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Mexico City Maps & Attractions Guide
Mexico City maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Mexico City
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Mexico City
Attractions - Things to do
1. El Zócalo
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What is it? In the middle of the city's historic centre
is the enormous paved Plaza de la Constitución, or Zócalo, the
second largest city square in the world, and Mexico City's centre
of government and religion. The Presidential Palace dominates one
side of the square, a magnificent colonial building that was built
on the site of the former Aztec Palace, with remarkable interior
murals narrating the story of Mexico's history. Dominating an
adjacent side of the square is the great Metropolitan Cathedral,
displaying a wealth of architectural styles and occupying the site
of the once sacred grounds of the Aztec. The ornate interior
contains its chief treasure, the King's Chapel and gilded altar.
The Cathedral is one of the buildings subsiding into the soft
ground on which the city is built and builders are continuously at
work to prevent its uneven descent. The square itself is filled
with activity, with vendors and buskers, informal traditional Aztec
dance performances, family groups, workers on lunch break and
passing tourists. It is also the place for demonstrations,
government rallies and protest marches, as well as festivals and
public holiday events. Every evening the presidential guards, in a
show of great ceremony, lower the national flag from the central
flagpole. And encircling the square is the continuous buzz of the
ubiquitous green Volkswagen taxis.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
2. Templo Mayor
Seminario 8
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What is it? Templo Mayor (Great Temple) was the principal
temple of the Aztecs, believed to mark the centre of the universe.
It was part of the sacred complex of the ancient city of
Tenochtitlán, and today it has been excavated to show the multiple
layers of construction, viewed from a raised walkway with
explanatory material available. The temple was first begun in 1375,
and enlarged several times, each rebuilding accompanied by a
frenzied bloody sacrifice of captured warriors to rededicate the
sacred area. At the centre is a platform on which stands a
sacrificial stone in front of the shrine to the tribal god,
Huizilopochtli. Within the site is the excellent Museo del Templo
Mayor, a museum displaying artefacts from the original site and
providing an overview of Aztec civilisation. The most important
display is the first artefact to be discovered on the site, the
great wheel-like stone carving of the Aztec goddess of the moon,
Coyilxauhqui.
Hours of Operation:
Phone:(01)55 424 784 |
3. Palacio de Bellas Artes
Lázaro Cárdenas
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What is it? Situated at one end of the Alameda Central
that was once an ancient market place and is now a large park, is
the splendid white marble structure of the Palacio de Bellas Artes
(Palace of Fine Arts). A concert hall and an arts centre, it houses
some of Mexico's finest murals and the Art Deco interior is worth
seeing alone. The Palacio has two museums: the Museo del Palacio de
Bellas Artes and the Museo de la Arquitectura. The art museum's
collection includes over 6,000 paintings, sculptures and engravings
from 1650 to 1954 with masterpieces by prominent Mexican artists
such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo. One
of the highlights of the Palacio is the theatre's stained glass
stage curtain, which is lit before performances and for public
viewing. The Ballet Folklorico performs here every Wednesday and
Sunday.
Hours of Operation:
Phone:(01)55 122 593 |
4. Bosque de Chapultepec and the Museo Nacional de
Antropología
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, Chapultepec Park, Mexico
City
www.mna.inah.gob.mx |
What is it? Bosque de Chapultepec is Mexico City's
largest park, covering an enormous area containing lakes, the zoo
and several museums, including the Museo Nacional de Antropología.
The park attracts thousands of people, especially on weekends when
families come to picnic, relax in the woods and visit the museums.
The huge National Museum of Anthropology is one of the finest of
its kind in the world, housing a fascinating collection of
pre-Hispanic artefacts, from the first people in the Americas, to
the Teotihuacána Empire, the Aztecs and the Mayans. Highlights
include the famous Aztec Sun Stone or Calendar Stone found beneath
the Zócalo (main square) in 1790. There are also exhibits
illustrating the modern way of life in today's indigenous
communities.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 7pm
Phone:(01)55 531 902 |
5. San Ángel
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What is it? Formerly a separate village, San
Ángel is one of the more charming of Mexico's suburbs,
an exclusive neighbourhood with ancient mansions and colonial
houses along cobbled streets. It is famed for its Saturday craft
market in the pretty Plaza San Jacinto, which brings colour, crowds
and a festive atmosphere to the area, and has excellent art and
handicrafts for sale. It is crammed with little restaurants and
cafes, offering the city's best dining experiences, albeit
expensive. There are several museums of interest, including the
Studio Museum of Mexico's famous pair, the artists Diego Rivera and
Frida Kahlo.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
6. Zona Rosa
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What is it? The Zona Rosa (Pink Zone) is the city's major
dining, nightlife and shopping district. It is a compact area, a
dense knot of streets crammed with bars, shops, boutiques,
restaurants and hotels. The streets are all named for famous cities
such as Londres and Hamburgo and the best activity here is to
people watch from a chic sidewalk café, as the endless stream of
tourists and a mixture of the city's purposeful middle classes pass
by. It is where the symbol of Mexico City stands, a gilded statue
of Winged Victory, the Independence
Monument.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
7. Teotihuacán
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What is it? Situated 31 miles (50km) from Mexico City,
Teotihuacán is the site of Mexico's largest ancient city,
constructed by a long forgotten culture, and dating from around 300
to 600 BC. It is believed that after thriving for about 2,000 years
a great fire caused the city to be abandoned, and the Aztecs
arrived in the region to find a forsaken city. Recognising signs of
its previous magnificence they named it what it is today,
Teotihuacán, 'place of the gods'. The central thoroughfare is the
Avenue of the Dead, a 1.3-mile (2km) stretch lined with the palaces
of the elite and connecting the three main site areas, the Pyramid
of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon and the Citadel. The Pyramid of the
Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world, a huge red painted
structure built over a cave, found to contain religious artefacts
relating to sun worship. From the top of the stairs the views over
the ruins are fantastic. The more graceful Pyramid of the Moon is
situated at one end of the Avenue with an altar in the plaza
believed to have been used for religious dancing. The Citadel at
the other end of the Avenue is a large square complex that was the
residence of the city's ruler. Within the walls is its main
feature, the Templo de Quetzalcóatl, with some striking serpent
carvings. The Tepantitla Palace holds Teotihuacán's most famous
fresco, the faded 'Paradise of Tláloc'. There is a museum housing
excellent displays of the city's artefacts, models and explanatory
diagrams of the site.
Hours of Operation: Daily from 7am to 6pm
Phone:(59) 4956 0276 |
8. Guanajuato
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What is it? Guanajuato is considered to be one of
Mexico's colonial gems, founded around the rich silver deposits
discovered by the Spanish in 1558. It is a city of history, where
the cry of rebellion against the Spanish was raised and the
struggle for Independence commenced, and of wealthy silver barons
and poor Indian miners. The city has an unusual layout, crammed
into a narrow valley, with houses and streets forced into irregular
positions due to the naturally hilly topography. Brightly painted
higgledy-piggledy houses perch on the slopes, reached by narrow
crooked alleyways of cobbled stone; hidden plazas, steep irregular
stairways, underground tunnels and thoroughfares lend the city much
of its charming character. Along with its picturesque setting and
unusual beauty, Guanajuato has many historical buildings and
magnificent architecture, including several churches and museums,
and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most
narrow, and most visited, alley is the Callejón del Beso (Alley of
the Kiss) where the balconies of the leaning houses on either side
almost touch each other, a feature in the local romantic legend
about furtive lovers exchanging kisses. Cultural events are an
important part of the city, which hosts several festivals during
the year. Every weekend the famous strolling musicians, or
callejoneadas, in traditional dress, lead processions through the
narrow winding alleyways, strumming, singing and telling stories to
the crowds that follow.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
Mexico City Holidays guide
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Transport -The efficient and very cheap public
transport system makes Mexico City surprisingly easy to get around;
it consists of the metro, buses, trolley buses and minibuses
(peseros or colectivos).
More information at the |
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