Trajineras Xochimilco - Embarcadero Cuemanco — Attraction in Mexico City

My wife and I visited Embarcadero Cuemanco on a Tuesday morning for a 5-hour private trajinera ride—and it turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of our entire trip to Mexico. Yes, it was a bit pricier than some other activities, but for us, this was a non-negotiable must-do, and it was worth every peso.

We arrived just as the stands were starting to open for the day and were warmly welcomed by a local vendor who invited us to try breakfast. Let me just say—we had the best chorizo quesadilla of our lives. So good, in fact, that we ordered extra tacos and snacks to take on the boat. They even packed everything into a bucket with ice for us, which was perfect for the long, leisurely ride.

We chose the 5-hour tour specifically because it covered everything we wanted to see: an ajolotario, the Statue of La Llorona, and the eerie yet iconic Isla de las Muñecas. We picked Embarcadero Cuemanco over the others because it’s set farther from the party scene and close to the Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco (though we didn’t visit the park itself). Our instincts were spot on—tranquil, scenic, and practically empty. In five hours, we saw maybe five other trajineras total. No loud music, no mariachis, no floating vendors—just peace, greenery, and canals all to ourselves.

Our trajinero, Juan, was an absolute gem. Friendly, passionate, and full of local knowledge about the chinampas and the history of the area. At one point, we passed a family trying to retrieve something that had fallen into the brush—Juan quickly maneuvered the boat over and fished out a bracelet for a young girl without hesitation. That moment told us everything we needed to know about him: professional, kind, and proud of his work.

If you’re looking for a calm, beautiful, and immersive way to experience Xochimilco, skip the party boats and go with Cuemanco—especially on a weekday morning. We left relaxed, full, and happy… and already planning to come back with friends for a more festive version next time. But for this trip? It...

For any travelers looking to see the Island of the Dolls, I am going to detail to you my experiences so you can have the smoothest trip possible. Keep in mind the tour is about 2,500 MXN per boat, so share with a large group if you can to get the best deal.

1. Go on a weekday, in the earlier part of the morning. The canal gets busy on weekends and in the evening, not to mention traffic from inner Mexico City to the trajineras is about an hour ride with Uber (20-30$ US).

2. When you get there, do not flash your cash. There are alot of boat riders there scoping you out. Talk to the information desk, show them your confirmation, and go to the boat you're told.

3. Make sure your boatman knows you want to go to the ORIGINAL island. When I went, the boat guy had no idea what tour I was on because these guys do not communicate very well with each other. Be persistent. There is a fake one about 45 mins from the port that is surrounded by black mesh fence. The real one has BAMBOO fencing.

4. Tip the boatman when he arrives. Some of them do not like the trip because it's a long row (they push you by themselves with a large stick), or because of superstitions. I tipped 10$ US and mine was greatly appreciative.

5. Make sure you have 70 pesos PER VISITOR for the island's caretaker. You can take photos with your CELL only. Anything else and he gets upset.

6. Pay respects at the shrine inside the main hut. A couple coins helps support the attraction.

7. Dress appropriately. It can be hot in the afternoon, but in the morning and evening the wind on the canals can be chilly.

8. If you get hungry, there are vendors that follow you in boats and sell snack and drinks, and others at the port that sell them as well. Otherwise pack something, because lunch is not included.

Enjoy yourselves and enjoy the macabre sensation that is La Isla de...

I was disappointed by the whole experience. Firstly, we were 4 people and as the boats are set for 20people, we wanted to pair with some others. We saw many people waiting for that. But when the sellers saw us connecting with others, they told us they would cancel the tour if people who don’t know each other come together. In the end we managed somehow with 4 others, but had to pay more (3.000 for 3hrs // normally 2.250 for 3hrs). In general the prices for the tours are already enormously, especially when you keep in mind, there’s no cost for gasoline and the boat worker won’t probably get 1/4 of what people pay.. We went to the so-called Axolotl „Sanctuary“ (extra pay 30) and wanted to see the muñecas island as well. The muñecas one was closed, so we went to a fake (!) one- the dolls were secluded, so you have to pay extra 50 pesos again! Not even the washrooms are included, extra pay for that everywhere. The axolotl place does not at all seem like a sanctuary, there’s lots of other type of animals (snakes, tarantula, mice, alligator, rabbit..) in way too tiny cages. One guy explained about the Axolotls when we asked him, but we couldn’t find out why they also keep other animals. The aquariums for the animals are boring, no plants or nice houses or anything to keep the animals occupied. It’s pretty packed, small and seems not professional. The boat ride itself is fine, but really not worth more than even half of the actual price. Even then they would make enough money, if they just always put 15-20 people on a boat or allow people to...