San Pablo Villa de Mitla
Iglesia de San Pablo (16th-century church)
San Pablo Villa de Mitla is a typical colonial town where pre-Hispanic ruins can be seen not far from old Spanish houses and places of worship. Add the talent of local artisans and the beautiful sub-tropical flora to this cultural syncretism and you will immediately see why this quaint little town is considered magical . Located in the state of Oaxaca, 27.5 mi (44.3 km) from Oaxaca de Juárez, with a population of 13,587 (2020), San Pablo Villa de Mitla is home to the second most important archaeological site in Oaxaca and it is also a major handicraft hub.
1. What to see
1.1. The archaeological site
1.2. Iglesia de San Pablo
1.3. The handicraft market
2. Where to eat
2.1. Origen Maíz
2.2. Yälnadoo
2.3. Doña Chica
3. Where to stay
4. How to get there
What to see
📷 The archaeological site
10 am - 4 pm daily
Entry fee: 90 MXN
Mitla (Spanish word derived from Mictlán, the Aztec underworld) was an important Zapotec city that reached its height between 750 and 1521. It is believed it was inhabited sometime during the Classic Period of Mesoamerica (100-650) by the Zapotecs, but around the year 1000 the area fell under Mixtec control, which is why both Zapotec and Mixtec design features can be found here.
The ceremonial center was built in 850 and the structures are impressive as some of the stones weigh up to 18 tons. The site consists of five groups of buildings: the South, the Adobe, the Arroyo, the Palace, and the North Group.
📷 Iglesia de San Pablo
Built in 1590 by Dominican friars, the church rises on the site of a former Zapotec temple. San Pablo is celebrated every year on January 25th, but the celebration actually lasts a whole week (January 24th - January 31st).
📷 The handicraft market
10 am - 5 pm daily
In Mitla many locals work as artisans, so the amount of handicrafts is impressive. The main local craft is weaving, so you will also see many workshops where you can actually walk in and buy blouses, blankets and rugs directly from the weavers. The market is replete with high quality colorful textiles, but also pottery and accessories.
Weaving workshop
Where to eat
Origen Maíz
📍 Camino Nacional Roogeuii, Centro
📅 9 am - 6:30 pm Wed-Thurs
9 am - 7:30 Fri-Sun
💚 Try: the blue corn quesadillas
Yälnadoo
📍 Lázaro Cárdenas 3, Los Presidentes, Centro
📅 9 am - 6:30 pm daily
💚 Try: tlayudas de tasajo (thin toasted tortillas topped with Oaxacan beef and cheese, avocado, lettuce and refried beans)
Doña Chica
📍 Morelos 41, Centro
📅 10 am - 8 pm daily
💚 Try: enchiladas de mole coloradito (shredded chicken, sour cream, cheese and chili peppers wrapped in flour tortillas topped with light mole sauce)
Where to stay
📍 Camino a Xaagá Independencia 70430
Hotel Hacienda Don Cenobio ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📍 Avenida Juarez 3 esquina Morelos, Centro
How to get there
From Oaxaca de Juárez
🚗 By car (recommended route: Mexican Federal Highway 190)
🚕 By taxi
🚌 By bus
Take a bus in Central de Autobuses Oaxaca ADO. See the schedule 👉here.
📜 You can stop in Santa María del Tule on your way to Mitla and see the famous tree of Tule, a Montezuma cypress that has the largest trunk diameter in the world (137.8 ft / 42 m) and is around 2,000 years old (some claim that it might be 3,000 years old).
The mototaxi ride was definitely one of the highlights of the trip