Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
&
Floating
Crafts Vendors
Brilliant rugs, colorful
ceramics, and all
manner of hand-
crafted items and
jewelry are also
available for sale on
small boats. Vendors
float by, holding their
wares up for all to
see, and will come
alongside, when
invited, to give you a
closer look at the
selection on offer.
$
Shrines
At the
embarcaderos
and along some canals
can be found small, well-
decorated shrines filled
with flowers honoring the
boaters' patron saints.
(
Parque Ecológico
de Xochimilco
For a different experience,
head to
embarcadero
Cuemanco where you can
float in relative peace and
quiet through protected
areas of pristine natural
beauty. It is also popular
with birdwatchers.
)
Waterside Markets
and Restaurants
The
embarcadero
Nativitas has a bustling
shore-side market selling
souvenirs and some good
restaurants that can be
easily reached by boat.
Chinampas
The Xochimilcas devised
a unique method of
farming. They built rafts
with tree limbs and
reeds, piled rich lake
mud onto the rafts and
then planted fast-
growing trees with a
deep root system in the
soil. As the trees grew,
the rafts became
anchored to the lake
bed. These
chinampas
,
or floating gardens,
were soon thriving,
growing crops and
flowers. After the
Spanish conquest,
Xochimilco was spared
destruction because it
was the main source of
the city's food.
%
Floating Food
*
Flower Gardens
Vendors
Vendors in small boats
offer food for your table.
Many have kitchens
onboard with hot soup
pots or grills to serve
freshly cooked favorites.
Other boats supply beer
and soft drinks.
^
Flowers for
and Nurseries
Flower gardens,
greenhouses, and
nurseries are found all
along the banks of the
canals. The flowers
grown here are shipped
to Mexico City and
throughout the Americas.
Women
It is traditional to
give flowers to the
women in your
party, and flower
sellers float past
offering a selection
of colorful blooms.
29
Widened for the 1968 Olympics, the canals near Cuemanco are
favored by kayakers and rowing teams
