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Attractions

The culturally colourful and historically fascinating city of Mexico City has plenty to see and do for visitors of all walks of life, making it well worth exploring en route to the resorts, or even a great place for a lively weekend away. Mexico City is also the city with the most museums in the world - sure to appeal to history buffs and art lovers the world over.

With ancient ruins just a stone's throw from the city, tourists will want to visit the Templo Mayor, the principal temple of the Aztecs and part of Tenochtitlán, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Teotihuacan, the site of Mexico's largest ancient city which dates back to around 300 to 600 BC. For a more colonial flavour, visit the beautiful nearby town of Guanajuato, discovered by the Spanish in 1558 for its silver deposits.

Downtown Mexico is a great place to soak up the architecture and atmosphere of the stately buildings, but a visit to Zócalo is also a must, where locals and visitors gather in this square surrounded by historic buildings, while the Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi is surrounded by cafés and restaurants and a favourite place for tourists. Stroll along the cobbled streets of San Angel where ancient mansions and colonial houses make for amazing photographic opportunities.

Art lovers will enjoy the Palacio de Bellas Artes which features the works of Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well as 6,000 other works of art, while one of Mexico City's most popular attractions is undoubtedly the Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City's largest park, covering an enormous area containing lakes, the zoo and several museums, including the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

El Zocalo

In the middle of the city's historic centre is the enormous paved Plaza de la Constitucion, or Zocalo, 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...  see full details

Templo Mayor

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 Tenochtitlan, and today it has been excavated to show the multiple layers...  see full details

Palacio de Bellas Artes

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...  see full details

Bosque de Chapultepec and the Museo Nacional de Antropologia

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...  see full details

San Angel

Formerly a separate village, San Angel 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,...  see full details

Zona Rosa

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...  see full details