico and Toluca.” In this area, there are cabins where you can spend the night and stargaze. However, if your plan is simply to have a barbecue and return before sunset, this is perhaps one of the most beautiful national parks to visit for a weekend getaway. Watch out for rain, though!

• La Marquesa National Park, Toluca de Lerdo, Edomex.

Centro Nacional de las Artes (CENART) 

Just imagine it: art students leaving class, couples visiting contemporary art exhibitions in free galleries and expansive green spaces filled with grass and leafy trees. Sounds like the perfect spot for a picnic, right? That’s exactly what the gardens of the National Center for the Arts (CENART), south of the city, look like.

Designed by the great Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, this labyrinthine space is intended to create a play of light between the geometric shapes of the walls and their vibrant colors. The property spans 12 hectares, at least half of which are dedicated to public parks that visitors use to lie on the grass, walk among the trees or leisurely listen to jazz.

• Where? CENART. Av. Río Churubusco 79, Country Club Churubusco, Coyoacán.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.