Mexico City's 12 Must-See Landmarks for First Timers

Used in the Baz Luhrmann Romeo + Julietfilm, Castillo Chapultepec is so much more than just a backdrop to an Oscar-nominated movie. Set on a hilltop in the magnificent Bosque de Chapultepec, it was once the home of former Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I, and his wife Empress Carlota. Long gone are its days of royalty, however; it now houses the Museo Nacional de Historia, an excellent museum that ranks as one of the best in the entire city.

Literally translating to ‘university city’, Ciudad Universitaria is the Coyoacán campus of UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and one of Mexico City’s most notable landmarks. UNAM may be the largest Latin American university and highest world-ranking Mexican university, but academic reasons alone don’t make it the great landmark that it is – that comes from the incredible artistic detail that dominates its campus. David Alfaro Siquieros murals cover the walls, and it is even a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral sits on the northern side of the zócaloand is the largest cathedral in the Americas and oldest in Latin America. Built using stones taken from the ancient Aztec temple – the site of which it sits precariously atop – this cathedral is a masterpiece of three distinct architectural styles that mark the three centuries that it took to construct. With Xalapan designed bell towers, the majority of the architecture is Gothic and Spanish in inspiration.

Frida Kahlo is as emblematic of Mexico as tacos and tequila, so it makes sense that her former home now museum/art gallery dedicated to her life should make the 12 must-see Mexico City landmarks list. Colloquially known as La Casa Azul (The Blue House), it can be found in the quirky Coyoacán district and makes a great starting point for a full day out in the surrounding area. Get there early to beat the almost constant flow of tourists that visit daily.

Architecturally beautiful and culturally crucial is the Cineteca Nacional. Dedicated to preserving, cataloging and spreading the word about Mexico’s cinema scene, there are various rooms dedicated to directors like Luis Buñuel and Alejandro Galindo. Any cinephile will be in heaven at the Cineteca Nacional, but equally, there’s plenty of interesting material to interest even the casual visitor.

Torre Latinoamericana towers over the historic center of Mexico City and is the perfect place to visit if you want a bird’s eye view of the sprawling metropolis capital. ‘The Empire State Building of Mexico’ is now known for its 41st-floor bar-cum-restaurant, Miralto, and from there you can get some spectacular views of the distant and glittering lights of the city’s outskirts.

We round off our guide to the must-see landmarks of Mexico City with a monument to the revolution which liberated the country from Spanish rule. Now a mausoleum that contains the remains of Pancho Villa, Venustiano Carranza and Lázaro Cárdenas, this dome-topped arch is considered the largest triumphal arch in the world and took 28 years to complete.