Wander northwest of the historical core and you’ll ultimately encounter this arched aqueduct rendered in typical green cantera stone that runs the length of Callejón Rufino Tamayo. Built between 1727 and 1751, it was designed to bring fresh drinking water from the hillsides of Cerro de San Felipe into downtown. It served its purpose until 1940, when it was replaced by a more modern if less architecturally elegant system.
Approximately 300 unbroken meters of the aqueduct remains lending the narrow street a tangible colonial air.
Follow the aqueduct north beyond busy Niños Héroes de Chapultepec and you’ll reach the heart of the old Xochimilco quarter, still an important weaving center (look out for the workshops) where the adobe houses are painted lucid shades of red, yellow and green.