Presidente Zona Rosa in Mexico City

soars above the earth at an elevation of almost 8,000 feet. The great basin of Anahuac, also known as the Valley of Mexico, is an ancient lakebed about 60 miles long and 30 miles wide. It is on this vast surface, surrounded by towering mountains on all sides, that the original settlement was established by nomadic, indigenous people in the 14th century. From that modest beginning, the city has grown in every direction to encompass 300 colonias or neighborhoods connected by everything from cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways to eight lane major thoroughfares. Mexico City is a place of incomparable energy and excitement. It is sprawling and populous in the extreme, yet cosmopolitan and modern. It is the site of a wealth of historical attractions and museums, striking architecture, and world-class performing arts. The heart of the city is the Zocalo, a large plaza flanked by the Cathedral and the National Palace. This 500-block virtual museum of colonial architecture, was built on rui