Please allow us to geek out over these floating Mexican restaurants
In a borough of Mexico City called Xochimilco, travelers can experience a culinary adventure unlike any other. Proprietors operate floating Mexican restaurants on boats like chalupas (which are similar to gondolas) and sell freshly made Mexican cuisine. From authentic quesadillas to sopes, roasted corn and pulque, and other classic Mexican delights, customers can enjoy street food … on water. How cool is that?
These floating restaurants operate in barges where there are not only chalupas selling food and drinks, but there are also mariachi bands playing music for patrons to enjoy while tossing back their favorite alcoholic beverages. Excuse us while we get our passports and best barge-wear together.
Because of all the culture in Xochimilco, also known as “the garden of followers,” these floating Mexican restaurants have become a hot spot not just for locals, but for tourists as well. In fact, UNESCO declared Xochmilco a World Heritage Site back in 1987 because of its cultural significance and continued beauty. The area, which was once inhibited by the Aztecs, continues to exist as a pillar of community and camaraderie in the area of Mexico City.
Beyond casual lunches on the chalupas and quick bites of chorizo, patrons also celebrate weddings on the floating Mexican restaurants that have become so symbolic of Xochimilco’s culture. Beyond mariachi bands, we also hear that visitors pass by clubs blaring club music and popular hip hop hits, so this basically sounds like the coolest experience ever.
The chalupas aren’t only colorful in appearance; they truly sound like a colorful experience in a figurative sense of the word too.
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With so many food vendors, rich and vibrant history, and yes, Latin pop music serving as the soundtrack for it all, it’s hard not to want to pack up and visit Xochimilco right now. But then again, a little spontaneous travel can be a great thing… especially when quesadillas are involved.
