6 best day trips from Oaxaca

Day trips compared

The day trips

45 km · About 1 hour by road

1.Mitla

The Zapotec and Mixtec religious centre of Mitla is famous for its walls of stone fretwork mosaics, made of thousands of cut stones fitted without mortar in geometric patterns. A colonial church was built on top of part of the complex. The town also has mezcal shops and textile stalls.

Getting there

Tour, colectivo or bus along the Carretera Internacional

Best for

Culture, First-timers

70 km · About 1.5–2 hours by road

2.Hierve el Agua

Mineral springs flowing over a cliff edge have left white calcified formations that look like frozen waterfalls. Visitors swim in shallow natural pools at the clifftop and walk a trail down to the base of the petrified falls, with mountain views all around.

Getting there

Tour or car via Mitla; the final stretch is a winding mountain road

Best for

First-timers, Families, Couples

30 km · About 40 minutes by road

3.Teotitlán del Valle

A Zapotec weaving village where families make wool rugs on foot looms, using natural dyes from cochineal, indigo and pomegranate. Many workshops welcome visitors to watch dyeing and weaving, and buying direct supports the weavers.

Getting there

Tour, colectivo or car via the Mitla road

Best for

Culture, Shopping, Quiet stays

32 km · About 45 minutes by road

4.Tlacolula Sunday market

One of the valley's largest and longest-running weekly markets fills the streets of Tlacolula de Matamoros every Sunday, with villagers buying and selling produce, livestock, baskets, mezcal and barbacoa. The town's chapel has elaborate colonial stucco work.

Getting there

Colectivo, bus or tour along the Mitla road

Best for

Food lovers, Culture, Solo travellers

12 km · About 25 minutes by road

5.San Bartolo Coyotepec

The village of barro negro, the polished black pottery made by burnishing clay before firing. Family workshops demonstrate shaping and polishing by hand, and a state crafts museum displays pieces from across Oaxaca.

Getting there

Taxi, colectivo or tour south along Highway 175

Best for

Shopping, Culture, Families

25 km · About 40 minutes by road

6.San Martín Tilcajete

Many families here carve and paint alebrijes, fantastical animals made from copal wood and decorated in intricate patterns. Workshops show the carving and painting process; combine it with Coyotepec and the Friday market in Ocotlán.

Getting there

Taxi, colectivo or tour south along Highway 175

Best for

Families, Shopping, Culture

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Second-class buses towards Tlacolula and Mitla run along the Carretera Internacional, while first-class ADO coaches link Oaxaca with Mexico City, Puebla and the coast from the terminal on Calzada Niños Héroes de Chapultepec.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask