The vast El Zócalo square throngs with locals and tourists in Mexico City's historic centre. Once the centre of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán, the city's heritage is relived daily with drum beats and conchero dancers in feathered headdresses.
The present square was paved by Cortés in the 1520s and until the early 20th century functioned as a marketplace. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dominating one side of the square is the National Palace, home to Diego Rivera's renowned murals celebrating the pre-Spanish era.
El Zócalo also holds five Aztec temples (in ruins), parts of which are open to the public. Another side of the square is dominated by the capital's enormous cathedral, built with the stones of the ruined Aztec temples.