Beyond Mexico City
Xochimilco: the last canals of the lake
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Xochimilco: the last canals of the lake
Xochimilco keeps the last canals of the lake on which the Valley of Mexico’s cities were built, and the chinampas, the floating gardens, still farmed between them. UNESCO inscribed it with the Historic Centre of Mexico City as a World Heritage site in 1987 (whc.unesco.org).
Getting there
Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña, then the Tren Ligero to its terminus at Xochimilco; or a taxi.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Wotancito · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsOn the water
Trajineras leave from the embarcaderos, among them Nativitas and Cuemanco, where the ecological tours also start (CDMX official tourism site). Agree the price and length of the trip before you board.
Take Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña and the Tren Ligero to Xochimilco.
Nearby
The Museo Dolores Olmedo, with its Rivera and Kahlo collection, is close by in La Noria.
Our advice: go on a weekday morning for a quiet trip, or on Sunday for the full fiesta of mariachis and food boats.
Why it's on our list
- Getting there
- On the water
- Nearby
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Xochimilco: the last canals of the lake before you go.
What’s nearby
Distances from Xochimilco: the last canals of the lake are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 12 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- The Casa Azul12 kmCar or taxi 56 min
- The Zócalo19 kmCar or taxi 85 min
- The Castillo de Chapultepec19 kmCar or taxi 85 min
- The Templo Mayor19 kmCar or taxi 85 min
- The airport (AICM)19 kmCar or taxi 85 min
- Bellas Artes19 kmCar or taxi 86 min
- The Museo Nacional de Antropología20 kmCar or taxi 88 min
Train and coach terminals
- Observatorio (El Insurgente)18 kmCar or taxi 80 min
- TAPO (coaches east)21 kmCar or taxi 91 min
- Buenavista station21 kmCar or taxi 92 min