Sailing (??) through Mexico City

Cruising through the canals of the Xochimilco neighborhood in Mexico City

That’s right. Our guide, Liz Flora with Culinary Backstreets, first took us shopping at the market in Mexico City’s Xochimilco neighborhood. Along the way, we learned how the valley where the city now sits used to be one huge, brakish marsh.

The Xochimilco market is one of many throughout the city, but features some of the best produce…grown on the farms along the adjacent canals.

After a quick ride in a bike-rickshaw, we boarded a “working boat” to cruise the canals through man-made islands. Because of the constant volcanic ash, the soil is some of the richest in the world. The earliest settlers built islands in the marsh and cultivated crops in the rich soil. On the tour, Liz shared the story of those indigenous settlers and the massive disruptions following the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.

A “working boat” gives us access to many more canals in the Xichimilco neighborhood.

We stopped at a farm on one of the islands and harvested some fresh greens from the garden. Back on the boat, Liz made us a salad as we continued our “cruise” through the heart of Mexico City.

Lunch on the boat. Liz made a salad from fresh greens harvested along the canals.

The “Noche Buena” trees are popular during the holidays.

I recommend this unique tour. By the way, we were quite full from all of the traditional Mexican food we enjoyed in the market. If you go, tell Liz I sent you!