Watch our Top 10 things to do in Mexico City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAI4a0tU_do --- Xochimilco was the most important city of the Xochimilca people, who first settled in around 900 BC up until it was conquered by the Mexica of Tenochtitlan in the 15th century. Xochimilco is best known for a vast system of around 170 kilometers or 110 mi. of canals, famous for its colorful gondola-like boats called trajineras. Canals of Xochimilco are one of the last traces of a vast water transport built by the Aztecs. These canals were a part of a massive lake and canal system that connected most of the settlements in the Valley of Mexico. Both canals and the chinampa system of Xochimilco are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The name Xochimilco derives from Nahuatl and means "flower field” and describes flowers and other crops grown there. The vegetables, fruits, and flowers were shipped to Tenochtitlan via the canal.