6 Best Sights in Around Mexico City, Mexico

Cortés ordered the construction of this cathedral, also known as Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, with work beginning in 1525. Like his palace, the cathedral doubled as a fortress. Cannons mounted above the flying buttresses helped bolster the city's defenses. The facade may give you a sense of foreboding, especially when you catch sight of the skull and crossbones over the door. The interior is much less ominous, though, thanks to the murals uncovered during renovations.

The Borda Gardens, among the most popular sights in Cuernavaca, were designed in the late 18th century for Don Manuel de la Borda, son of Don José de la Borda, the wealthy miner who established the beautiful church of Santa Prisca in Taxco. The gardens were once so famous they attracted royalty. Maximilian and Carlotta visited frequently. Here the emperor reportedly dallied with the gardener's wife, called La India Bonita, who was immortalized in a famous portrait. Novelist Malcolm Lowry turned the formal gardens into a sinister symbol in his 1947 novel Under the Volcano. A pleasant café and a well-stocked bookstore sit just inside the gates.

North of the Plaza de Armas you'll find the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, whose name is derived from the Aztec word for the surrounding valley, though it's also known as the Palacio de Cortés. The fortresslike building was constructed as a stronghold for Hernán Cortés in 1522, as the region had not been completely conquered at that time. His palace sits atop the ruins of Aztec buildings, some of which have been partially excavated. There are plenty of stone carvings from the area on display, but the best way to digest all this history is by gazing at the murals Diego Rivera painted between 1927 and 1930 on the top floor.

The city's most traditional square is marked by a hefty, volcanic-stone statue of revolutionary hero José María Morelos and a couple of little fountains. On weekdays the square fills with vendors from neighboring villages. On weekends it is crowded with balloon sellers, amateur painters, and stalls for crafts, jewelry, and knickknacks. To the north of the square is leafy Jardín Juárez (Juárez Garden), which hosts Sunday concerts at its bandstand.

The Tren Turístico, a wooden trolleybus that's a great way to sightsee, departs from the plaza's southeast corner, opposite the Palacio de Cortés.

A museum on a quiet street south of the Plaza de Armas showcases the collection of the artist, antiquarian, and decorator from Fort Dodge, Iowa. Ceramics, antique furniture, sculptures, paintings, and tapestries fill the restored 16th-century mansion, all magnificently arranged in rooms painted with bright colors. Note that the building numbers on this street are out of order. The museum is just across the street from Nos. 21 and 121.

A trip to these ruins is one of the best reasons to visit Morelos State. Built by the Olmeca-Xicalanca people, the mighty hilltop city reached its peak between AD 700 and 900. It was abandoned a century later after being destroyed, perhaps by its own inhabitants.

With its several layers of fortifications, the city appears unassailable. The most eye-catching edifice is the Pyrámide de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Plumed Serpent). Carvings of vicious-looking snakes—all in the style typical of the Maya to the south—wrap around the lower level, while figures in elaborate headdresses sit above. Be sure to seek out the Observatorio in a man-made cave reached through a tunnel on the northern side of the city. Through a narrow shaft in the ceiling the Xochicalco astronomers could observe the heavens. Twice a year—May 14 and 15 and July 28 and 29—the sun passes directly over the opening, filling the room with light.

Stop in at the museum—a wonderfully mounted exhibit of a wide variety of artifacts from Xochicalco are on display—but note that all explanations are in Spanish.

There are dozens of other structures here, including three impressive ball courts. The site's solar-powered museum has six rooms of artifacts, including gorgeous sculptures of Xochicalco deities found nearby.