Cuernavaca's Zócalo — formally the Plaza de Armas — is the living centre of the city, ringed with portales (covered arcades) where the cafes and restaurants set out their tables. It is not the grandest zócalo in Mexico, but it is one of the most pleasant: the scale is human, the trees are enormous, and the constant social activity — vendors, schoolchildren, musicians, families — makes it a place to sit and watch for hours.
The square is framed on the east by the Palacio de Cortés and on the north by the Palacio de Gobierno. The portales beneath the Palacio de Gobierno shelter a row of open-air restaurants that are busy from breakfast through late evening. There is also an adjoining Plaza de la Constitución with a bandstand, where weekend concerts and civic events take place.