Unidad Deportiva Ecológica Cuemanco

Located in the most beautiful and natural environment of the southern capital, this monumental track extends along the millennial canals and islets of Xochimilco. Its main access on the Anillo Periférico Sur connects it smoothly with the rest of the metropolis, offering athletes a landscape dominated by the vast biodiversity of the chinampa zone, century-old ahuejote trees, and a huge community of waterfowl.

Inaugurated for the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games, the Virgilio Uribe Track was named in honor of the young cadet of the Heroic Naval Academy who defended the port of Veracruz in 1914. The aquatic complex sits on an area exceeding 600 thousand square meters and integrates two main canals: the competition canal, over 2,200 meters long and 125 meters wide, and a secondary canal used for warm-up and athlete return.

The construction of this track involved complex engineering work that managed to take advantage of the lacustrine vocation of the Valley of Mexico. The result was an international-level stage that allowed the optimal development of demanding rowing and canoeing events, quickly becoming one of the fastest and most beautiful tracks on the world circuit at the time.

Recently, the venue underwent a deep renovation promoted by the capital government. These works allowed the comprehensive rehabilitation of the grandstand modules, judges’ towers, starting docks, and weigh-in areas, ensuring that the facilities meet the current standards of international federations to continue hosting top-level events.

Today, it is the undisputed stage for national regattas and Olympic qualifiers, where the country’s high-performance rowers train daily. In addition to its competitive vocation, the perimeter of the track features a popular clay circuit used by thousands of runners and cyclists, consolidating Cuemanco as a sanctuary of sports ecotourism.

How to get there: The Circuito Cuemanco station (Metrobús Line 5) is located in the vicinity of the venue. It is also very accessible via the routes of the Passenger Transport Network (RTP) that run along the Anillo Periférico Sur, or by arriving at the Periférico Light Rail station and then transferring to local transport (microbus) heading east.