Which in the náhuatl dialect means “place of the flowery orchard” is one of the areas in Mexico City in which the lake-based society that once characterized the whole Valley of México still remains, and takes part in a society full of traditions that has centuries of history, and has been declared Cultural and Natural Heritage of the World by the UNESCO.
The history of Xochimilco dates back to very early stages of the prehispanic era, as it was an area populated from the beginning by indigenous groups that belonged to the villages of Copilco and Cuicuilco in the river-strewn area to the south of the lakes that covered the southern part of the valley. Later, with the arrival of the Xochimilcan tribe, little villages started to be established, and they gave place to some of the towns of the area that remain to this day immersed in the city like Tlahuac, Mixquic or Culhuacan. Agriculture was the main productive activity; maize, chili, beans and courgettes, among others, were grown, in a form of cultivation that would later characterize the whole Anahuac: the famous chinampas, small islands of land built with clay and mud, and fixed among the roots of the ahuejote trees, a species native to the area. This form of cultivation was extremely productive, as the people could obtain up to three harvests a year, thanks to the high mineral content of the land, the abundance of water and the good climate of the region. Today, Xochimilco finds itself in a period of definition and assimilation, between its rich traditions and the urban challenges that come with being a part of an urban area like Mexico City. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to witness this great lake past by visiting its wharves and traveling through its channels and chinampas in the traditional trajineras, it is an essential visit while in Mexico City, to experience a party of nature, music, colour and water. Near there we can find the famous plant and flower Market, a colorful place where peasants of the area sell hundreds of exotic flowers.
The history of Xochimilco dates back to very early stages of the prehispanic era, as it was an area populated from the beginning by indigenous groups that belonged to the villages of Copilco and Cuicuilco in the river-strewn area to the south of the lakes that covered the southern part of the valley. Later, with the arrival of the Xochimilcan tribe, little villages started to be established, and they gave place to some of the towns of the area that remain to this day immersed in the city like Tlahuac, Mixquic or Culhuacan. Agriculture was the main productive activity; maize, chili, beans and courgettes, among others, were grown, in a form of cultivation that would later characterize the whole Anahuac: the famous chinampas, small islands of land built with clay and mud, and fixed among the roots of the ahuejote trees, a species native to the area. This form of cultivation was extremely productive, as the people could obtain up to three harvests a year, thanks to the high mineral content of the land, the abundance of water and the good climate of the region. Today, Xochimilco finds itself in a period of definition and assimilation, between its rich traditions and the urban challenges that come with being a part of an urban area like Mexico City. Nevertheless, it’s still possible to witness this great lake past by visiting its wharves and traveling through its channels and chinampas in the traditional trajineras, it is an essential visit while in Mexico City, to experience a party of nature, music, colour and water. Near there we can find the famous plant and flower Market, a colorful place where peasants of the area sell hundreds of exotic flowers.