Presa Nexapa

About 10 km east of Huauchinango, among hills of pine, oak and ocote, the Nexapa reservoir is part of the old Necaxa hydroelectric system that has powered central Mexico since the early 20th century. It is quieter than the main Necaxa reservoir, and its surprise is in the middle of the water.

On a small wooded island stands what everyone calls the castle: two buildings with stone walls and towers in a style that recalls medieval Europe, rising out of the trees like a scene from a fairy tale. The island and its buildings are private, though visitors have reported that a caretaker sometimes lets people walk around if asked. Mostly, people come to see it from a boat.

Boatmen in the villages of Papatlazolco and Xaltepec, on the shores of the reservoir, take visitors around the lake and past the island. The reservoir is also part of daily life: nurseries along its banks ship their potted plants across the water by boat to the flower market in nearby Tenango de las Flores. The shoreline roads are pleasant for a bike ride.