Area in close walking distance to the Frida Kahlo Museum, and the renowned churro place…read more We left the hotel early, got dropped off with one hour before our ticket admitting us in so we walked to a Panera that Doc spotted on the ride there. We entered a church, had lunch in the area and did some shopping. Doc bought a bracelet I liked from a vendor and a T-shirt from a man across the street from the museum for me. I bought some bracelets and pouches from a man on the street. He could speak English and said his family was Aztec. He made the bracelets and his grandmother made the pouches. Many locals with their dogs and tourists were enjoying the nice warm weather. We saw people being blessed with special smoke or sage. Many shops and eateries on nice streets. There was one two story restaurant that looked very pretty and romantic with couples eating on the outdoor balcony.

Fun, lively area! Came on a Sunday and there were tons of people outs and about…read more Pros: -many restaurants to choose from -vendors galore where you can buy souvenirs -there are a few free Wi-Fi spots in this area -we saw performers dancing near the church Cons: -none

From the owner: combinamos el bosque con la cercanía de la ciudad, único , casa estilo tutor, laberinto a base de…read morearbustos, salones para eventos sociales, jardines, campamento, alimentos, estacionamiento, sanitarios, seguridad y más

Want to see something super creepy? Go here…read more We went a couple days before Halloween/Dia de Los Muertos, thinking it would be a fun outing. It was! You arrive at the canals of Xochimilco, an ancient town that was once it's own city and was used as a major production of produce and agriculture. You can rent the gondola-like boats that will take you through the canals, you'll see small farmsteads still operating, boats selling house plants and tacos, pigs tied up being taking to slaughter (so sad), mariachi bands on boats singing to boats passing by, and finally, down one canal, there is, Isla de las Munecas, ominously waiting for you, dark grey, green and black hues settle into a backdrop of languid vines and drooping trees, and thousands, I mean thousands of dolls tied and fixed to trees, sides of a barn, along fence lines and on top of poles. These dolls have a deep significance that goes back many years. Story has it that a little girl drowned near the island and a man named Julian felt putting up the dolls would please her soul. Soon he felt the spirits of other girls were present so he continued to put up more dolls throughout his small island. Something like 40 years went by and hundreds and hundreds of dolls were put up to please the many spirits he felt connected to the tiny island. Sadly and equally odd, he was found drowned in the same place as the little girl was found many years before... Now another man runs the eerie island and for a few pesos he allows you to walk around and take pictures, he'll also give a short speech about the island's history in front of his rustic makeshift alter. Definitely an interesting place to visit, the whole set up of canals of Xochimilco are a great example of Mexican DF culture, colorful and vibrant, and at the same time still with austere seriousness.

Xochimilco is a historic canal district in Mexico City, famous for its colorful boats (trajineras)…read morethat offer festive tours through the waterways. Xochimilco is a popular destination for tourists visiting Mexico City, even though it's a hike from the center of the city (you'll likely spend an hour getting to Xochimilco). We didn't visit on our first trip to Mexico City, but we did make a quick stop to tour the Xochimilco canals on our second visit to CDMX a few weeks ago. We visited with a tour group, which I recommend. I've heard it can be difficult to arrange things on your own. I believe it. When we visited, the market at this portion of Xochimilco had just been torn down (they are rebuilding it in time for the World Cup next summer), and it made for a confusing site. Without our guide, we definitely wouldn't have known where to go. There are lots of ways to experience and enjoy Xochimilco. For a lot of people, it's a party. You can eat, drink, and listen to mariachi music. I've heard it can be quite an experience and people can turn this into a party. You can also have a more historical- or ecological-focused experience, which is what we did (several groups focus on this kind of visit, including some that take you out at sunrise to experience it). Our tour guide taught us the history of Xochimilco (the waterways here were a main transportation venue from the pre-Hispanic period until the 20th century) and some of the ways people are trying to focus on improving the environment in the area (bringing back agriculture/chinampas and attempting to preserve habitat for the axolotl - Google it, it's amazing). If you're hoping for a particular experience, I highly recommend checking with a tour guide who can help you pick the portion of Xochimilco and ensure you get the experience you're most interested in. It's an interesting place, but given its distance from the city center, I wouldn't say it's a must visit for first time tourists to the city.

Our outstanding boat guide, born and raised here in Xochimilco, said that he thinks this magical…read morespot will be around only about five more years due to human contamination and dwindling water levels. I felt privileged to experience this place, perhaps for the last time, on a peaceful Friday afternoon. We took the 2 hour round-trip tour to Isla de la Llorona, and our guide recounted a bounty of historical and environmental information as well as some fascinating legends (spoiler alert - the original Llorona was probably not actually a remorseful perpetrator of infanticide but something else entirely). Aside from the totally unique experience of having special Mariachi, food and booze boats float by, the very best thing about this spot is the utter silence. On this day, there were no other boats on our route, so when we fell silent the only sound literally was the wind rustling through the leaves of the spindly trees on the river banks. Yet we were still right within the confines of a 20M+ inhabitant city! This is what all of Tenochtitlan used to look like before folks decided to pave paradise, save for this one last, delicate corner. As a bonus, on our way to the island, we passed by and got to photograph the exact image that is displayed (along with a giant axolotl) on the back of the new $50 MXN bill. Here's hoping that future thinking leaders of Mexico will commit to restoring this special place, before it's too late - before a simple rendering on the back of a banknote is all that we have left.