Mexico City Historic Centre

The historic centre of Mexico City is a UNESCO treasure built directly over the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, arranged around the Zocalo, one of the largest city squares in the world. Here rise the great Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace with its Diego Rivera murals, while beside them the excavated ruins of the Templo Mayor, the Aztecs' great pyramid, emerge from beneath the colonial city.

What to look for

• The Zocalo - the vast central square, one of the world's largest.
• The Metropolitan Cathedral - the grand cathedral on the square.
• The Templo Mayor - the excavated Aztec great temple and its museum.
• The Rivera murals - Diego Rivera's murals in the National Palace.

When to go

Year-round; the dry season from November to April is most pleasant. The centre is lively and walkable, best explored by day, with weekends bringing events and crowds to the great square.

Things to know

It is a huge, busy capital, so the centre is crowded and, like any big city, calls for normal urban caution with belongings, especially in crowds and on the metro. The altitude of over 2,200 metres can leave some breathless. It rewards several days to see the museums and neighbourhoods.

Nearby

The Anthropology Museum, Frida Kahlo's Blue House and the canals of Xochimilco are elsewhere in the city.