Xochimilco

Xochimilco can be seen in a day: a ride on a trajinera (traditional colorful barge) through its canals is nearly mandatory, along with the area's plant market. March-May brings mild weather ahead of summer rains. It's inexpensive, with trajinera rides at a fixed hourly rate, ideal for groups. Its canals are the last living remnant of the chinampa system (artificial farming islands) that sustained Tenochtitlán before the Spanish conquest, which is why UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site as a testament to Aztec agricultural engineering.