San Sebastián Mártir Church, Chimalistac

What it is. A 16th-century building that has been the stage for notable events and even for films, among them Santa, shot in 1931. Inside there is an 18th-century altarpiece dedicated to the glorious martyrs, and the plan keeps the austere scale of the early conventual chapels: thick walls, a single nave and a tree-shaded atrium.

Why it is worth the walk. The chapel is the heart of Chimalistac, one of the neighbourhoods that best preserves the colonial layout of the southern city: cobbled lanes, volcanic stone walls and the bridges of Chimalistac, which crossed the Magdalena river before it was piped underground. The whole circuit takes half an hour.

Getting there. In Chimalistac, between San Ángel and Coyoacán. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo station on metro Line 3 is about ten minutes away on foot. Entry is free; avoid Mass times to look around quietly, and combine it with San Ángel, which begins a few streets away.