Tours and Wanderings in Mexico City

Are you going to travel to Mexico City for your next vacation, honeymoon or business trip? If you are, you surely must know that Mexico City is the most important cultural, historical, political, and financial destination in the country. For this reason, the city has been nicknamed as the "Manhattan of Latin America". It is worth walking and exploring its historical places and stunning monuments.

One of the most important cultural and historical site in Mexico City is The Zocalo. The Zocalo is the main square of the city. It is the biggest in Mexico and the second largest public square in the world, preceded only by the Red Square of Moscow in Russia. This place is of great significance for the Mexican history since the square was built on what used to be the palace of Montezuma (Aztec emperor). Most of the mansions and public buildings that stand around The Zocalo have been constructed with the same stones of the Aztec temples hundreds years ago. The formal name of the square is Plaza de la Constitucion (Constitution Square) where there were plans to set an Independence monument but only the base (the zocalo) was built. This is why everyone calls it The Zocalo. This main square holds the most important buildings of the city and the nation such as The Metropolitan Cathedral and The National Palace.

Another relevant spot in Mexico City is the Paseo de la Reforma (Reforma Avenue). The Paseo is an elegant boulevard that runs in a straight line. It was designed by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig in the 1860s and he based his designs on the most famous boulevards of Europe such as the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France and the Ringstrasse in Vienna, Austria. The Paseo de la Reforma holds modern high buildings such as the Art Deco National Lottery Building and the functionalist IMSS building. Moreover, you will find federal governmental offices, many important banks and the Mexican Stock Exchange building. In addition to this, there are other historical sites like the Chapultepec Park, the Castle of Chapultepec, the Chapultepec Zoo, the National Museum of Anthropology, the Modern Art Museum and the National Museum of History. Besides, you can find many famous monuments; the most famous one is the Angel de la Independencia (Independence Angel).

Finally, a further famous spot in Mexico City is the Zona Rosa (Pink Zone). The Zona Rosa is one of the most famous and exclusive neighborhoods in Mexico City located just outside of the historic downtown of Mexico City. The neighborhood is officially part of the Colonia Juarez community. The Zona Rosa began as a when it was constructed as a residential area for wealthy foreigners and Mexican residents that wanted to move away from the downtown district. Zona Rosa was later revitalized by artists and intellectuals who gave it that characteristic bohemian style. Nowadays, the area holds a large number of sculptures, art galleries, antique stores and crafts shops as well as the National Art School of UNAM and the Jose Luis Cuevas Art Corridor. Furthermore, since the 1990s, Zona Rosa has become the home for the gay community where you will find a lot of gay bars/clubs and it is the sponsor of the annual pride parade.

All in all, these and many more are the tours and wanderings in Mexico City that you can enjoy to discover and explore a very significant part of the old and new Mexican culture. Do not forget to try the typical and real Mexican food too! 

Romina Nieto

Image: Flickr (Francisco Diez)