Xochimilco Light Rail Station

The Xochimilco Light Rail station is an important one for international visitors. It’s one of the easiest and most affordable ways to get to the Historic Center of Xochimilco. Many of the boat launches are within easy walking distance.

The Light Rail Train begins at Metro Tasqueña. A transfer is necessary and your Metro card will need to be swiped again. The train stops at 16 stations before arriving to the last, at Xochimilco.

• There’s a map of all of the Xochimilco boat launches here.
• For tips on riding the canal boats, see here.

Along the way, some visitors will want to learn more about the 17 Barrios Historicos that make up the historic center, too. The station itself is in San Pedro Tlalnahuac, an interesting introduction to the entire area.

The walk to the Mercado de Xochimilco takes less than ten minutes. The Clock Tower, in the plaza out front of the cathedral, is a little further.

The Light Rail is very much a local commuter transit service. So, international passengers will want to be aware of rush hours. That’s true even though, in most cases, you’ll be riding against the prevailing rush hour traffic. (Morning roughly 7 to 9:30 a.m., evenings, roughly 5 to 7:30 p.m.) Plan ahead and you likely won’t face too much crowding.