Flying into Mexico City for the first time, across what seems to be an endless sea of urbanity, is a daunting experience. But even a first-time visitor shouldn’t have too hard a time getting oriented. A large part of the buildings you see from above are actually not even in the D.F. but in the sprawling área conurbada outside the city limits. Within Mexico City proper, almost all the attractions, hotels, restaurants, and other services of interest to visitors are located within an area in the southwest part of the city roughly defined on the east by the Calzada de Tlalpan avenue, on the north by Paseo de la Reforma, and the west and south by the Periférico ring highway.

CENTRO HISTÓRICO
If you go to only one place in Mexico City, it should unquestionably be the Zócalo, Mexico City’s downtown square, which has been the city’s—and indeed the entire country’s—epicenter since the time of the Aztec empire. Surrounding the huge, unadorned square is evidence of the country’s past: the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor (Great Temple); the massive, sumptuous Catedral; the red, volcanic-brick Palacio Nacional; and ornate colonial palaces and churches packed into the surrounding blocks. Inside the Palacio is the famed mural by Diego Rivera where a visitor can take in the sweep of Mexico’s history in one dazzling display of artistry. But make sure you take the time to see more than just the tourist sites of the Centro. Part of its charm is that it’s still a living, thriving neighborhood, full of ordinary city people going about their daily business—a hustling, bustling crowd of noisy street vendors hawking all variety of wares, bicycle taxis, traffic policemen, political protestors, Aztec dancers, and tourists from across the globe.

PASEO DE LA REFORMA
As the population of Mexico City grew and began to expand beyond the limits of the Centro, the city designed and built its first suburbs along the broad European-style Paseo de la Reforma avenue. The original 19th-century mansions now house embassies and swank restaurants, and are surrounded by high-rise bank offices and luxury hotels. The western end of the avenue is punctuated by the Torre Mayor, Latin America’s tallest building, at 225 meters. While tourist destinations in this neighborhood are limited to the imposing Monumento de la Revolución and two art museums, visitors will often find themselves here to visit one of the embassies, banks, or airline offices—or to shop in the many stores of the Zona Rosa district, just south of Reforma.

IN AND AROUND CHAPULTEPEC
Just past the Torre Mayor on Paseo de la Reforma begins Chapultepec, formerly the private preserve of Aztec rulers and, later, of the Spanish colonial elite. Now it’s a leafy park centered on a small hill topped by a castle. The park is great place for a peaceful stroll in the trees or an afternoon picnic. Right across from the park is the world-famous Museo Nacional de Antropología e Historia, a treasure trove of exhibits on Mexico’s rich legacy of indigenous cultures. Nearby are two of the country’s best art museums, the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Rufino Tamayo. North of Chapultepec is the wealthy neighborhood of Polanco, a sort of Rodeo Drive for Mexico City, replete with chic fashion shops, pricey (but very good) restaurants, and upscale night spots.

INSURGENTES SUR
Two of the city’s most happening colonias, not well known by many tourists but immensely popular with the local and expatriate younger crowds, are the Condesa and Roma, both not far south of Paseo de la Reforma, on the west and east side, respectively, of Avenida Insurgentes. The 1920s-era Condesa, centered on the lush Parque México, is home to a couple of dozen upscale cafés, restaurants, and bars in converted art deco–style houses. The Roma is similar but a bit more bohemian in flavor, with lots of art galleries, coffeehouses, and alternative night spots. The Casa Lamm cultural center, housed in an elegant Porfiriato-era mansion, is a popular destination in the Roma. Both neighborhoods are great places to walk around safely, with fine architecture and many tree-filled parks.

SOUTHERN MEXICO CITY
Formerly rural villages that were long ago surrounded by the ever-growing city, Coyoacán and San Ángel still retain the flavor of past years, with cobblestone streets, quiet plazas, and colonial-era mansions and churches. Both are popular weekend destinations for foreigners and Mexicans alike for their bustling art and handicrafts markets and festive ambiance. Tourists will find much to busy themselves with, including several museums dedicated to renowned artist couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Make sure you take at least a half day to fully enjoy strolling around these tranquil neighborhoods and sampling some of the good food offered in their numerous restaurants. Further to the south, past the sprawling campus of the national university, are the famed chinampas, the floating gardens of Xochimilco, the breadbasket of the Aztec empire and now a popular destination for revelers hosting parties on boats that cruise the ancient canals.

NORTHERN MEXICO CITY
Situated on a hill known as Cerro Tepayac in the north part of the city is the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the most sacred shrine in the country. Some 15 million pilgrims come here each year to pray beneath the cloak of Juan Diego, an indigenous man who saw an apparition of the Virgin on the hilltop in 1531 and miraculously ended up with an image of her in his cloak to prove the truth of his story to church authorities. On December 12, the day of the miracle, the shrine is packed with worshipers from across Mexico who come to see la virgen morenita (the little dark-skinned virgin). Not far from the Basílica are the little-visited Aztec ruins of Santa Cecilia Acatitlán, as well as the smaller pre-Aztec pyramid of Tenayuca.

PARKS NEAR MEXICO CITY
For a dose of fresh air and pine trees, head up to the mountains ringing the southern and western parts of the city. On the flanks of El Ajusco (3,930 meters), mountain bikers and hikers will find the community-managed forest reserve San Nicolás Totolopan, with over 150 kilometers of well-maintained trails to roam. Desierto de los Leones is another forested park great for hiking and biking, with a beautiful 18th-century monastery secluded in a grove of pine trees. On the highway to Toluca is a third park, La Marquesa. One great excuse to visit La Marquesa is to sample the delicious and inexpensive antojitos, like mushroom soup and quesadillas sold in the many roadside restaurants in the park.

EXCURSIONS FROM MEXICO CITY
Mexico City is a fascinating place to visit in and of itself, but it has the added bonus of being located in the heartland of Mexico, with all manner of destinations within an easy day or overnight trip. Colonial Mexico buffs will find plenty to keep them busy in the cities of Puebla, Cuernavaca, and Taxco. There you’ll encounter ornate churches and 17th-century mansions, museums of colonial and prehispanic culture and art, handicraft and jewelry markets, and superlative cuisine. For a more relaxed, small-town feel, check out Tepoztlán, Malinalco, or Valle de Bravo—all set amidst beautiful mountain country and with a stronger indigenous influence than the bigger cities. Outdoor aficionados can choose between climbing glacier-covered volcanoes, world-class hiking and mountain biking amid high pine forest, hundreds of rock climbing routes, and horseback trips to the monarch butterfly sanctuaries.