Mexico City Tours

The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco: Mexico City's ancient, magical waterworld

Step aside, Venice, Xochimilco Mexico has entered the chat—and it’s floating on a whole other level. The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco are where ancient Aztec engineering meets mariachi beats, rainbow-painted boats, and chinampas that still literally feed Mexico City. If you’re wondering what they are, how they float, or how to visit without turning into a confused tourist, keep reading.

What are the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco?

Let’s start with the obvious: they’re not actually floating. Shocking, right?

The “floating gardens” are man-made agricultural plots known as chinampas, built atop shallow lakebeds using mud, reeds, and ancient ingenuity. They look like they’re floating, especially when you’re gliding past on a colorful trajinera (flat-bottomed boat), but they’re securely anchored to the lakebed.

Originally developed by the Aztecs to grow food on Lake Xochimilco waters, these chinampas today form a living, breathing patchwork of farmland, canals, and eco-wonders in the southern part of Mexico City.

​Read more about the boat experience

How were the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco built?

Trajinera boat with people enjoying a festive ride on Xochimilco River, Mexico City.

Aztecs: 1, Gravity: 0

  • Back in the 1300s, the Mexica people, better known as the Aztecs, were building a city on water. No soil, no farmland, just lakes and ambition. Their solution? Build land.
  • They drove wooden stakes into the lakebed, created a perimeter, and then packed it with soil and lake sludge. Each plot was anchored by willow trees planted at the corners—living roots to hold it all in place. 
  • The canals acted like irrigation ditches. The soil was so fertile that they could harvest up to seven crops a year. There were no irrigation pumps or synthetic fertilizer—just biological design and centuries of refinement.
  • Today, the surviving chinampas in Xochimilco are a window into that world. They’re fragile, but still productive. Some are used for conservation farming; others grow marigolds for Day of the Dead altars. Some are abandoned. Some are lovingly tended by families who’ve been here for generations.
All you need to plan your trip

What makes the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco’s ecology so special?

Xochimilco is home to:

  • Over 2,000 chinampas, many still farmed traditionally.
  • A maze of canals stretching more than 170 kilometers.
  • The critically endangered axolotl—the adorable, regenerating amphibian that’s basically a walking science experiment.
  • The gardens also support birdlife, native plants, and organic farming movements that aim to preserve both biodiversity and ancestral techniques.

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco hours & address

Colorful trajineras on Xochimilco canals, Mexico City, during a vibrant boat tour.

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco hours: Most trajineras operate daily from 9am to 6pm. Tours may run later, especially on weekends. | Full details here

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco address: Head to Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas, Calle del Mercado 133, Xochimilco, 16070 Mexico City, CDMX. | Full details here

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco visitor tips 

  • Ask your boatman to take you beyond the main tourist circuit; the real chinampas are found deeper in the canals, where the water is quieter and the gardens are still actively farmed.
  • Some chinampas welcome visitors, especially those run by local farmers or conservation groups. So, if you get the chance to stop and walk on one, take it.
  • Don’t expect labels, paths, or signs; chinampas aren’t set up like museums, and their appearance varies wildly. Some are lush and orderly, others look overgrown or abandoned, but all are part of a living, working landscape.
  • Go early in the morning if you want to see the gardens in use; that’s when local farmers are most active and the canals are calm, offering a better view of the system in motion.
  • Chinampas are fragile, layered ecosystems built from lakebed soil and roots, so don’t walk on one unless you’re invited, and be careful not to disturb plants or compact the soil.
  • Support the people maintaining this system by being a respectful guest, buying local produce or plants if offered, and recognizing that your interest helps keep these traditions going.

Frequently asked questions about the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco

Yes, you can ride through Xochimilco on a traditional trajinera that will take you through the floating gardens. Picking the day-trip tickets from passes? Your tour includes expert local guides who will point you in the right direction.

More reads

Xochimilco Island of Dead Dolls

Xochimilco and Frida Kahlo tour

Coyoacán tours