Valle de Chalco, Municipality in eastern outskirts of Mexico City, Mexico.
Valle de Chalco Solidaridad is a municipality on the eastern outskirts of the capital, located in the State of Mexico at about 2,200 meters elevation. The area stretches across flat terrain that was once part of a lakebed and now includes densely built residential neighborhoods and commercial streets.
The municipality was established in 1994 when it separated from Chalco under President Salinas de Gortari. The area arose on the drained bed of Lake Chalco, which in earlier times formed part of the great waterways of the Mexican high valley.
The settlement takes its name from an ancient lake that once covered this plain and whose waters disappeared in earlier centuries. Many residents speak Náhuatl, Mixteco or Mazateco alongside Spanish, heard daily in local markets and neighborhoods throughout the municipality.
The place lies about an hour by road from the downtown core of the capital and can be reached by several bus lines and shared taxis. Travelers setting out early in the morning or late in the afternoon should allow extra time for the journey.
Within the municipal territory stands the Ex-Hacienda de Xico, which once sat on an island in the old lake. Today remnants of old buildings remind visitors that this spot was once surrounded by water.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
