7-Nights A Week In... Mexico City and Oaxaca - Land Journey

Oaxaca

Teotihuacan

The complex of ruins known as Teotihuacan, Mexico, is so enormous and varied it even looks spectacular from the air.

Built mostly between AD 150 and 600, the ruins were already abandoned by the time the Aztecs came to power and took over the site. Most visitors go to see the Pyramid of the Sun, the largest monument and the tallest pyramid in Mexico. Climb it for a view of the surrounding ruins. These include the smaller Pyramid of the Moon, the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Palace of Tepantitla—which features the remains of a famous, brightly colored mural.

Countless other buildings and monuments line the 3-mi-/5-km-long Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead) that runs the length of the site. Excavation is ongoing, with new discoveries each year, including royal burials in the Pyramid of the Sun. The excellent museum includes ceramics and stone monuments as well as several mural reconstructions.

Plan a full day for the visit: Arranging a guided tour (English available) is recommended—most will give good information and will still allow visitors plenty of time to explore on their own. Along the outskirts of the ruins are many stalls where you can buy jewelry and crafts (the pottery only looks ancient, by the way). Unfortunately, the hawkers are very pushy. Take lots of water, a good sun hat and sunscreen: There is very little shade on this dry plateau and the ruins cover a huge area.

Teotihuacan lies 30 mi/50 km northeast of Mexico City. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/414.

Mexico City

From the Alameda, a leafy center of activity since Aztec times, to the Zona Rosa, a chic shopping neighborhood, Mexico City offers endless options to urban adventurers.

Founded by the Aztecs as Tenochtitlán in 1325, Mexico City is both the oldest and the highest (7,349 ft) metropolis on the North American continent. And with nearly 24 million inhabitants, it is the most populous city in the world. It is Mexico's cultural, political, and financial core -- braving the 21st century but clinging to its deeply entrenched Aztec heritage.

You only need to stand in the center of the Plaza of Three Cultures to visually comprehend the undisputed significance of this city. Here, the remains of an Aztec pyramid, a colonial church, and a towering modern office building face one another, a testament to the city's prominence in ancient and contemporary history. Located at the heart of the Americas, Mexico City has been a center of life and commerce for more than 2,000 years. The Teotihuacán, Toltec, Aztec, and European conquistadors all contributed to the city's fascinating evolution, art, and heritage. Although residents refer to their city as simply México (meh-hee-koh), its multitude of ancient ruins, colonial masterpieces, and modern architecture has prompted others to call it "The City of Palaces."

The central downtown area resembles a European city, dominated by ornate buildings and broad boulevards, and interspersed with public art, parks, and gardens. This sprawling city is thoroughly modern and, in places, unsightly and chaotic, but it never strays far from its historical roots. In the center are the partially excavated ruins of the main Aztec temple; pyramids rise just beyond the city.