Plaza y Jardín Hidalgo

What it is. Probably the most recognisable thing in Coyoacán: the square that, together with the old atrium and churchyard of the church of San Juan Bautista, forms the heart of the district. It is identified by the statue of Miguel Hidalgo, by the traditional bandstand kiosk at its centre, and by La Familia —the sculpture carved into a tree by Antonio Álvarez Portugal and Josué, which everyone photographs.

What is around it. The adjoining Jardín Centenario, with its famous coyote fountain, continues the same space westwards. Opposite the church, a lively street is lined with restaurants and craft bazaars; children get traditional sweets, open ground to run in, and a steady supply of oddities for sale.

When to come. Weekends, if you want the full version —the markets, the street musicians, the crowds, the whole of Coyoacán out of doors. Weekday mornings, if you want to see the square itself, with the trees and the kiosk and nobody in the way. It is open ground, free, at any hour.

Getting there. Felipe Carrillo Puerto, in Villa Coyoacán. Coyoacán has no metro: Coyoacán and Viveros-Derechos Humanos on Line 3 are both about twenty minutes on foot, and the walk along Francisco Sosa is the nicest way in.