Nezahualpilli Light Rail

The Nezahualpilli Light Rail Station is the station on the Xochimilco Light Rail most often used to for trips in and out of the Anahuacalli Museum. Although the walk from the Xotepingo is a little more direct, this station is a little closer. Crossing the original settlement of San Pablo Tepetlapa can get confusing. The crooked old streets seem to spider out in every direction. But it’s definitely a neighborhood with charm.

The station is named for the short street of Nezahualpilli. The street is in its turn named for:

• Nezahualpilli (1464–1515), the son and heir of Nezahualcoyotl. He became the leader of ancient Texcoco upon the death of his father in 1472. He’s remembered as a poet and sage who enjoyed the reputation of a fair ruler and who kept a court of astronomers, engineers, and diviners. He’s said to have warned Moctezuma II of prophecies predicting the fall of the Valley of Mexico to foreign invasion. Moctezuma II in turn challenged the Texcocano to a ball game, but lost. Such a loss was considered an omen of things to come.

The Nezahualpilli Light Rail Station is about 15-minutes walk from the Anahuacalli. Visitors may also want to check out the neighborhood itself. As one of just seven original settlements in Coyoacán, it’s ancient and inviting.