Nestled in southern Mexico City, Xochimilco is a vibrant blend of colorful gondolas, street food, and festive mariachi tunes, where weekends buzz with life and a hint of the eerie at the haunted Island of the Dolls.
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"This neighborhood is what Mexico City must have looked like centuries ago when it was still Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire and a city of waterways. Xochimilco can be toured by traditional, colorful boats called trajineras. Among the canals, you’ll be able to see chinampas, artificial pieces of land dedicated to agriculture that have been in use since the times of the Aztecs, as well as Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls), a landmark in CDMX. Xochimilco produces a lot of fruits and vegetables, but it’s also famous for its flowers and pulque — a traditional fermented beverage made from agave plants. There are plenty of piers where you can rent a trajinera to wander around the canals (oarsman included), but the biggest and more traditional one is Nuevo Nativitas." - MATADOR_NETWORK
"This neighborhood still has plenty of the water canals that defined Mexico City way back before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. There are several piers where you can rent a traditional trajinera, a colorful wooden boat that fits as many as 20 people, to explore the area while smaller boats cater to all your food and drink needs. There are even boats with musicians — usually mariachi trios — if you’re in the mood ofora more festive ride. Nuevo Nativitas is the most popular pier to embark from in a trajinera. You can either rent a private boat or join a group in a collective trajinera." - MATADOR_NETWORK
"This neighborhood is what Mexico City must have looked like centuries ago when it was still Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire and a city of waterways. Xochimilco can be toured by traditional, colorful boats called trajineras. Among the canals, you’ll be able to see chinampas, artificial pieces of land dedicated to agriculture that have been in use since the times of the Aztecs, as well as Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls), a landmark in CDMX. Xochimilco produces a lot of fruits and vegetables, but it’s also famous for its flowers and pulque — a traditional fermented beverage made from agave plants. There are plenty of piers where you can rent a trajinera to wander around the canals (oarsman included), but the biggest and more traditional one is Nuevo Nativitas." - MATADOR_NETWORK
"Granted, these colorful, gondola-like boat trips are of one of the classic tourist activities in Mexico, and you'll need to summon all your hardcore negotiating skills when hailing a trajinera, but spending the afternoon cruising the ancient canals in this area by boat is a lot of fun. Many local families head here for long, lazy afternoon cruises, accompanied by hired mariachi groups who serenade them via boat. Beers and snacks can be hailed on the canal too, meaning you don't have to pack too much of a picnic."
This is this incredible network of canals that have floating gardens throughout. We were able to take the subway there, and then you can rent a private boat (comes with a captain), float around and buy treats from floating treat boats, listen to the mariachi bands that drift by and just generally relax and enjoy. Very charming!
