Featured monuments

The oldest park in Mexico City, it gets its name from the poplar (álamo) trees first planted on it, now replaced by willow and ash trees. So as to highlight the city's beauty and to create a space intended exclusively for walking, its layout was enhanced with sculptures, fountains and monuments. After a lengthy remodelling, the park was reopened in late 2012 and can once more be enjoyed by pedestrians. Source: www.zonaturistica.com

How to get to: Alameda Central

This important basilica in Mexico City is officially called Insigne y Nacional Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe. This shrine is devoted entirely to the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe (mystical allusion to gifts, appearances or attributes of the Virgin Mary), which makes it an important site in Christendom. The basilica is visited by over 12 million pilgrims a year. As a result, the basilica is regarded as the second most visited church in the world after St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. Source: turismo.org

How to get to: Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe

This palace is atop the hill in the Bosque de Chapultepec. It was built during Spanish colonial times for religious purposes until Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife Carlota moved in. It then became the headquarters of the Military Academy during the American invasion. Over time it was transformed into the official residency of Mexico's president, and now it houses the National History Museum.

How to get to: Castillo de Chapultepec

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City is located in the Plaza de la Constitución. It is one of the biggest and most beautiful examples of colonial architecture found in the capital. Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, construction was started in 1524 with stones that had been used in the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán. The cathedral has 16 side chapels and five naves, and is the largest in Latin America. Source: turismo.org

How to get to: Catedral Metropolitana

The Monument to Independence, popularly known as El Ángel, is in the roundabout where the Paseo de la Reforma, Río Tiber and Florencia streets meet. Inaugurated in 1910 by then-president Porfirio Díaz to commemorate the centenary of Mexico's independence, it is one of the city's most emblematic monuments. This cultural icon of Mexico City is a place of both national celebrations and demonstrations.

How to get to: Monumento a la Independencia

The Frida Kahlo Museum, also known as Casa Azul (Blue House), is the place where the artist was born, lived and died. Located in Coyoacán, the mansion was turned into a museum in 1958, four years after the painter's death. It's also the place where the intimate possessions of the most widely recognised Latin American female artist are housed. There, we can find some of her most important works like Viva la vida (1954), Frida y la cesárea (1931), and Retrato de mi padre Wilhem Kahlo (1952).

How to get to: Museo Frida Kahlo

The Palace of Fine Arts is on Avenida Juárez in Mexico City and is emblematic of Mexican culture and art, with incredible architecture that perfectly combines two different styles, Art Deco and Art Nouveau, in elegance and harmony. Built based on a design by architect Adamo Boeri, construction began in 1904, the idea being to build a theatre to commemorate the country's 100 years of independence, one that would be among the world's largest and almost rival the likes of the Paris Opera. The Palace of Fine Arts is home to two museums: the Museum of the Palace of Fine Arts and the National Architecture Museum. Source: turismo.org

How to get to: Palacio de Bellas Artes

The Plaza de la Constitución, also known as El Zócalo, is the city's and the country's main square. The name Zócalo originated in 1843, when Antonio López de Santa Anna held a competition to see who would build a monument to commemorate Mexico's independence, with the winner being Lorenzo de la Hidalga. Unfortunately, financial problems impeded the completion of the project, and only the base of the monument, "zócalo" in Spanish, was built, standing in the square for many years. The icon represents the silhouette of the Mexican national coat of arms.

How to get to: Plaza de la Constitución

Garibaldi Plaza is famous for its Mariachi bands, groups from the north, romantic trios and groups that play music from Veracruz. They gather in the plaza dressed in their typical attire to play their musical instruments. For many years it's been the destination of choice to book a Mariachi band to sing or accompany a serenade, for a quinceañera party or for birthdays, Mexican nights and other festivities.

How to get to: Plaza Garibaldi