Utopia Teotongo

Photos courtesy of Alcaldía Iztapalapa

Utopia Teotongo is one of the most visited of the Iztapalapa Utopias. That’s for a number of good reasons. First, the airplane, used as a library, is plainly visible when passing on the Puebla highway. Second, that same airplane is perhaps even more visible when passing overhead on Cablebús Line 2. Square between the Santa Marta Acatitla and the San Miguel Teotongo Cablebús stations, the Utopia is a Must-See.

The airplane is a decommissioned Boeing 737-200. It’s equipped with a flight simulator that gives kids a chance to hit the skies. But it’s also home to some 25,000 digital works and about 230 printed books. If that sounds like just a mini-library, don’t forget, the Utopia also has:

• Swimming Lessons in the semi-Olympic pool,
• An extensive Boxing Center with regular classes and tournaments,
• An Outdoor Fitness Center,
• Scheduled Yoga and Taichi sessions,
• The area’s biggest Skateboard Park,
• is surrounded by a Parkour course,
• Runners take to the Tartan Track, which surrounds…
• The Football Field and the multi-use courts.
• There are also ongoing Arts Workshops,
• And the Auditorium seats some 400 people.

Well located, the Utopia is also smack in the middle of three historic towns. Among them are two of Iztapalapa’s 15 original settlements: Santa Marta Acatitla and Santiago Acahualtepec directly to the west. The third, San Miguel Teotongo, may not be as old. But as it’s on ancient territory, folks from the community put all of their fantastic archaeological finds into one dramatic community museum so that everyone gets a chance to see them.

Set all of that against the stunning backdrop of the Sierra de Catarina chain of volcanos, and you’re in for an experience. The Utopia Teotongo couldn’t be a more satisfying place to stop and take it all in.

All the Utopia Sports and Cultural Centers are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.