Utopia Tezontli

The Utopia Tezontli faces the Avenida José Clemente Orozco on the grounds of the old Casa de Cultura San Antonio. San Antonio is the neighborhood of the super-old original settlement of San Lorenzo Tezonco. The center is just to the east. And the Barrio Guadalupe is immediately to the north.

The development is named for tezontle, the blood-red rock in which much of the city is clad. The Nahuatl term comes from ‘tetl’ (stone) and ‘tzontli’ (hair). From the park, one can easily see the Sierra de Santa Catarina volcano chain to the south and east. This is, of course, the origin of much of that same red stone.

San Antonio and Guadalupe and the rest of Tezonco grew up in the colonial period as mining and agricultural communities. Many of these were centered around the old Hacienda de San Nicolas Tolentino. But today, communities are increasingly centered around the Utopia development. Like each of the 12 Utopias of Iztapalapa, this one is part sporting complex, part community and cultural center. But it’s entirely new.

Perhaps the Utopia Tezontli is most famous for the BMX track which is nearly unique in the City. It’s even hosted National Cup competitions. But the park is beloved for the swimming and aquatic facilities, and for the arts and culture. Visitors also enjoy:

• Swimming lessons and semi-Olympic pool
• Boxing Center and outdoor fitness center
• Rock climbing wall
• Extensive football fields
• Handball courts
• Artificial lake and aquatic center
• Dog run
• Auditorium

The development is also just a stone’s throw from the Parque Las Antenas Shopping Center. That means, it’s almost equally a part of northeastern Xochimilco. The park is roughly equi-distant between the Metro stations Tezonco and Periférico Oriente on Metro Line 12.