Mexico City may be a sprawling metropolis of 21 million, but on its edge is an oasis of green unlike any other in the world. Known as Xochimilco, it is the last part of the city that preserves an ancient system of canals and farms first built by the ancient Toltecs when the area was on the edge of a long-gone lake. On this Xochimilco tour, for private groups of seven or more, we’ll explore how this UNESCO heritage site remains relevant to modern Mexico City — as a place for a pleasure cruise to some and a vital agricultural resource to others. We’ll cruise by boat well beyond the tourist zone and into agricultural areas, to learn more about its culture and food and meet the people who maintain its one-of-a-kind agricultural system, called chinampas, which are island plots of farmland between the canals. In a verdant field, surrounded by productive farms edged by tight canals, we will be hosted for a feast to remember by a local farming family. Our day-long tour starts with coffee and pastries in central Mexico City, before departing by private van for the eco-reserve of Xochimilco. There we will avoid the central canal clogged with touristic boats and head deeper into the reserve where small farms are still being cultivated in ingenious and sustainable ways that have remained unchanged since pre-Columbian times. We’ll follow the cultivation process in a series of visits to different gardens – from the nursery where the soil is laid out and scored in a perfect grid and seeds are planted by hand to the field where young plants grow to maturity. In between stops, we’ll sample fresh produce as we cruise through this unique natural environment. Finally we will arrive at our last stop, a large farm on a tiny canal, where our farmer/host, Juanito, will show us what’s growing in season before we settle in for a multi-course rustic lunch prepared with just picked local produce. Expect flavorful mushroom stew, roast pork, squash, beans, rice and of course, freshly made tortillas. This will be a day in the life of an agricultural and cultural treasure of Mexico City, as few are able to experience it.
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