Parroquia de Santa Catarina

What it is. The parish church of Santa Catarina, on the small plaza of the same name on Francisco Sosa —the cobbled street that runs from the centre of Coyoacán towards San Ángel, and one of the most attractive walks in the city. The church is modest, its facade in the yellow ochre that gives the plaza its colour, and together with the plaza's trees and benches it is the quiet counterpoint to the crowds around Plaza Hidalgo.

Why walk here. For the street. Francisco Sosa is lined with colonial houses, walls draped in bougainvillea and a few of the oldest doorways in Coyoacán; the Plaza Santa Catarina, roughly halfway along, is where everyone stops. The Casa de Cultura Jesús Reyes Heroles is on the same square, so the two combine naturally.

Practical notes. Open daily 09:00–17:00; entry is free, and services are the times to avoid if you want to look around quietly. Coyoacán has no metro —Viveros-Derechos Humanos on Line 3 is the nearest station and a pleasant fifteen-minute walk along Francisco Sosa, which is the right way to arrive.