Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
& Parque Nacional Desierto
Tlalpan
Located to the south of the
National University is the old
colonial neighbourhood of Tlalpan.
The central plaza with pleasant
gardens and shady paths is
bordered by the pretty 16th-
century Baroque Iglesia de San
Agustín de las Cuevas, and seve-
ral fine restaurants and shops.
The narrow streets are lined with
17th- and 18th-century mansions.
de los Leones
Mexico's first National Park is a
beautiful mountainside forest of
oak and pine, with numerous
streams and the remains of a
fascinating Carmelite monastery
to explore. The monastery dates
from 1611, and the name, “Desert
of the Lions,” refers to the biblical
Elijah who lived isolated in the
wilderness. Beautiful flower
gardens surround the monastery.
There are many recreational
options, such as hiking and biking
trails and on weekends there are
trail horses for rent. It is a good
idea to speak with a ranger
before leaving the well-traveled
areas of the park, as sometimes
theft is a problem in less popular
sections. A restaurant housed in
the monastery offers Mexican
favorites. d $BNJOPBM%FTJFSUPEFMPT
-FPOFTt.BQ"t5BYJt%BJMZBNoQN
t"ENt.POBTUFSZPQFOBNoQN
Tue-Sun
% Xochimilco Floating
Gardens
Popular with both locals and
tourists, many come to the float-
ing gardens to glide leisurely in
trajineras (flat-bottomed barges)
through the shallow waters of
the ancient Aztec canals lined
with flower festooned nurseries
and homes. Decorated with
brightly colored flower motifs,
the barges are available for rent
by the hour (see pp28-9) .
* Parque Nacional los
Dinamos
Popular with nature lovers, this
wooded expanse borders the
ravine of the Magdalena River.
Favorite activities here include
walking, hiking, and biking.
Horses are often available for
hire on weekends and holidays,
and there are plenty of picnic
spots. The park also offers the
best rock climbing in the area,
with walls of varying difficulty
reaching as high as 100 ft (30 m).
There are several different rock
formations requiring a variety of
climbing techniques. Weekends
and holidays are the best time to
visit. If you plan to explore the
less-frequented areas of the park
it is advisable that you first
speak with one of the park's
rangers. d .BHEBMFOB$POUSFSBTt.BQ
"tBNoQNEBJMZt"ENGSFF
Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco
^ Parque Ecológico de
Xochimilco
This 740-acre (300-hectare) park
was created to help preserve and
maintain Xochimilco's canals and
floating gardens and is protected
by UNESCO. Trajineras provide
boat trips through the natural
areas to see native and cultivated
flora and various species of birds;
walking paths also curve through
the park. There is a visitor center,
a museum, and shows that
explain how the Aztecs built the
floating islands (see pp28-9) .
96
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search