As I'm watching the World Cup from my cozy confines back in Sacramento-I see the FIFA Fanfest in…read moreMexico City happening at the Zocalo with over 50k fans packed in the Zocalo watching on big screens their beloved home team Mexico open the World Cup 2026. During my visit to Mexico City earlier this year,I really enjoyed visiting the Zocalo.Its kind of Mexico City's version of Times Square in that it's used as a central location for many events that happen in the city-While also housing the Capital Building where the Mexican President works at on a daily basis. It also houses one of the most historic cathedrals in all of Mexico City.This church is a true must visit for anyone who spends any time in Mexico City. There are also many restaurants and bars surrounding the Zocalo-though be warned,it's pretty much a tourist trap and you will be price gouged at most of those restaurants in the Zocalo area. I remember during my trip we visited the Zocalo almost every day and the trippy part was how much it changed day to day.That trait also reminded me of Time Square-You go to bed with it looking one way and wake up and it's something else-that happens a lot at the Zocalo. Two really good memories standout about the Zocalo during my visit,The first was I got to witness firsthand the ceremony of the military taking the huge Mexican Flag down that is located in the center of the Zocalo-It's like a whole ceremony that is used to take it down each evening and felt very lucky to have been there at the right time to witness it.The ceremony starts at 6pm local time each evening-it's pretty awesome.Its free to attend and I highly recommend it. The second memory I had was I was at the Zocalo the morning that Shakira was giving her free concert at the Zocalo in Mexico City-so I got to witness for a few days watching them setup for the concert and it was a massive project-the concert later that evening set an attendance record for the Zocalo as an estimated 400k people were in attendance for the free concert. That's the kid of things that randomly happen at the Zocalo-it's a very special place and a must-visit for anyone visiting the beautiful Mexico City.

The square itself is amazing, and the history is even more so. And while the square is a great…read moreplace to walk around and there is always something happing, it's great to go to the walking street and check out all the shops. But the people watching is the best. There are many souvenir shops around and it's worth going into the churches. One could easily spend a couple of hours here, more if you find a bar and have a nice, cool drink.

This relatively compact souvenir market features a wide variety of crafts. If you're buying gifts…read morefor folks back home, you'll be satisfied. If you're looking for very high quality works by artisans, unfortunately, this is not the place.

A cool, souvenir market in Puebla! This market is across…read morethe street from the Barrio de Artistas, a few blocks from the Zocalo. It's a touristy market, with lots of the mass produced types of art that you'd expect to see in an outdoor mercado. Lots of pottery, textiles, jewelry and stuff to hang on your shelves when you get home. This isn't really a place where the locals hang out. But if you're from out of town, and are looking for something relatively inexpensive to take home with you, this is the place. There's scores of little shops that may or may not be independently run. They sell a lot of the same stuff, with some differences between them. There's some that specialize just in ceramics, some in just silver jewelry, and some in just textiles, but there's not a whole lot of differences between them. The prices are all pretty similar- since the shop keepers all seem to know each other, there's not a lot of room for haggling to try to tell them that the other shop keeper is selling it for cheaper. The market consists of a few rows of small shops, each one the size of a small garage, packed to the hilt with hand crafts that are made elsewhere in Puebla. The prices are cheap, but they are cheaper if you buy them from a street vendor. However, the selection here is the best you're going to find in Puebla- with so many options to shop at, they're sure to have what you're looking for. While here, be sure to check out the public works of art- a giant sun painted in the middle of the floor, a statue of who I believe to be San Francisco, and a big picture frame to stand in for a selfie. There's restrooms in the mercado, which are relatively clean. This place feels very safe, as it's one of the main tourist areas for Puebla, and there is a healthy police presence. There's also food vendors who hang out here and sell light snacks, which is quite appreciated.