The Historic Center

Megalopolis such as Mexico City are formed by the gradual fusion of several cities and towns. The roots of Mexico's capital lie in the so-called Historic Center, an area which occupies the original core of the city which the Aztecs set out like a celestial map, aligned according to the four cardinal points. The Spanish then retraced the area in a checker board pattern, and it was subsequently rebuilt as a convent-filled, aristocratic metropolis before eventually transforming into a microcosm of modernity.

Consequently, the visitor finds this to be a lively, boisterous and contradictory place, guaranteed to stir the senses: the discreet tones of city center architecture are based on an interplay between pink sandstone and red tezontle rock; its rhythm determined by an age-old penchant for commerce, framed beneath wrought-iron balconies; its intensity pulsating to the beat of religious festivities and social struggles. Although the constant flow of vehicles which crisscross this downtown area today is slowly but surely leading to its extinction, visitors can still tour the streets in fixed-route streetcars or bicycle taxis, although it is best to simply tour this area on foot. Mexico's Cathedral is good starting point of the visit.

The geometric regularity of the downtown area allows the visitor to become acquainted with various neighborhoods (roughly grouped into four sectors: San Sebastian, Santa Maria, San Juan and San Pablo) which converge at the Zocalo, or to visit certain streets that denote the four cardinal points and which are named after Latin American republics, national heroes and events, with one or two names stemming from traditional anecdotes. The city may also be enjoyed from one or more of its old squares and gardens.

Staying at a downtown hotel can be a good option, as many of the city's museums are located nearby, and fast and easy transport is available as well as some restaurants.

As any crowded area you must be careful with your personal belongins and avoid eating in stalls or street vendors.