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Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Reserva Ecologica Cuemanco-Xochimilco

Xochimilco Sign outside the Ecologic Park by Daani Tru/

Xochimilco Ecological Park and Plant Market is a natural reserve or park, with a 13-hectare plant market, the largest in Latin America.

This ecological reserve is a perfect spot for biking, boating, walking, and skating, the park was inaugurated in 1993.

The park was inaugurated in 1993, on chinampas which had been previously declared as part of a World Heritage site.

While much of the wetlands have been recharged, pollution and illegal settlements in the area remain threats.

As the park needs to be self-sustaining economically, there are several ways that the park raises money.

1. The Interesting Xochimilco ecological park and market located in the southern Mexico City

The park and market are located in the southern Mexico City borough of Xochimilco, about 23 km south of the historic center of the city.

In the southern reaches of Mexico City, densely populated neighborhoods give way to the intricate canal system of Xochimilco Ecological Park.

A 400-acre reserve with patches of farmland that appear to float in the water, Remnants of the Aztec civilization that once occupied this region, these floating gardens are known as chinampas.

The Cuemanco Plant and Flower Market are across the street from the Xochimilco Ecological Park.

2. The astonishing plant market host 600 different vendors and a variety of plants

Flowers on the grasses of the ecologic park by Daani Tru/

The market usually hosts some 600 different vendors. It’s an enormous variety of plant species, many of them from all over the world.

Cacti, fruit trees, tulips, violets, bonsai, aromatic plants, medicinal herbs, and binding reeds can all be found here.

Sellers are also a tremendous resource. Most are experts in the plants they sell. And advice and care instructions are all part of the selling process.

Indoors, outdoors, sunny, dry, or any kind of environment; they’re all reproduced here to support the plants being sold. 

3. The amazing Ecological Cuemanco park is open from Monday to Sunday 8 am to 4 pm

Ecologic Park Entrance by Daani Tru/

It’s open from Monday through Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm, the Cuemanco Plant and Flower Market also maintain a very healthy presence on Facebook and some other social media sites.

Any visit to Cuemanco is a feast for the senses. The ecological park and the boat launches are all within a few minutes’ walk.

Xochimilco is a must-see stop when you’re in Mexico City. And if you can’t take plants home, they still make wonderful gifts for your hosts and friends.

4. The famous Chinampa is an agricultural system that stands out 

The chinampas agricultural system is a set of artificial floating islands, primarily used in southern Mexico.

lake area Xochimilco in Mexico has the most famous present-day chinampas system.

The chinampas are an important source of food for one of the most populated cities on the planet.

Chinampas are traditionally built based on oral wisdom transmitted since the time of the Aztecs.

The chinampas are composed of small islands in strips, built with the sediments from the lake bottom, branches, and decaying vegetation, creating a web of channels.

The chinampas system also stands out for preserving ancestral agricultural knowledge and technologies.

As chinamperos farmers preserve traditional prehispanic cultivation techniques that have been transmitted orally.

5. The interesting Lake Xochimilco is a freshwater lake made for fertile crop land 

Ecologic Park Lake by Daani Tru/

Xochimilco is a popular weekend outing for thousands of Mexicans and tourists, who visit the area in colorful trajineras.

In ancient times, Lake Xochimilco’s shallow freshwaters made for fertile cropland at its banks and the perfect habitat for one of Mexico’s most storied creatures.

The canals of Lake Xochimilco lower after draining for flood protection measures now contain the only remaining natural habitat for many creatures.

6. The fascinating axolotl disguised itself as a salamander to avoid sacrifices 

As legend has it, the axolotl is the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, which disguised itself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed.

The species is found only in Lake Xochimilco, within Mexico City, where it is classified as a critically endangered species.

These Mexican amphibians are impressive enough on their own, with the ability to regenerate lost limbs and stay young throughout their lives.

The name axolotl is also applied to any full-grown larva of Ambystoma tigrinum that has not yet lost its external gills.

Both albino and white mutants, as well as other color mutants, are common. The legs and feet are rather small, but the tail is long.

7. The astonishing park and market is also known as Cuemanco no one is allowed to live there

The tower located in the ecologic Xochimilco park by Daani tru/

This area of Xochimilco is known as Cuemanco, so the park and market are also sometimes referred to by this name.

No one is permitted to live in the park. It is the largest park in Mexico City after Chapultepec and is considered to be one of the lungs of Mexico City.

Much of the ecological system was restored over five years, then the area opened as a park in 1993 to create tourism.

Most of the park’s area is an aquatic environment of lakes, canals, or chinampas with some forested areas, much of which are planted with ahuejotes, pines, and eucalyptus.

8. The interesting Amala hotel located in Mexico City is the best place for tourists to stay

Hotel Amala is located in Mexico City. Free WIFI access is available. Each uniquely decorated bedroom offers a flat-screen cable TV and DVD player.

Air conditioning and a safety deposit box are offered in all rooms at Amala Hotel. The bathroom comes with a shower.

The hotel is 14.5 km from Frida Kahlo House Museum and 12.5 km from Six Flags Mexico. Benito Juárez Airport is 19 km away.

9. The awesome Chantico is a full-service restaurant they have a diversity of cuisines

Chantico Mexican Restaurant is a full-service restaurant, bar, and event space located at the corner of Camelback and 11th street.

The cuisine of Chantico draws on the incredible abundance and diversity of ingredients found throughout Mexico.

Chantico blends old and new with a focus on local, healthy and organic, happy hour is from 4 pm to 6 pm.

10. The amazing Xochimilco is a UNESCO heritage the wetlands are recognized as important

Xochimilco is a city south of Mexico City best known for its canals. The area’s wetlands are recognized for their important biological and cultural value.

Xochimilco is named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a Site of Agricultural Importance.

Humedalia is a Mexican organization that works for the conservation and restoration of Mexican wetlands.

Today, Xochimilco’s wetland and its landscape of chinampas retain only 2 percent of the freshwater that was originally in the basin.

This agricultural landscape is highly threatened by processes linked to urbanization and the devaluation of the farmers’ labor.