AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Tucked into the dense urban fabric of Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl in the State of Mexico, Parque del Pueblo is a rare green lung that happens to come with a zoo attached. Here giraffes, tigers, bears and big cats share grounds with a leafy central lake, a little sightseeing train and an interactive farm where children can feed domestic animals—all for the astonishing price of a 5-peso entry.↗↗
Founded in 1975 on what was once a refuse-strewn wasteland of black-water ponds, the park has grown into one of the most emblematic public spaces in Nezahualcóyotl and a beloved day-trip for local families. The zoo itself dates to 2003 and today shelters some 180-plus animals across dozens of species, many of them rescued. It is a modest city zoo rather than a grand safari, but its charm, low cost and sheer variety of things to do make it a worthwhile detour on the eastern edge of Greater Mexico City.↗↗
A Green Oasis Reborn
The story of Parque del Pueblo is the story of a neighborhood reclaiming its land. The site was nothing but a garbage-strewn lot of stagnant sewage ponds until the 1970s, when it was transformed into a public park; in 2003 the authorities added the zoo that gives the place its name today. What emerged is both a wildlife refuge and the most important pocket of green in a municipality that badly needs one—a working green lung where rescued and bred animals live alongside walking paths, benches and open lawns.
