Day 1
We flew into Mexico City at around 2 PM and took an Uber to our Airbnb which was located on Paseo de la Reforma, a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. We had rented an apartment that had 3-bedroom, 2.5 bath.
After relaxing for a couple of hours, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. The sidewalks were wide, clean, and beautifully maintained. We walked past a tall steel sculpture which I found out later is named El Caballito, officially Cabeza de caballo. This sculpture is 28-metre (92 ft) tall depicting a horse’s head, and installed in front of the Torre del Caballito, a high office building in 1992.
A few yards from Torre del Caballito office building is the colorful Mexico sign.
We stopped by a couple of churches that had an eye-catching facade.
Iglesia de San Hipólito – This church is dedicated to saint San Judas Tadeo. The church that is seen today was begun in 1599 and completed only in 1740. Parts of the foundations date from 1528. The entire structure is built from tezontle volcanic rock, quarried cantor stone, and lime mortar.
Iglesia de San Juan de Dios – Built in 1727, this interesting old church sits on Avenue Hidalgo opposite the Alameda Central Park.
Dinner – We had dinner at Azul Isimo, a beautiful and artfully decorated restaurant. They even had a blanket throw attached to the chair in case you get cold. The food was delicious.
Day 2
We decided to visit all the sites within walking distance of our Airbnb on this day, starting with breakfast overlooking the Aztec ruins of Templo Mayor.
- Breakfast at El Mayor
- Templo Mayor and the Great Pyramid of
Tenochtitlán - Zocalo Plaza
- Metropolitan Cathedral
- The National Palace
- San Francisco Church
- House of Tiles
- Alameda Central
- Diego Rivera murals
- Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes)
Breakfast at El Mayor – Set on top of the traditional publishing house and the Porua Bookstore, this rooftop restaurant is a great place for mixing tasty Mexican food with a fantastic view of the archaeological zone of the Templo Mayor. You can also get a partial view of the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the city’s main Zocalo square.
Templo Mayor and the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan – After breakfast, we walked down to this archaeological site, and found our way to the ticket office. The ticket will give you access to the Templo Mayor archaeological zone and the Templo Mayor Museum. The Museum houses some of the relics and artifacts uncovered on the site.
The Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. It was dedicated simultaneously to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture, each of which had a shrine at the top of the pyramid with separate staircases. Construction of the first temple began sometime after 1325, and it was enlarged 7 times by successive Aztec rulers. The temple was almost totally destroyed by the Spanish in 1521, and the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral was built in its place.
Templo Mayor, First Relic – In 1978, electrical workers in Mexico City came across a remarkable discovery. While digging near the main plaza, they found a finely carved stone monolith that displayed a dismembered and decapitated woman. Immediately, they knew they found something special. Shortly thereafter, archaeologists realized that the monolith displayed the Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui, the sister of the Aztec’s patron god, Huitzilopochtli, who killed his sister when she attempted to kill their mother. This monolith led to the discovery of the Templo Mayor, the main Aztec temple located in the sacred precinct of the former Mexica capital, known as Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City).
Templo Mayor, Lava walls – The primary building material for the Templo Mayor and most of the other structures that have been excavated was lava rock held together with a plaster made from limestone. Then the whole facade was covered with stucco.
Templo Mayor, Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc shrines – At the top of the great temple there are 2 shrines. The one on the south side was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the patron of Aztecs. The black volcanic stone at the entrance to the shrine is a sacrificial stone. The Tlaloc shrine is located on the north side. Tlaloc is associated with water, life, and agriculture.
Templo Mayor, Chacmool – At the top center of the Tlaloc temple is a sculpture of a male figure on his back painted in blue and red. The figure holds a vessel on his abdomen likely to receive offerings. This type of sculpture is called a chacmool, and is older than the Aztec. It was associated with the rain god, in this case, Tlaloc.
Templo Mayor, House of Eagles – This is the place where 2 of the most prestigious Aztec military classes, the eagle and jaguar warriors, had meetings. This space near the temple advertised the important role the military played in Aztec culture. House of Eagles was also where the figures of eagle warier and the god of the Underworld, Mictlantecuhtli was found and is now displayed in the Templo Mayor museum.
Templo Mayor, Tzompantli or ‘skull rack’ – As you near the entrance to the museum you will come upon this sculptural representation of a Tzompantli or ‘skull rack’ as it is commonly named. These were wooden racks where real skulls would be put on display looking very much as they are depicted here on the North Plaza of Templo Mayor. It is possibly related to the worship of Huitzilopochtli.
Templo Mayor Museum – The Templo Mayor Museum was inaugurated in 1987. This building was designed to exhibit the archaeological findings of the zone that used to be the Main Temple of Mexica (Aztec) peoples. The collection shows the political, military and aesthetic relevance of the city that dominated Mesoamerica before the Spaniards arrived.
Zocalo – A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this plaza is the beating heart of Mexico City. Also called Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Square), this is where the country’s first constitution was proclaimed in 1813. It is one of the world’s largest squares and was laid out almost immediately after the conquest of the former Aztec city of Tenochtitlán on which it stands. The square today is used for festivals, parades, and demonstrations. This is a good place to begin exploring this historic city as 3 of the city’s most visited tourist attractions — the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor with its Aztec relics reside in this square.
Metropolitan Cathedral – This cathedral is the oldest and largest cathedral in all of Latin America and dominates one side of Zócalo Square. Built atop part of the old Aztec temple precinct, the basalt and grey sandstone structure was built in sections from 1573 to 1813. The Cathedral along with the Zocalo square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cathedral also currently houses the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico.
The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral has 16 chapels. The cathedral consists of two bell towers, a central dome, and four façades. On the day we visited, we were not allowed to visit the bell tower.
The National Palace – Occupying the east side of Zócalo, the immense National Palace (Palacio Nacional), built of reddish tezontle stone and boasting a 200-meter-long façade, is the official residence of the president. Built on top of an Aztec palace, it was the seat of the Spanish viceroys during the colonial period and has been much altered and enlarged over the years. Guided tours of the interior are available only on Fridays. Since we visited on a Saturday, we missed out on touring the building interior.
Church of San Francisco – We the got out of Zocalo square and onto Madero Street and came across the beautiful Church of San Francisco. This historic convent was once at the heart of a sprawling church and monastery complex. Today, all that remains is the church. The beautifully carved doorway, dates to the 18th century. The church that exists today is the third to be built here and dates to the early 18th century.
The House of Tiles – Opposite the picturesque Church of San Francisco is the spectacular House of Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos). It was originally built in 1596 and boasts a façade decorated with exquisite blue and white tiles from Puebla. It became even more famous after artist José Clemente Orozco painted murals on the walls of the staircase in 1925. The House of Tiles is now a restaurant.
Alameda Central – This beautifully maintained park with many splendid fountains and sculptures, was laid out in 1592 on the site of a once-busy Aztec market. It is a bustling and happening place where people gather to play chess, trade cards, or just relax.
Diego Rivera Mural Museum – This museum is in Alameda Central park, right next to the people playing chess. The entry fee was a mere 45 Mexican pesos and they take cash only.
Diego Rivera (1886 – 1957) was a prominent Mexican painter. His mural “Dream of a Sunday afternoon in Alameda Park” is the main piece of art in the museum which contains art over 2 floors.
Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City – Right next to the Alameda Central park is one of Mexico City’s most important cultural landmarks and an architectural gem, the Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes). This massive marble building —was completed in 1934 and is so heavy that it has sunk more than four meters, despite attempts to lighten it by removing part of its huge dome.
The palace serves as an opera house and concert hall hosting a variety of traditional and international dance and operatic productions. One can visit this place to view the impressive murals adorning its interior by famous artists such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente.
Walking in Mexico City – We found the city lively and walkable. Madero Street, on which Zocalo Plaza is located is a vibrant pedestrian-only street stretching for about 1.6 kilometers littered with cafes, restaurants and shops.
Dinner at Limosneros – This restaurant was in the heart of historic center of Mexico City and a stone’s throw from Zocalo square. It had Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten free options and the ambience was amazing.
