Exploring Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park

Long before urban sprawl crept to the borders, the park was a refuge of the kings of the Aztec Empire. Cerro de Chapultepec (Grasshopper Hill) was the first nature reserve in the Americas, created in the 1420s. It boasted botanical gardens, zoos, and aviaries. Critically, it provided drinking water for the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. There never seems to be a time when the 1,655 hectare park could be considered empty. On weekends and holidays today Mexican families picnic on the expansive green lawns. The park is home to a zoo, a children’s museum, and a small lake with rowboats for rent.