Tule- Mitla Route |
Santa María El Tule
Near the capital stands one of the oldest living trees in the world: the Arbol de Tule, a sabino or ahuehuete (Montezuma cypress) that measures 58 meters in perimeter and is more than 2,000 years old. The tree has witnessed a great part of the history of Oaxaca. |
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San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya
In Náhuatl Tlacochahuaya means wet place. It is notable for its sixteenth-century Dominican buildings. Some of the original interior murals (painted using cochineal) are still preserved. Some of the retables painted by Juan de Arrué and a tubular polychrome organ from the seventeenth century have recently been restored. To get there from Oaxaca City take Federal Highway 190 toward Tehuantepec for 23 kilometers and then turn to the right for 2 kilometers. |
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Teotitlán del Valley
This is the major center in the state of Oaxaca for the weaving of wool rugs on wooden looms following colonial techniques. The wool of the rugs is colored with natural dyes such as indigo, moss, and grana cochineal. We especially recommend you visit the houses of the artisans to see the dyeing and weaving processes. There are also shops that sell rugs on the road into town. |
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Lambityeco
Here there is a recently excavated archaeological site that was inhabited during Monte Albán IV (A.D. 600-750) whose name means mounds for stills. (Salt was distilled from a naturally occurring salty dirt found here). There are buildings constructed partly in stone and partly in adobe, with the exception of a flat-topped pyramid (probably the site of a Zapotec market) that is covered with carved stone. The upper part displays an array of intricate geometric figures. Lambityeco is 28 kilometers from Oaxaca City, just off Federal Highway 190 heading toward the Isthmus. |
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Tlacolula de Matamoros (Sunday is Market Day)
Tlacolula is 30 kilometers from Oaxaca City (heading toward the Isthmus). It has a large complex of seventeenth-century Dominican buildings including an extraordinary baroque chapel dedicated to El Señor de Tlacolula. On Sundays one of the largest indigenous tianguis in the Central Valleys is held here. Many different handmade items and exquisite regional food are sold here. The mescal sold here is of excellent quality and purity. |
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Santa Ana del Valley
This is a major textile-producing center. To the south of the main plaza is the community museum where you can see the rich textile tradition of Santa Ana: wool textiles, jorongos (serapes), wool rugs (rivaling those made in Teotitlan del Valle), morrales (sturdy woven bags), folders, and cotton clothing decorated with traditional or modern designs, which reflect their recent and prehispanic past. The rug market is the most important attraction in town.
There is an eighteenth-century baroque church here, the Church of Santa Ana. It has a two-level portada with a semicircular arch above the entryway. To get there from Oaxaca City take Federal Highway 190 toward Tehuantepec. Upon reaching Tlacolula, take the turnoff to Díaz Ordaz. After 3 1/2 kilometers you will get to Santa Anna del Valle (35 kilometers in total). |
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Yagul
This important prehispanic center (whose name means stick or old tree) has the largest ball court of the Oaxacan region and the second largest in Mesoamerica. The most interesting structure in Yagul is the Palace of the Six Patios, an intricate structure composed of numerous rooms with a complex distribution and intercommunication that leads us think that it could have been a governmental residence. The hill-site of Yagul is 36 kilometers from Oaxaca City, and a few kilometers off and uphill from Federal Highway 190 heading toward Tehuantepec. |
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San Pablo Villa de Mitla
Mitla is home to a world-famous Zapotec ceremonial center whose name in Náhuatl means inframundo (place of the dead). The Zapotecs called it lyobaa (place of burials). Mitla was the home to some of the Zapotec priestly class and was first inhabited during the Classic period of Monte Albán (100-650). Mitla reached its zenith during the Post-classic period (750-1521). The city was built around five archaeological groups: Las Columnas, La Iglesia, El Arroyo, Los Adobes, and El Sur. |
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Hierve el Agua
This place is of singular interest due to its spectacular panoramic view, monolithic petrified waterfalls, and the remains of a prehispanic irrigation system (in use between 700 to 1350). It is divided into two distinct levels. On the lower level (accessible by trail) there are springs and the vestiges of an ancient irrigation system. On the upper level there are dressing rooms and a series of small swimming areas have been dug in an esplanade. The uppermost part of the upper level has diverse facilities for visitors including many small restaurants, lodging, and a full size swimming pool. |
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