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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.
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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 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 built 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.
Telephone: 542-02-56
Website:
Transport: Take metro to Zocalo. Templo Mayor is off Zocalo, to the right of the city cathedral if you face it
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 5pm
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 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.
Telephone: (01)5512 3633
Website:
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Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm
Bosque de Chapultepec and the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa
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 AntropologÃa. 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.
Telephone: (01)55 531 902
Website: www.mna.inah.gob.mx
Transport: Nearest subway stations are Auditorio and Chapultepec
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 7pm
San Ãngel
Formerly a separate village, San Ãngel 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.
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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 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.
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Transport: Line one on the metro to Insurgentes Station
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Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo is the most beautiful of San Cristóbal's churches, with a pink Baroque façade that is especially impressive when lit up at night. The interior is richly decorated and shimmers with gold. The ornate pulpit and golden altarpieces are the main focus of this 16th century architectural monument. The area in front and around the church is filled each day with craft stalls and village traders.
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Tijuana
A typical border town, Tijuana is not suited to everyone's taste, with plenty of noise and frenetic activity. Its location on the American border and proximity to San Diego and other Californian cities ensures a steady stream of curious day-trippers and souvenir hunters from up north. Tijuana's notorious 'sin city' image of prostitution and sex shows has now taken a back seat; the sleazy element, the drugs and violence that seems to be the lot of a border town, is still there, but the focus has shifted in an effort to clean the town up a bit, and it has become something of a shopper's delight along with the intense nightlife and non-stop entertainment. This is the place to shop, drink and dance the night away; there are souvenir stalls, numerous duty-free shopping malls and markets selling goods from all over Mexico, and countless bars, restaurants and dance clubs. Tijuana has some traditional attractions as well, including bullfighting and Jai Alai (a Spanish ball court game), but this is not the classic Mexico that stories are made of. It does however make a good starting point for exploring the Baja California peninsula and the beaches and resorts to the south.
Telephone: (0)664 973 0430
Website: www.seetijuana.com
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Creel
The rustic logging town of Creel is a popular tourist centre for visitors to the region and is the gateway to the Copper Canyon, popular as a starting point for exploring the canyons and Tarahumara Indian country. There are several tours offered, or it is possible to hire mountain bikes and hiking equipment to explore the natural attractions nearby, such as the canyons themselves, the Basaseachic Falls, hot springs, Tarahumara villages and cave dwellings. A popular overnight excursion is to the fascinating 18th-century silver mining town at the bottom of the Copper Canyon. Creel is the largest town in the canyon and offers accommodation, restaurants, Tarahumara craft shops, tours and guides. Situated high in a valley, the cool mountain air at 7,669ft (2,340m) makes a pleasant escape from the humidity on the coast.
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Transport: Various bus and train services
Opening times:
Cities & Regions: Baja California | Mexico City | Yucatán Peninsula | Pacific Coast | San Cristóbal de las Casas | The Copper Canyon
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.
Telephone: (01)5512 3633
Website:
Transport:
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm
Bosque de Chapultepec and the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa
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 AntropologÃa. 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.
Telephone: (01)55 531 902
Website: www.mna.inah.gob.mx
Transport: Nearest subway stations are Auditorio and Chapultepec
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 7pm
San Ãngel
Formerly a separate village, San Ãngel 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.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport:
Opening times:
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 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.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport: Line one on the metro to Insurgentes Station
Opening times:
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo is the most beautiful of San Cristóbal's churches, with a pink Baroque façade that is especially impressive when lit up at night. The interior is richly decorated and shimmers with gold. The ornate pulpit and golden altarpieces are the main focus of this 16th century architectural monument. The area in front and around the church is filled each day with craft stalls and village traders.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport:
Opening times:
Tijuana
A typical border town, Tijuana is not suited to everyone's taste, with plenty of noise and frenetic activity. Its location on the American border and proximity to San Diego and other Californian cities ensures a steady stream of curious day-trippers and souvenir hunters from up north. Tijuana's notorious 'sin city' image of prostitution and sex shows has now taken a back seat; the sleazy element, the drugs and violence that seems to be the lot of a border town, is still there, but the focus has shifted in an effort to clean the town up a bit, and it has become something of a shopper's delight along with the intense nightlife and non-stop entertainment. This is the place to shop, drink and dance the night away; there are souvenir stalls, numerous duty-free shopping malls and markets selling goods from all over Mexico, and countless bars, restaurants and dance clubs. Tijuana has some traditional attractions as well, including bullfighting and Jai Alai (a Spanish ball court game), but this is not the classic Mexico that stories are made of. It does however make a good starting point for exploring the Baja California peninsula and the beaches and resorts to the south.
Telephone: (0)664 973 0430
Website: www.seetijuana.com
Transport:
Opening times:
Creel
The rustic logging town of Creel is a popular tourist centre for visitors to the region and is the gateway to the Copper Canyon, popular as a starting point for exploring the canyons and Tarahumara Indian country. There are several tours offered, or it is possible to hire mountain bikes and hiking equipment to explore the natural attractions nearby, such as the canyons themselves, the Basaseachic Falls, hot springs, Tarahumara villages and cave dwellings. A popular overnight excursion is to the fascinating 18th-century silver mining town at the bottom of the Copper Canyon. Creel is the largest town in the canyon and offers accommodation, restaurants, Tarahumara craft shops, tours and guides. Situated high in a valley, the cool mountain air at 7,669ft (2,340m) makes a pleasant escape from the humidity on the coast.
Telephone:
Website:
Transport: Various bus and train services
Opening times:
Cities & Regions: Baja California | Mexico City | Yucatán Peninsula | Pacific Coast | San Cristóbal de las Casas | The Copper Canyon
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