Unspecified/General

The Parque Hundido, whose name means the sunken park, is a popular public park in the south of Mexico City, distinguished by the fact that much of its grounds lie noticeably below the level of the surrounding streets, the result of its having been created on the site of a former clay quarry and brickworks whose excavation left the land depressed. Opened to the public in its present form in the 1970s, the park is best known for the collection of reproductions of pre-Hispanic sculptures that line its paths, copies of figures and monuments from the various ancient cultures of Mexico, including the Maya, the Olmecs and others, which give the park an educational and distinctive character. At its centre stands a large floral clock, a favourite landmark, and the grounds are filled with mature trees, shaded walks, fountains and abundant birdlife, the dense vegetation and lower level helping to muffle the noise of the city and create a tranquil refuge. Joggers, families, dog walkers and those seeking a quiet stroll all use the park, and its well-kept gardens and shady avenues make it a green oasis in a busy part of the capital. Easily reached and free to enter, the Parque Hundido offers both a pleasant place to relax and an open-air introduction to the iconography of ancient Mexico. The sunken character that gives the park its name is a legacy of its industrial past, when the ground was dug out for the clay used in making bricks, leaving a broad depression that was later landscaped into the gardens seen today, so that visitors descend from the surrounding streets into a green hollow noticeably cooler and quieter than the city above. The reproductions of pre-Hispanic sculptures arranged along its avenues are the park's most distinctive feature, faithful copies of figures, stelae and monuments from the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacan and other ancient cultures, set among the trees so that a stroll through the park doubles as an open-air introduction to the art of ancient Mexico, an unusual and educational touch that sets it apart from ordinary city parks. The great floral clock at its heart, its face planted with flowers, is a much-loved landmark and a popular meeting place, and around it the grounds offer shaded walks, fountains, lawns and dense vegetation alive with birds. Joggers, families with children, courting couples and people simply seeking a quiet moment all make use of the park throughout the day, and its combination of greenery, cultural interest and calm has made it a cherished refuge. Free to enter and easily reached, the Parque Hundido offers both a restful retreat and a glimpse of Mexico's ancient heritage in the midst of the modern city.

Type: Outdoors

Address: Mexico City, Mexico