Lake 13 km northeast of Tepotzotlán
A remnant of the Valley of Mexico's old lakes, with boat rides and fried fish stands on the shore at San Pedro de la Laguna.
The Laguna de Zumpango is what remains of the northernmost of the great lakes that once filled the Valley of Mexico. Its name comes from the Nahuatl Tzompanco, “place of the skull rack”. From the 17th century the colonial authorities drained the basin to protect Mexico City from floods, cutting tunnels and the huge Tajo de Nochistongo to send the water north, and the lake shrank to a fraction of its size. Today it is managed as a regulating reservoir of about 1,850 hectares.
For visitors, the place to go is the shore at San Pedro de la Laguna, where a small ecotourism park has operated since 2008. Boatmen take people out on short rides across the water, and stands along the shore fry carp and mojarra or serve them empapeladas, cooked in paper, alongside cold drinks and snacks. Waterbirds gather on the open water, and sunsets over the flat horizon can be lovely.
The lagoon has had hard years. In 2023 drought and water hyacinth left it almost dry, and boat rides stopped for close to three years before the water came back. Conditions still vary with the season and water management, so it is wise to check recent news before making the trip.
What to see and do
Take a short boat ride from the shore at San Pedro de la Laguna.
Eat fried or paper-wrapped carp and mojarra at the lakeside stands.
Watch for waterbirds on the open water.
Stay for the sunset over the flat horizon.
Getting there
The lagoon's tourist shore at San Pedro de la Laguna is about 15 km northeast of Tepotzotlán, roughly 30–40 minutes by car via Zumpango. Boat rides run when the water level allows; prices are low and paid on the spot. Check recent reports on water levels before you go.
13 km northeast of Tepotzotlán
Directions from Tepotzotlán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Laguna de Zumpango shares the climate of Tepotzotlán, 13 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Tepotzotlán your base
Laguna de Zumpango is an easy trip from Tepotzotlán, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tepotzotlán
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Xochitla Parque Ecológico
· Nature reserve · 2 km away
A 70-hectare ecological park on Tepotzotlán's edge with a botanical garden, bike rentals, boating and camping. -
Catedral de Cuautitlán
· Landmark · 7 km away
A Baroque Franciscan church, now a cathedral, that keeps rare 16th-century paintings attributed to Flemish master Martín de Vos. -
Tultepec
· Town · 11 km away
Mexico's fireworks capital, with a huge pyrotechnics market, a March fireworks fair and a free museum of local mammoth finds. -
Arcos del Sitio
· Landmark · 13 km away
A colonial aqueduct about 60 meters tall spanning a wooded ravine, inside an ecotourism park in the Sierra de Tepotzotlán. -
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan
· Archaeological site · 19 km away
A small Mexica pyramid with its temple rebuilt on top, the best idea of how Aztec shrines looked, plus a little museum. -
Pirámide de Tenayuca
· Archaeological site · 21 km away
A Chichimec and Aztec pyramid rebuilt over itself many times, ringed by a wall of 138 carved stone serpents. -
Museo Paleontológico de Santa Lucía Quinametzin
· Landmark · 25 km away
A free museum at Felipe Ángeles airport showing the mammoths and other Ice Age fossils dug up while the airport was built.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.