The floating gardens of Xochimilco, or “where the flowers flourish,” is a maze-like network of islands and canals known as the Floating Gardens, which has been shortlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and dates back to the Aztec era.
According to travelers, the canals of Xochimilco are a tiny taste of Italy’s Venice in Mexico because of the open gondolas, vibrant flowers, mariachi bands, and of course, the mouth-watering Mexican food. Just get your Mexican motorcycle insurance for San Bernardino before you get here.
What can you see in Xochimilco?
One of the most visited places in Mexico City is the Xochimilco, renowned for being the Venice of Mexico worldwide, mostly because of the waterways that flow through the neighborhood’s center. While visiting Mexico City, Chinampas or floating gardens make for a picturesque experience. No matter what time you visit, you will find the gardens packed with picnic parties and the hundreds of trajineras (gondolas) with the tourists hanging out on them.
The trajineras or the vibrant canal boats you would see in every guidebook of Mexico City are undoubtedly the main attraction of the Xochimilco. You can lease out these boats for an hour. The boats are decorated with women’s names, ranging from Mexican classical favorites like Guadalupe and Maria to even some contemporary names like Beyonce. Walking along the shores, you will find different gondolas filled with people out on picnics or smaller ones with sellers selling trinkets, jewelry, and flowers.
Moreover, the boatmen are quite helpful, and getting on and off the boats means hopping over all the parked boats like stepping stones. The real fun will begin once you board the boat. Multiple vendors will pass you selling beverages, blankets, flowers, etc. Some may even sing to you. You can experience all the things that are distinctively Mexican here. You need to indulge yourself in some retail therapy if you want to enjoy the performance of a Mariachi band in full costume or if you want to click pictures wearing the sombreros. The vendors use portable printers in the middle of the canal.
Even though the trajineras and the canals are unquestionably the area’s main attractions, there is more to the region than just those two features. You can find several of Mexico City’s original settlements in this vast southern sprawl steeped in history. Xochimilco is the best area to visit if you want to learn more about Mexico’s past.
The disconcerting Isla de las Muecas or the Island of the Dolls is another incentive to visit Xochimilco. Even though this section was never meant to be a tourist attraction, as it was built as a memorial to a young girl who perished in the canals, most tourists love to visit this place for a thrill.
Conclusion
Xochimilco is a beautiful place that you must visit when you are in Mexico City. Unfortunately, like most favorite tourist destinations, Xochimilco may not be around for a longer period, and you must visit it as soon as possible. Just get your Mexican auto insurance for San Bernardino before you travel.