Valley of Mexico

The Valley of Mexico is a highland endorheic basin in central Mexico that contains Mexico City and the historic sites of pre-Hispanic capitals such as Tenochtitlan. It has been a major cultural and population center for many centuries.

Remnant lakebeds, archaeological sites and historic canal systems are key attractions, including the sites associated with Tenochtitlan and surviving canal gardens in areas like Xochimilco. The sprawling modern metropolis sits across the basin and overlays much of the former lake landscape.

Many visitors also examine the basin’s volcanic skyline - the surrounding volcanoes and ranges form visible backdrops and influence local climate and hydrology.

Tenochtitlan was established on an island in the basin’s central lake and grew into the Aztec Triple Alliance capital by the 15th century. Following the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century, colonial authorities undertook extensive drainage and hydraulic works that transformed the lakes and shaped subsequent urban development.

Situated in central Mexico, the basin is enclosed by high volcanic and mountainous terrain including notable volcanoes to the south and east; Mexico City occupies the central low-lying portions of the valley.

• Aztec capital site: The basin contains the site of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco and later transformed by Spanish colonial drainage projects.
• High-elevation basin: Sits on a high plateau at approximately 2,200-2,300 metres above sea level and is ringed by volcanic mountains and highland ranges.

What to See #

• Lake Texcoco: Historic Lake Texcoco, once the central lake of the basin that was largely drained and reclaimed over the colonial and modern periods.
• Xochimilco: Xochimilco and its canal systems, surviving parts of the pre-Hispanic and colonial lake landscape now famous for floating gardens and chinampa agriculture.