Tezozómoc Park

This park is named Tezozómoc after a mexican ruler born in 1427. The construction of the park was in charge of Mario Schjetnan in 1982, in the context of the complementary constructions of the Línea 6 of the Metro. Its design takes ideas from the prehispanic cities.

The park has 17 hectares and it is organized around a great central lake that recreates the original form of the Texcoco Lake, surrounded by mountains, sidewalks and specific flora.

The lake is home of ducks and birds like the white heron y the northern shoveler. It is a place devoted to rest and spreading where children can run and play for hours in the nature. It also has species introduced from the outside, like the common carp and the japanese turtle.

Tezozómoc Park receives an average of 5,000 people every week and it is a meeting point in Azacapotzalco.

A park that is a model of the valley. What makes Tezozómoc interesting is not its size but its idea: the landscape architect Mario Schjetnan designed it in 1982 as a scale representation of the Basin of Mexico. The artificial lake reproduces the shape of the old Lake Texcoco, and the mounds around it correspond to the mountain ranges that close off the valley. In other words, you walk around a map of the territory the city eventually drained and built over. The work was carried out as part of the complementary projects for metro Line 6.

What there is to do. Paths around the lake, playgrounds, sports courts, open lawns for picnics and an open-air amphitheatre. It is a neighbourhood park, heavily used by runners and by families on Sundays, and one of the few large green spaces in the north of the city.

Getting there. Tezozómoc station on metro Line 6 is practically inside the park —the two were built together— and El Rosario, the interchange between Lines 6 and 7, is a few minutes away. The park is in Azcapotzalco, the alcaldía that was the seat of the Tepanec lordship whose best-known ruler, Tezozómoc, gives the park its name.

Advice. Mornings are best: less sun, and better light on the lake for photographs. Bring water and a hat, as the open areas have little shade, and if you are coming with children, the playground is on the main entrance side.