The Ecological Park

Around the dam, the Parque Ecológico Presa Tarango turns the waterworks into a green belt open to the public day by day. The setting is one of the park's real draws: it forms part of the verdant corridor along the boundary of the Álvaro Obregón and Cuajimalpa boroughs, and it is regularly described as one of the better viewpoints in the city, where some neighbourhoods are glimpsed only across the deep ravines that define the local topography.↗

On site you'll find shaded woodland paths, running tracks, open sunny lawns and outdoor exercise equipment—a modest but well-used local park rather than a grand promenade. Its character is partly a success story of environmental rescue: a landscape once prone to pollution, flooding and illegal settlement has been rehabilitated, with local activists and nature lovers playing a central role in its renewal.↗

The reservoir is the most changeable part of the scene. In the wettest months the basin fills with water; in many years it can dry out completely, leaving a broad, sculpted bed that gives the walk a different feel from season to season. Ongoing care by the borough—litter clearance, pruning, brush-cutting and the cutting of firebreaks along the wooded slopes—keeps the area both usable and safe through the dry, fire-prone months.↗↗

A Stop Within the Las Águilas Green Network

Presa Tarango is easiest to appreciate as one link in a chain of parks in the leafy Las Águilas neighbourhood. That complex also takes in Parque Japón and Parque Ecológico Las Águilas, rehabilitated in 2018–19 with a redesigned layout, a children's area, an artificial lake, a garden for equestrian use, a mountain-bike circuit and a rubberised jogging track. Together the parks form a pleasant, car-free-feeling green centre for the colony.↗

For cyclists and runners, the area works well as a rest stop along the Ciclopista del Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca, the disused-railway greenway that threads through the west of the city. The parks are arranged so that a gentle wander naturally carries you from one green space to the next, away from traffic and noise.↗

Practical Tips for Visiting

The ecological park is generally open to the public from early morning until early evening, roughly 06:00 to 19:00 every day of the week, with access along the Prolongación 5 de Mayo side in Lomas de Tarango. Treat those hours as a reliable default but check locally on the day, as maintenance, fire-risk work or weather can temporarily affect access to a working flood-control site.↗↗

Go in the dry season (roughly autumn to spring) for the clearest canyon views and firm ground for walking and running; go just after the summer rains if you want to see the reservoir actually holding water. Sturdy shoes help on the unpaved slopes, and a little sun protection is worth it on the open lawns.↗

It's a neighbourhood park more than a tourist destination, so pair it with the surrounding Las Águilas gardens and the Cuernavaca railway greenway to make a satisfying, low-key afternoon on the western edge of Mexico City.↗

Good to Know

This is a living piece of city water infrastructure inside a protected ravine, not a monument with paid admission or curated exhibits—expect free, informal public use rather than ticketed attractions. Management priorities are flood safety, ecological conservation and fire prevention, so some machinery, dredging works or firebreaks may be visible during your visit.↗↗↗