Shopping

From handicrafts to the finest in designer apparel, Mexico City is a marvelous place for shopping. From malls to mercados, to kitschy boutiques, numerous places display fascinating native products and sophisticated goods.

The two best districts for browsing boutiques are on and off Avenida Presidente Masaryk, in Polanco, and the Zona Rosa. Polanco's shops include Burberrys of London, Christian Dior, Versace, Gucci, Hermès, Luis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Tiffany's, and Cartier. Think Beverly Hills's Rodeo Drive, or Paris's Champs Elysées, and you'll get the picture. The 12 square blocks at the heart of the Zona Rosa are home to antiques shops, boutiques, art galleries, silver shops, and fine jewelers.

For a taste of urban and hip, check out the shops that are sprouting up in Roma and Condesa, where you'll find the work of independent fashion designers, sneakers in every color of the rainbow, and even a boutique dedicated to lucha libre.

Art -- If you're looking for a centralized display of street art, visit Border, Zacatecas 43, Roma Sur (tel. 55/5584-7557; www.border.com.mx).

Jewelry -- Dozens of jewelry stores and optical shops are on Madero from Motolinia to the zócalo, in the portals facing the National Palace. Nacional Monte de Piedad (National Pawn Shop), also opposite the National Palace, has an enormous jewelry selection. The first Latin American branch of Tiffany's is on Avenida Presidente Masaryk in Polanco.