Neighborhoods & sights
Centro Histórico
The historic heart of Mexico City was where the Aztecs founded their capital Tenochtitlan in 1325. When the Spaniards arrived they used this site as the building blocks (literally) of what is now modern Mexico City. At the center is the vast Plaza de la Constitución, otherwise known as El Zócalo. Visit in September to hear the Grito de Dolores, a commemoration of the shout that marked Mexican independence, delivered today by the ruling president. Explore the grandiose Catedral Metropolitana before walking over to the Templo Mayor, a large Aztec temple complex that was only discovered in the 1970s. Six blocks west of the Zócalo, the Torre Latinoamericana stands 183m high, offering a bird’s eye view of the urban sprawl from its 44th floor.
