Mexico City
Just outside Mexico City rise the colossal pyramids of Teotihuacan, the largest and most powerful city of the ancient Americas. It was already a vast ruin and a place of legend by the time the Aztecs found it and named it the place where the gods were created, and to stand among its monuments today is to feel the weight of a civilization whose name has been lost to history.
Walking the long Avenue of the Dead between the immense Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon is one of the world's great archaeological experiences, and floating above it all in a hot-air balloon at dawn is unforgettable. The sheer scale of the place is staggering, and the early light over the avenue is something travelers tell us about long after they come home.
The site pairs naturally with Mexico City itself, one of the world's great capitals. There is the Zocalo and the Aztec Templo Mayor at its heart, the sweeping murals of Diego Rivera, the world-class Anthropology Museum and a food scene like no other, from street tacos to tasting menus. Together they make for a rich few days of deep history and pure pleasure.
