The City Green Exploring the Urban Eco Reserve of Xochimilco

Our day-long tour begins with coffee and pastries in central Mexico City before departing by private van to Xochimilco. Our first stop is the area’s vast local market, where we sample pre-Columbian dishes such as tlacoyos—oval corn-meal patties filled with fava beans, cheese, refried beans, spinach, potatoes, and more—handmade daily by local women, as well as banana leaf–wrapped tamales. As we explore, we learn about produce grown locally on the chinampas, often organically. We then follow these ingredients to their source by trajinera, cruising through canals within the ecological reserve while enjoying onboard tastings of seasonal market products. Along the way, we stop at working chinampas to meet farmers and learn about this ancient agricultural way of life. At one chinampa, we gather fresh greens to assemble a salad before cruising back to shore and returning to central Mexico City by private van.