Lake Texcoco Lake

Address: Lake Texcoco area, State of Mexico (former lake basin east of Mexico City)

Hours: Accessible year-round where public access is permitted

Admission: No general public admission (lake/area public); specific protected zones/reclamation sites may restrict access

Lake Texcoco is the historical endorheic lake in the Basin of Mexico on which the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan was founded. Much of the original lake area has been drained or filled and today the basin includes marshland, reclaimed flats and built-up urban areas.

The area includes archaeological remains tied to pre-Hispanic settlement and colonial-era hydraulic works. The lake’s former islands and shorelines were the site of Tenochtitlan and later Spanish-era drainage projects that altered the basin’s hydrology.

Spanish colonial and later Mexican authorities undertook extensive drainage and water-management works from the 16th century onward to reduce flooding and expand land for agriculture and urban development. The 20th and 21st centuries saw further large-scale engineering that significantly reduced open water in the basin.

Geographically Texcoco sits in the Valley of Mexico east of central Mexico City and within the modern State of Mexico and Mexico City metropolitan area; the former lake basin lies adjacent to urban districts and surrounding highlands.

• Historical importance: Historically filled much of the Basin of Mexico and was the setting for the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan; most of the original lake surface has been drained since the 16th century.
• Drainage and land use: Large-scale drainage and land-reclamation projects in the 20th and 21st centuries transformed the basin into urban and agricultural land; the former lakebed has been the subject of major infrastructure proposals in recent years.

What to See#

• Tenochtitlan site: The ruins and archaeological area of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, originally established on islands within the former lake basin and now within Mexico City.
• Texcoco lakebed: The present-day Texcoco lakebed and salt flats, which are largely drained or artificially altered and contain wetlands, reclaimed land and engineered drainage works.

The historical Lake Texcoco lies to the east of central Mexico City and much of its former bed is now urban and airport infrastructure. The area is most easily reached from Mexico City by road (Circuito Interior, Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza and other eastbound routes) or by traveling to Mexico City International Airport (AICM) which sits on the former lakebed; travel times from central Mexico City are typically under an hour depending on traffic.

• Remember that modern Lake Texcoco is largely drained and transformed; focus visits on the Parque Ecológico Lago de Texcoco and the restored wetland areas northeast of Mexico City for the best intact wetland habitats.
• Go early in the morning for birdwatching at the ecological reserve, where migratory and resident waterbirds concentrate in the calm hours.
• Access is usually via Texcoco town or by organized tours from Mexico City - check visitor access rules beforehand because some restored areas are managed and have restricted entry.