As usual the UNESCO site is opaque about what is encompassed by the phrase “Historic Centre of Mexico city”. The superb Zocalo and its Aztec and Colonial buildings are certainly included and, perhaps more surprisingly, “an impressive series of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries such as the Palacio de las Bellas Artes” but the exact boundaries of the site are not clarified. No mention is made of the magnificent Diego Rivera Murals in Palacio National (nor indeed is that particular building mentioned by name). Whether similar murals in the Secretaria de Educacion 3 blocks north of the Zocalo are included is not clear. Never mind – there is plenty to see which is definitely included and, even if it isn’t, it is still well worth seeing. As the Palacio de las Bellas Artes does get a special mention you should go inside to see its own magnificent murals and take in a performance in order to se its stained glass stage curtain created by Tiffany.

However, for my photo of the site, I have chosen one taken at its second part – the “floating gardens” of Xochimilco some 20kms south which were created (in pre Aztec times it is thought) for the purposes of agriculture. Much of this now is pure “Mexican Kitch” and its inclusion is perhaps somewhat surprising! It currently exists largely as a water-based pleasure ground for the city with thousands of pleasure boats and all the other accoutrements you would expect. You may feel that a gondola containing some warbling black and white Hollywood stars from the 40s surrounded by mariachi bands will come round the bend at any moment! I will leave you to decide whether you want to be bothered with this quite long metro and train journey – but it is a great place to see/meet Mexicans having fun (though you would need to go at weekends or in the evening to get the best atmosphere – I didn’t)! It is also the only place where you might get some feel for the Lago de Texcoco and its arms on which the Aztec city was built when Cortes came upon it. It is otherwise almost impossible to believe that the heaving, overbuilt, smoggy and noisy centre was once a lake bed – only where the Palacio de las Bellas Artes has sunken deep into the sands is an indication provided of the impact of water removal over the centuries. In fact it is possible to escape the tourism and explore the area for its original agriculture and for its wild life – but I did not. See link http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/df/xochimilco.html