Travel: Ancient canals south of Mexico City draw locals and tourists

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Painted wooden boats, called trajineras, crowd the canals of Xochimilco, Mexico, like floating bumper cars.

MCT / Carol Pucci

Call it a floating fiesta. Along the canals of Xochimilco, 13 miles south of Mexico City’s historical center, most of the tourists are locals as families take to the waterways on weekends to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, even weddings aboard flotillas of small wooden boats called trajineras.

Thirsty? No worries. Rent one of the brightly painted gondola-like boats, and someone will make sure it’s stocked with cold beers.

Feel like dancing? Mariachi bands perform for $5 a song.

Hungry? There’s corn on the cob and chicken mole cooked aboard floating kitchens.

The canals — all that remain of the ancient Lake Xochimilco, once the agricultural hub of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City’s original Aztec settlement — were formed when the settlers used mud and vegetation to created a series of rectangular floating gardens, called chinampas, anchored to the shallow lake bottom and designed to provide food for a growing empire.

As the chinampas expanded, the lake was transformed into miles of canals. When the Spanish arrived, they began to drain the lake bed and only about 100 miles of the waterways remain. A few chinamperos struggle to survive raising crops or cultivating flowers, but today it’s mostly tourism that props up the local economy.

Boats leave from different landings, several of which are within a few blocks of the Tren Ligero light-rail stop in Xochimilco.

On the advice of a local, a friend and I ignored the touts who met the train, and walked instead about 30 minutes to Nativitas, the busiest boat landing (called an embarcadero) where fixed prices for everything from boat rentals to mariachi songs are posted next to rows of boats with names painted on front arches in big letters.

A man approached us and motioned for us to follow him to the “Beatriz,” a red and yellow boat furnished with bench seats long enough for a dozen people.

We handed him the equivalent of $20 in Mexican pesos for a two-hour ride. Someone had already placed a bucket of cold beers and soft drinks on the floor by the time we climbed aboard.

Our boatman, 12-year-old Philippe, used a long wooden pole to push away from the dock and guide us first through the main waterway jammed with other boats, then into shady side canals lined with marigold farms and plant nurseries.

Vendors rowed by in canoes filled with candy apples, roses, potato chips, blankets, bonsai plants and rubber toys. “Maize!” a woman called out from a boat outfitted with a large kettle and a chair. We motioned her over, and bought ears of corn dusted with cheese and chili.

At 70 pesos per song (about $5), we passed on hiring a mariachi band, but took up a father and son duo on their offer to play “Guantanamera” on a marimba for $2.

Touristy? Yes, but almost all the tourists were Mexican.

A family in the next boat over motioned for Philippe to pull our boat alongside theirs and join them. We thanked them with smiles and took their pictures as a guitar, zither and mandoline trio playing “My Way” floated by, and several couples got up to dance.

An afternoon at Xochimilco is a splurge for most Mexican families. For visitors, it’s a bargain. We spent a total of $30 including the boat rental, four beers, two ears of corn, one marimba song and tip and orange soda for Philippe.

As always, the best part — the camaraderie with the locals — was free.If you go . . .

GETTING THERE: Xochimilco is easy to reach using public transportation. From downtown Mexico City, take the No. 2 metro (subway) line to Tasquena, the last stop, then catch the Tren Ligero (light rail) to Xochimilco. From there, you can walk to several boat landings or take a taxi. The trip by subway and light rail takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

TRAVEL TIPS: Combine a visit to Xochimilco with a stop at the Museo Dolores Olmedo Patino. Get off the Tren Ligero at the La Noria stop. Wander the grounds and visit the home of Dolores Olmedo, a patron of Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Her estate houses a collection of his works as well as works by Frida Kahlo. See www.museodoloresolmedo.org.mx. After your visit, ask the museum to call a taxi to Nativitas, or get back on the Tren Ligero for Xochimilco.

Guides might try to steer you to a certain dock, but prices are fixed for boat rentals, food and music. Boats that seat up to 12 to 15 are 140 pesos per hour, about $10.

Local ecotourism guide Marlene Ehrenberg Enriquez can arrange boat tours for bird-watching or to learn more about local conservation efforts. See www.marlene-ehrenberg.com.mx.