The Zócalo, Mexico City

The Zócalo: Mexico City’s Central Square

The Plaza de la Constitución, universally called the Zócalo, is one of the largest public squares in the world at about 57,600 square metres. It is also one of the oldest continuously occupied civic spaces in the Americas: the Aztec ceremonial centre of Tenochtitlan was here before the Spanish arrived and demolished it to build their colonial city over the same foundations.

The square is the functional centre of the Mexican state. The National Palace on the east side houses the offices of the President and the federal government. The Metropolitan Cathedral on the north edge is the oldest and largest cathedral in the Americas. The Templo Mayor ruins, just northeast of the square, are what remains of the primary Aztec temple complex.

The Templo Mayor

Excavation of the Templo Mayor began in 1978 when electrical workers accidentally uncovered the Coyolxauhqui monolith, a 3.25-metre diameter stone disc depicting the moon goddess. The excavation that followed revealed a series of superimposed temple structures — the Mexica rebuilt the pyramid seven times over two centuries, each new temple encasing the previous one. The site museum adjacent to the ruins has some of the most significant Aztec artefacts in existence, including the Coyolxauhqui disc, the eight-tonne Stone of the Sun (commonly called the Aztec Calendar), and thousands of ceremonial objects recovered from the excavations. Museum entry costs around MX$80.

The National Palace

The Diego Rivera murals on the main staircase of the National Palace, painted between 1929 and 1935, depict Mexican history from the pre-Columbian era through the Mexican Revolution in a 1,200-square-metre panorama. They are Rivera’s most ambitious single work and are central to any serious engagement with Mexican muralism. Entry is free; expect to queue for 20-40 minutes at peak hours.

The Cathedral

The Metropolitan Cathedral was constructed between 1573 and 1813 — 240 years of successive modifications that produced a building that combines Gothic, Baroque, Churrigueresque, and Neoclassical elements. The interior contains 16 chapels, the finest of which is the Altar de los Reyes (Altar of Kings) at the east end. The building is sinking differentially into the soft lake sediment beneath Mexico City; one of the towers leans visibly and internal structural reinforcement has been ongoing since the 1990s.

Eating and Staying

El Cardenal on Palma street, a short walk from the Zócalo, is the established reference point for traditional Mexican cooking: breakfast of huevos con nopales, tamales, and café de olla, or lunch featuring mole negro and chiles en nogada (in season). The restaurant has been in the same family since 1969.

The Gran Hotel Ciudad de México on the southwest corner of the Zócalo has a remarkable Art Nouveau interior: a stained glass ceiling, birdcage lifts, and a rooftop terrace with direct views of the square and the Cathedral. Hotel prices in the centro histórico are generally lower than in Polanco or Condesa.