Rowing Clubs in Mexico: Cuemanco and Mexico City

This page is for rowers living in or visiting Mexico City, and for anyone in Mexico looking for a way into the sport. Mexican rowing has one obvious home: the Pista Olímpica Virgilio Uribe at Cuemanco in Xochimilco, built for the 1968 Olympics. World Rowing describes a six-lane artificial course, filled from two artesian wells, where local teams train almost daily and visiting national teams come for altitude work.

The list is short because the scene is. The federation’s own member list names five clubs, all of which appear below, and we added Antares.

Clubs

Club	Founded	Location/water	Who it’s for	Website
Real Club España	n/a	Mexico City, Cuemanco course	juniors, masters, learn-to-row	clubespana.com.mx
Antares Remo	n/a	Mexico City, Cuemanco course	learn-to-row, competitive	antaresremo.mx
UNAM rowing team	n/a	Mexico City, Cuemanco course	university, juniors, competitive	n/a
Marina	n/a	Mexico City, Cuemanco course	juniors, competitive	n/a
Mexico Rowing Club	n/a	n/a	n/a	federation list
ARAC	n/a	n/a (its regatta is at Cuemanco)	n/a	federation list

Antares has at least 65 years behind it: a Club de Remo Antares helped form the national association in 1961, though we can’t confirm the current club is the same body. Mexico Rowing Club lists a website, but it returned an error both times we tried it.

How rowing is organised

The Federación Mexicana de Remo traces its history to 1913, when the British Boating Club and the Club Alemán de Regatas created the Asociación de Regatas de México. In 1961, the Club Británico, Club España, Antares, Club Xochimilco de Remo and the UNAM team formed the Asociación Mexicana de Remo, and the body took its current name in a 1967 reorganisation. For how the sport is run in another former Olympic host, see our page on rowing in Russia.

National championships draw wider than the capital. The 2018 edition had more than 300 athletes from 14 associations, including a Nuevo León delegation, so if you live outside Mexico City, ask the federation about your state association. It publishes a contact email and phone number, and its office is on Periférico Sur in Xochimilco.

Season and main regattas

Mexico City’s rowing calendar is built around Cuemanco, and dates shift from year to year, so check the federation’s calendar rather than relying on past patterns.

• National championships: reports appeared in April 2018 and May 2025, while the 2011 edition ran in late autumn.
• Regata Internacional del Club España: the 27th edition ran on 18 and 19 May 2013 with about 500 rowers. We couldn’t find a more recent date.
• Autumn regattas: the federation lists Regata ARAC on 31 October and Regata Iztapalapa on 14 November, both at Cuemanco.

Joining as a visitor

Real Club España gives the clearest route. You book a trial class (clase muestra) by WhatsApp. Rowers train Tuesday to Sunday, 7:30 to 11:00, and Tuesday to Friday, 16:00 to 18:00. Its recreational boats are for members, and the high-performance boats are for the competition team. It trains in sculls and sweep boats, and its categories run from under-15s to masters at 27 and up.

Antares says beginners and experienced rowers are both welcome, and takes enquiries at the email on its contact page.

Chilango says private clubs for adults have varying costs and requirements, and suggests simply asking at the hangars on the course. The same guide says the Navy runs a programme there for children aged 10 to 16. Canoeing shares the course, and the Federación Mexicana de Canotaje has its own offices by the hangars, so make clear you’re asking about rowing.

You don’t need years of experience to race here either: the 2025 national championships included Principiantes (beginner) events alongside sub-19 and sub-23 racing.

As a rule of thumb, expect to work in Spanish. Travelling on to South America? Our guide to rowing clubs in Argentina covers Tigre, Rosario and Mendoza.

How to pick a club in Mexico

• Match the club to your life stage. UNAM’s team draws on the university and its high schools, and its crews race in sub-19, sub-23 and beginner events. Students should start there.
• Mind the journey. Real Club España’s clubhouse is on Insurgentes Sur in Chimalistac, while its rowers use Cuemanco. World Rowing put the course about 20 km from the city, so test the morning trip before you commit.
• Allow for altitude. National teams go to Mexico City for altitude training for a reason. As a rule of thumb, ease into your first week if you’ve arrived from sea level.
• Check the water. World Rowing reported in 2011 that structural changes had left the course shallower at the start and deeper at the finish. Ask a local coach about current conditions before bringing your own boat.

New to the sport? Read rowing for beginners and why a club is worth joining. See also our Canada hub and all club guides.

Spotted a mistake or a missing club? Tell us.