The Zócalo, the vast main square of Mexico City, is one of the largest public squares in the world, and standing in it you are at the centre of over seven hundred years of history. This was the heart of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, built on an island in Lake Texcoco and home to perhaps two hundred thousand people when the Spanish arrived in 1519. After the conquest, Hernán Cortés's men built their new city directly on top of the ruins, using the stones of the temples to construct churches and palaces. The historic centre, together with the canals of Xochimilco to the south, was listed by UNESCO in 1987.
On the north side of the square stands the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest in the Americas, built over almost three centuries and leaning slightly as it sinks into the soft lakebed soil. On the east is the National Palace, where Diego Rivera's murals tell the story of Mexico across a vast staircase. Just off the corner of the square, the excavated remains of the Templo Mayor, the main Aztec pyramid, were uncovered after electricity workers found a huge carved stone of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui in 1978. Walking among its layers, built one over the other, is one of the great experiences of the city.
The historic centre around the Zócalo is a dense grid of colonial palaces, churches, markets and street vendors, at once grand and chaotic. Sinking, earthquakes and pollution have left their marks, but restoration in recent decades has brought much of it back to life. The city sits at about 2,240 metres above sea level, and the thin air can leave newcomers breathless.
Riding here is an extreme sport. The traffic is dense, unpredictable and aggressive, and the roads are pitted with potholes and topes. Mexico City also has a driving restriction programme, Hoy No Circula, which bars vehicles from circulating on certain days depending on their plates and emissions; check the current rules before you ride in. Fuel is easy to find, but parking a bike safely needs planning. Better to leave the bike at your hotel and explore on foot. Food is the reason to stay: tacos al pastor, tamales, churros with chocolate, and countless markets.