Cerro de Xico or the “Hill of Xico” lies at the extreme southern end of Mexico City in the municipality of Xico within the Chichinautzin volcanic field. Cerro de Xico isn’t actually a hill, as evident from the aerial pictures below – it’s a beautifully round tuff ring formed by phreatomagmatic eruptions through the middle of Lake Chalco, whose remains can be seen surrounding the crater rim. Being located just 40km south of the city center, the volcanic crater is slowly being engulfed by the ever advancing urban sprawl, even though the interior is still being used for agriculture naturally protected from the swarming city by the tuff ring.

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