Parque Hundido

The floral clock and flag.

'Parque Hundido, officialy named Luis G. Urbina, located in Mexico City. The translation of its common name is "Sunken Park". The Luis G. Park Urbina park is located on the perimeters of the Colonia Extremadura Insurgentes, in the zone of Mixcoac near Colonia del Valle and next to Colonia Nochebuena. It is one of the most famous parks in Mexico City and it is highlighted by many original attractions.

Its history dates back to the time when the land of the Porfiriato, which once occupied the brick-making company Ladrillera Nochebuena several species of trees were planted thus creating the forest Nochebuena.

In the late thirties, having paved and widened the Avenue de los Insurgentes, the city government decided to use the beautiful setting of the forest, which offered several levels of land due to the operation of brick kilns in the area, to create a new park. It´s layout comprises gardens, walkways and fountains for visitors to enjoy. In the 1950´s it was known as the "Chinese Park", since landscaping evoked chinese gardens, but this changed in 1972, when several reproductions of archaeological pieces distributed in various parts of the park were placed. Six routes were made: the highlands, the Zapotec, Mayan, Olmec, Totonac, and Huastec, with artistic reproductions of precolombian stone work; each route was marked with a distinctively colored line on the floor. Today, this routes are followed by runners and joggers.

One of its important attractions is a floral clock, created by a prestigious watchmaker Relojes Centenario. It is located at the center of the park, near a flag mast (the highest point in the park) and at the end of a wide staircase that leads to a square named Plaza Dolores del Río, a tribute to one of the great divas of Hollywood and the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

There is also an audiorama for up to 141 people, surrounded by lush vegetation, suitable for listening to classical music and poetry. It sometimes hosts events such as conferences or jazz festivals. A special area is reserved for off-leash dogs. Also, a chess area and some concrete seating sturctures are also found in the park. In recent years, the children´s playground was upgraded, a bike track was added and a restrooms were added.

The corner of Insurgentes Avenue and Porfirio Díaz is also part of the park, has been a busy crossing since the Metrobus opened in 2006, and includes a fountain and a statue of Vicente Guerrero on a horse; in this corner, since the 1970´s, every Sunday of the year a group of cyclists come together for bike rides. AC Bicycletero Movement, originated under the statue of the hero of Independence of Mexico, and under the name of Biciperros still perform Sunday walks free to all.