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Orientation
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The traditional centre of the city is the
ZA?calo
, or Plaza Mayor; the heart of ancient TenochtitlA?n and of CortA©s' city, it's surrounded by the oldest streets, largely colonial and unmodernized. To the east, the ancient structures degenerate rapidly, blending into the poorer areas that surround the airport. Westwards, avenidas
Madero
and
JuA?rez
lead to the
Alameda
, the small park that marks the extent of the old city centre. Here is the Palacio de las Bellas Artes, the main post office and the landmark Torre Latinoamericana. Carry straight on past here and you get into an area, between the ugly bulk of the
Monumento a la RevoluciA?n
and the train station, where you'll find many of the cheaper hotels. Turn slightly south and you're amid the faded elegance of the
Paseo de la Reforma
, which leads down to the great open space of
Chapultepec Park
, recreation area for the city's millions, and home of the Museo Nacional de AntropologAa and several other important museums. Off to the right as you head down Reforma is a sedate, upmarket residential area, where many of the long-established embassies are based, while on the left is the
Zona Rosa
with its shopping streets, expensive hotels and constant tourist activity. To the south, the Zona bleeds into
Condesa
, which in the last few years has become
the
fashionable place to eat, drink and party. To the west, the northern flank of Chapultepec Park is lined by the flashy high-rise hotels of
Colonia Polanco
, among the city's chicest districts and home to many of the finest shops and restaurants.
The Avenida de los Insurgentes crosses Reforma about halfway between the Alameda and Chapultepec Park. Said to be the longest continuous city street in the world, Insurgentes bisects Mexico City more or less from north to south. It is perhaps the city's most important artery, lined with modern commercial development. In the south it runs past the suburb of San A?ngel and close by CoyoacA?n to the University City , and on out of Mexico City by the Pyramid of Cuicuilco . Also in the southern extremities of the city are the waterways of Xochimilco , virtually the last remains of the great lagoons. In the outskirts Insurgentes meets another important through-route, the Calzada de Tlalpan , which runs due south from the ZA?calo past the eastern side of CoyoacA?n and past a couple of fine museums - Diego Rivera's Anahuacalli, and the wonderful Museo Dolores Olmedo PatiA±o. To the north, Insurgentes leaves the centre past the train station, and close by the northbound bus station, to sweep out of the city via the basilica of Guadalupe and Indios Verdes . The northern extension of Reforma, too, ends up at the great shrine of Guadalupe, as does the continuation of the Calzada de Tlalpan beyond the ZA?calo.
One further point to remember is that many
street names
are repeated over and over again in different parts of the city - there must be dozens of streets called Morelos, JuA?rez or Hidalgo, and a good score of 5 de Mayos. If you're taking a cab, or looking at a map, be clear which area you are talking about - it's fairly obvious in the centre, but searching out an address in the suburbs can lead to a series of false starts unless you know the name of the official
colonia
, or urban district (abbreviated "Col" in addresses outside the centre), that you're looking for. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Mexico,
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