Mexico City

Cupped by the Valley of Mexico, the nation's capital city is a monumental revelation. Its many layers are shaped by ancient Aztec-dominated history, a riveting culture, a varied architectural landscape, and distinctly shaded colonias or neighborhoods. Mexico's most densely populated city, this cultured namesake, centers around its historic heart, the Centro Historico, where its exciting buzz is the most pronounced. Zocalo, or the Plaza de la Constitución, one of the world's largest squares is the hub of all activity and is home to the Aztec Templo Mayor, one of its most revered historical landmarks. The rest of its periphery brims with the same bustling spirit, from the lush greenery of the Chapultepec colonia and the affluent ambitions of Polanco to the canal-clad allure of Xochimilco and the cosmopolitan essence of Juárez.