West to the Alameda Travel Guide

The streets that lead down from the Zócalo towards the Alameda - Tacuba, 5 de Mayo, Madero, 16 de Septiembre and the lanes that cross them - are the most elegant in the city: least affected by any modern developments and lined with ancient buildings and traditional cafés and shops, and with mansions converted to offices, banks or restaurants. Few of these merit any particular special attention, but it's a pleasant place simply to stroll around. At the end of Madero, you're at the extent of the colonial city centre, and standing between two of the most striking modern buildings in the capital: the Torre Latinoamericana and the Palacio de las Bellas Artes . Though it seems incredible to draw any comparison, they were completed within barely 25 years of each other.