Tourists intending to visit Mexico’s capital city must not miss out on Xochimilco. The town, located 28 kilometres south of Mexico City, forms a part of the Mexican City borough and administration. It attracts a large number of visitors every year for its floating gardens or Chinampas. The site has also been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is treated as a spot of ecological conservation.

Despite attracting thousands of tourists every year, very few know about this picturesque location. Some facts about the city truly make it worth visiting.

• The chinampas or floating gardens were built by the Aztecs who had settled in Tenochtitlan. They had made the artificial islands around the lakes using willow, fertile muck and wattle. The plots left enough space for canoes to travel between them. The layout of the area is similar to that of Venice.

• Axolotl is a foot long salamander that is native to the area. The locals would prepare them with onions and other herbs for meals. The Axolotl had a density of 6000 per sq. km back in 1998. However, due to ecological reasons such as pollution and lack to fodder, their numbers had gone down to 100 per sq. km in 2008. Ecologists are predicting that the species will die out within 10 years.

• Xochimilco is one of the sites where pre-Hispanic culture can be found in Mexico. The remains of buildings and the gardens remind one, of the ingenious creation of the Aztecs.

• The canal water is rich in different kinds of fishes such as Asian carp and African Tilapia in Xochimilco. These species of fishes are affecting the life cycle of other kinds of fauna as they have become highly toxic. The cause of their toxicity is waste water dumped into the canals from Mexico City.  

• Xochimilco had a number of artisan wells, where ground water reached the surface of its own accord. The number of artisan wells was close to 2600. In recent years, these have all dried up.

• Xochimilco was a prospering land under the Aztecs. The land was very fertile and produced 5-6 crops in a year. Chillies, cacti and different kinds of flowers were cultivated while the canals were used as a catchment area for fowl, crayfish and frogs. The complete set up of the Aztecs had surprised the conquistadors from Spain, who stated that it was better than they had seen in any city in Europe. Because of the greenery and water bodies around, Xochimilco sees a lot of migratory birds arrive for the winter. Bird watchers avidly wait to spot the White Pelican, which is a regular visitor here.

• Interested tourists can book themselves on the gondola boat rides where they are provided refreshments and entertainment for $8.

• A number of ecologists are concerned about the biological system of the area which is why they have begun preserving the indigenous species. For example, refuges devoid of exotic species of fishes have been erected and covered with nets to prevent birds from attacking the breeding Axolotl.

• The Mexican government is aware of the ecological concern and is trying to do its bit to protect the natural ecosystem of the area. However, it is facing a paucity of funds.