By JUAN DE JESÚS BREENE

Ten years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to chat with someone in an airport, headed to Mexico, and learn their destination was Mexico City (CDMX).

Back then, the typical hotspots were the beach cities: Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo. They still are hot spots.

What has changed, outside of a few stragglers who found their way to San Miguel de Allende or Oaxaca in the past, is Mexico City.

Who would have thought?

Today, CDMX is hot.

With its high level of art, culture, architecture, not to mention food, Mexico City has been gaining strength for years as an intentional vacation spot.

Proximity or quick and inexpensive flights from many U.S. cities, coupled with a wider range of hotel prices, compared to beach cities, makes it a true cultural getaway.

Like all large cities, CDMX has the hop-on-hop-off open tour buses.

In fact, due to its size, Mexico City has four different existing routes: the historic downtown, Coyoacán and south, upscale Polanco and the Guadalupe Basilica north circuit.

Because of its prominence for art and culture, a fifth route has just been announced, a route dedicated to art and culture.

And as an added twist, this route comes with an in-house guide which will give a tour at each of the dedicated stops during the four-hour trip to some spots a typical tourist might miss.

The tour includes a visit to the Monument to Mexicanidad, to the Hospital de Jesús, admissions to the City Museum, to the San Carlos Academy, to the José Luis Cuevas Museum, to the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and a visit to the José Vasconcelos Library.

Depending on interest and for an extra fee, the tour can finish with wine and food pairing at a local restaurant.

This tour is offered Thursday to Sunday only and leaves from Reforma 222 at 11 a.m.

That is quite a bit of history and culture in just four hours.