Ro-House » Oaxaca » Ecotourism and Adventure
Oaxaca, located in the southeast of Mexico, is an example of a singular miscegenation that even in the midst of modernity never forgets its origins. In its varied geography, it brings together not only a vast biodiversity, considered among the largest in the world, but also insurmountable cultural and ethnic riches, and the most different and beautiful natural settings.
Ideal space for Alternative tourism, Oaxaca offers activities such as hike, Mountain biking, abseiling, climbing, zipline, ride, Observation of flora and fauna and more, in close contact with the nature. The visitor can also witness the various aspects of local life, savor the gastronomy and enjoy the warmth of its people, as well as an offer of accommodation in hotels, ecotourism cabins, local houses or excellent camping areas.
Ecotourism in Oaxaca
Commonwealth Peoples of Oaxaca
«In Pueblos Mancomunados, the tourist activity started in 1994, in the community of Benito Juárez and then spread to all the towns that make up the Mancomún in 1998. For its operation it has had the participation of the Commissariat of Communal Assets, of local government instances through the Presidencies, Municipal Agencies and the General Assembly of Comuneros.
In 1998, it received support from the Canadian Embassy and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to design the Nature Routes, a network of more than 100 kilometers of marked hiking and mountain biking trails that link the Populations of Pooled Towns. Likewise, that same year the community company was created Sierra Norte Expeditions and a promotion and direct sales office was opened in the city of Oaxaca. "
San Antonio Cuajimoloyas
San Antonio Cuajimoloyas is 56 kilometers (1.5 hrs.) From the city of Oaxaca. It is one of the highest altitude communities in the region: 3,200 meters above sea level.
It has majestic natural settings; it is an ideal place to perform walking tours, Practice the Mountain biking and the ride enjoying a wide variety of Flora and fauna. Here you can observe and enjoy spectacular Rocky formations, beautiful and peaceful plainsas well as lovely sidewalks flanked by rows of towering maguey plants.
Do not miss our already traditional regional fair of Wild mushrooms, which takes place the penultimate weekend of the month of July in the framework of The Guelaguetza. San Antonio Cuajimoloyas, an encounter with nature!
Services:
- Cabins in the town and in "La parcela", in the middle of the forest.
- Community hotel "Yaa - Cuetzi". Simple but comfortable rooms.
- Camping areas
- Traditional medicine
- Spectacular zipline: 1,000 meters long. Enjoy an eagle view of the community and the forest!
- Community dining rooms and trout farms "El Bocadito", "La Zanja" and / or "El Arcoíris (Tarajeas)".
- Events room with capacity for 50 people. It has a projector, screen, tables, chairs, kitchen ... and even Coffee Break service!
- Community projects: Mushroom making, sarcina crafts, Serrano bread making, talks about medicinal plants.
Benito Juarez
Benito Juárez is located 2,800 meters above sea level, but only an hour and a half from the city of Oaxaca.
It has multiple natural attractions: lush coniferous wooded vegetation, pine varieties, oyamel, oak, strawberry trees, ailes, etc. Get to know the wooded area «Los Pinabetes», with 300 year old pines of life and even 30 meters high. It has routes in hike, Mountain biking and ride.
Do not miss the visit to his lookout, with an impressive view over the central valleys, where you will also test your courage when crossing its imposing 150 meter long suspension bridge, as well as its system 3 zip lines that add up to 300 meters in length. Also be sure to visit Mr. Eli's family farm and / or Stone House. Benito Juárez, a natural escape!
Services:
- Cabins in the town
- Tourist House (“Tourist Yuú”): For large groups (21 people). A room with a glass ceiling, to observe the stars.
- Camping areas
- Community restaurant and trout farms.
- Community guides.
- Zip lines with a total length of 300. The highest reaches a height of 80 meters; 150 meter long suspension bridge.
- Community projects: Making artisan bread, typical gastronomy workshops, get to know the "Mycological" project on the production of mushrooms and their medicinal properties.
San Miguel Amatlán
San Miguel Amatlán awaits you 62 kilometers from the state capital, about two hours from the city of Oaxaca.
It houses an enormous natural beauty, incomparable landscapesinteresting, ancient natural treasures colonial vestiges, as well as ideal places for hike, the Mountain biking and the ride. In your little site museum You will be able to learn more about the history of the Commonwealth Peoples.
You will be able to participate in productive processes such as the cultivation of mushrooms and the production of Serrano bread, or enjoy the delicious gastronomy local and regional amid the hospitality of its inhabitants. San Miguel Amatlán, a place to remember!
Services:
- Cabins in the town
- Camping areas
- Community restaurant
- Traditional medicine
- Community guides
- Community projects: artisan women, cultivation of mushrooms, making artisan bread and community day in the field.
Santa Catarina Lachatao
This unique town, located in the rugged mountains of Oaxaca, has an altitude of 2,100 meters above sea level, and retains all the provincial charm, which is manifested in the unmistakable features of its vernacular architecture, like the cobbled streets, the houses with adobe walls and tile roofs, and the local temple of green quarry, visible from some neighboring communities.
In addition to the friendly and warm treatment of its inhabitants, Lachatao offers the possibility of entering its pine forests, oak and arbutus, traveling walking trails that meander between streams; beautiful places and impressive viewpoints from where you can admire the magnificent spectacle of sunrise or sunset.
The visitor can enjoy the gastronomy typical traditional with dishes such as "chichilo" or serrano moles, accompanied by a good pulque or exquisite tepache.
The natural attractions can be seen through different routes: "Cerro del Jaguar", "La Virgen" and "the Ex Hacienda Minera 5 Señores".
- Guides for adventure or mystical hiking through mountain landscapes, rivers, flora and fauna of the Sierra Juárez.
- Restaurant-viewpoint with regional food
- Cabins with or without kitchen, fireplace, garden, fire pit and hot water.
- Zapotec wisdom in meetings, workshops and retreats, where music, plastic arts, gastronomy, traditional medicine, sidereal observation and knowledge of the community are combined in harmony to… »experience nature to the fullest».
- Hiking, abseiling, horseback riding, cycling, camping.
- Cerro del jaguar: walking ritual on the cerro del jaguar.
- Guided visit to the community museum
The Nevería
Small community located 62 kilometers (two hours) from the city of Oaxaca. It is the youngest and smallest of the Pueblos Mancomunados in the Sierra Norte. It has only a hundred inhabitants, whose houses rest on a small valley between mountains.
Latzi Belli, is the voice in Zapotec that gives its name to this community whose inhabitants were dedicated to the manufacture and commercialization of ice at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, taking advantage of the intense winter cold between the months of November and February there the name «La Nevería».
Here you can enter contact with the nature through its unique routes in hike, cycling and ride, traveling Farmlands and pine and oak forests, where they abound orchids and bromeliads, various birds and mammals of temperate forests. In addition to having the opportunity to live "a community day" participating in the daily activities of local families.
Don't miss the route «The 7 colors of Corn«, Where you will learn about our effort to conserve native corn. La Nevería, naturally unique!
Services:
- Cabins
- Homestay accommodation: If you are interested in learning more about the way of life in our community, ask about this accommodation option.
- Camping areas
- Community guides
- Community restaurant. Don't forget to ask about the watercress dish!
- Events room with capacity for 100 people. It has a projector, screen, tables, chairs and a kitchen.
- Zipline and Aerial Skill Games: Don't forget to jump off our 200-meter long Zipline and visit our aerial skill playground!
- Education and sustainability routes: If your visit is for educational purposes, we recommend you request the route "Productive projects" where you will learn about the comprehensive development model of our community,
- Voluntary work: Participate in the work carried out in greenhouses.
- Cooking workshops based on organic products and tortilla making.
Saint Martha Latuvi
Santa Martha Latuvi, a picturesque community that stands out for its natural beauty and the hospitality of its inhabitants. Latuvi, "rolled sheet" in Zapotec, is located 2,400 meters above sea level and 53 kilometers from the city of Oaxaca.
In Latuvi you will awaken each of your senses through its 7 routes that you can travel in hike, cycling or horse. Like the waterfall The Molcajete or the route «Royal road«, A pre-Hispanic road that was used by muleteers to market their products to the central valleys and the Gulf of Mexico.
Don't miss the traditional apple fair on July 25 and 26 and visits to Mrs. Martha or Mrs. Julia to learn about the process of preparing the pulque and the tepache. Santa Martha Latuvi, a path towards nature!
Services:
- Cabins with hammocks outside to rest during the day.
- Homestay accommodation: If you are interested in learning more about the way of life in our community, ask about this accommodation option.
- Camping areas
- Community dining rooms and trout farms: “Cara de León” and / or ”El Manzanal”. In the latter you can fish your own trout.
- Traditional medicine.
- Community guides
- Productive projects: work in the field, harvesting fruits (in season), workshops for making jams, Serrano bread, making pulque and tepache, a millenary drink.
Large flat
Llano Grande was founded at the beginning of the 19th century and is located in one of the higher areas of the Oaxacan orography. This community of Zapotec origin is one of the cleanest in the country: its inhabitants dedicate their efforts to the care and preservation of its extensive and beautiful wooded areas.
Just 66 kilometers (2 hrs) from the city of Oaxaca you can enjoy from quiet walks in the woods, rest in comfortable cabins and watch birds or venture into the world of Mountain biking through incredible trails surrounded by a vegetation enviable that will make your visit an adventure. Llano Grande, a paradise close to heaven!
Services:
- Cabins
- Camping areas
- Dining rooms
- Community guides
- Legends and myths: Learn about the stories and legends of our communities in a visit to older adults in the population.
- Events room with capacity for 50 people. It has a projector, screen, tables, chairs, kitchen ... and even Coffee Break service!
- Bird watching.
- Typical cooking workshops.
- Bread workshops.
- Corn tortilla making workshop.
Ixtlán de Juárez
This region is considered one of the 17 most important areas in the world for its biodiversity (WWF). For adventure lovers they offer zipline, aerial games, abseiling, climbing, Mountain bike, Hike, cycling, Observation of flora and fauna, fishing, temazcal, climbing, ride, abseiling and speleology.
For those who enjoy nature, they make tours of bird watching, photo safari and ecosystem appreciation such as the cloud forest and jungle, as well as tours by local industries such as traditional bakeries, charcoal ovens, thus generating low environmental impact and an improvement in the quality of life of the inhabitants of the region.
In Ecoturixtlan Alternative Tourism (a communal company belonging to Ixtlán de Juárez, belonging to the Sierra Norte of the state of Oaxaca) have an environmental training room for 250 people with cafeteria service and necessary technological equipment (computer, cannon, video, TV and sound equipment) to hold meetings, workshops, congresses and conventions, as well as transportation service from Ixtlán and from Oaxaca City (prior reservation). An Adventure you will never forget!
Attractions:
Cerro del Cuachirindoo viewpoint
Caves of the Arch
Mesophyll forest of Montain
Temple of Santo Tomás from the 17th century
Industrial park
Activities:
Adventure activities
• Tour to the Mesophilic Forest and Jungle.
Tour to the Cerro del Cuachirindoo and Temple of Santo Tomás.
Tour of the recreational park (caves, trout).
Tour to the bromeliad forest.
Travel to the country of the clouds.
Hike to the Cerro de los 40 days.
Mesophyll waterfall.
among many other activities ...
Capulálpam de Méndez
Capulálpam is a beautiful corner that still preserves the placidity of the province, framed by its traditional architecture, where adobe, wood, tile and yellow quarry stand out. All this, coupled with the hospitality of its people, has allowed Capulálpam to be named as «Magic Town«.
Capulálpam Mágico Community Ecological Tourism is a company that emerged in 2005 as an initiative that with the support of the General Assembly of community members and society, has as priorities the sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage, the generation of jobs for men and women of the Community, promoting the constant training of collaborators to increase the competitiveness of their services and activities, the consumption of local products as well as generating the conditions for the diversification of tourist activity in the destination.
Be in the Magical Town of Capulálpam it is synonymous with harmony, tranquility, magic that is perceived in the air, in the greeting, in the daily life of our daily lives, which are translated into unique experiences that they warmly offer to our visitors.
The visitor can enjoy a pass through the cobbled and steep streets, or know the Temple of San Mateo (patron of the town), built of yellow quarry and decorated inside with unique precious wood altarpieces dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.
At Traditional Medicine Center, traditional doctors share their ancestral experience through «clean«, massages or comforting baths of temazcal, and offer natural medicines made by themselves.
A visit to the "Los Sabinos" area is recommended, where tall and ancient trees rise; to the "El Calvario" viewpoint, which offers a spectacular panoramic view of the town; or "La Cueva del Arroyo", where nature has shaped different and capricious figures. Another recommended route is to the place "La Y", either on foot or by mountain bike, admiring pine and oak forests, as well as species of bromeliads, ferns or fungi, as well as some birds,
In the recreational center «Los Molinos» you can enjoy the vertigo of a zipline 100 meters long that crosses the river from a height of 30 meters, and then crosses the suspension bridge. It is also possible to rent a bike and take the tour within the center itself. A last route is to the «Cerro Pelado», to walk through an ancient path or "royal road", which communicated Capulálpam with other towns in the Sierra Juárez.
Services:
- Cabins with cafeteria service.
- Meeting room with wifi service. (up to 40 people)
- Camp area in the park «Los Sabinos».
- Restaurant in the recreational center «Los Molinos».
- Bank terminal.
- Billing.
Santiago Apoala
Santiago Apoala ("Where they distribute the water" in Mixtec) owes its name to the abundance of the vital liquid in its territory. Apoala offers the visitor unparalleled natural beauties: rocks, cannons, waterfalls and valleys, caves with wide galleries and natural viewpoints. Due to the unique orography of the Mixteca region, mountain biking represents a true adventure, traveling through paths and trails in the middle of beautiful valleys.
During the tours there are various attractions, such as cannons, or the so-called «ghost forests»Of oak and hay, in addition to Flora and fauna diverse, and a unique set of prehispanic terraces on the slopes of one of the hills of the town. The visitor can appreciate the beautiful show that the river water, of intense emerald tones, offers to the view while running between stones, as well as to know the various «water eyes»That nourishes the channel, which eventually flows into the Papaloápam River.
Within the framework of this unique paradise cradled between rocks, interesting walks or mountain bike tours can be made through the impressive places of Apoala such as: La Gruta, El Cañón (twin rocks), El Mirador, the Cola de Serpiente waterfall, Peña de the Guacamayas (cave paintings) and the Peña del Diablo.
As a complement to its natural beauties, the manifestations of the Apoala culture find one of its best examples in the Temple of Santiago Apóstol, probably erected in the 16th century. Small in size, its main façade is made up of a portal and a tower with a single-body bell tower. In the corners of the atrium there are posas chapels, common at the time of its construction.
For its part, the local library houses a facsimile of the Nuttall Codex, which explains the origin and history of the Mixtec race and its peoples. In addition to having a description of the region and its characteristics, the document narrates the heroic deeds of a great ruler named Eight Deer Jaguar Claw.
SERVICES:
- Lodging: 12 adobe cabins with capacity for 44 people, bathroom and fireplace and tourist inn with 3 rooms with capacity for 6 people; each room has a bathroom.
- Feeding: Restaurant and dining room.
- Equipment rental: Mountain bike, tents for 2,3 and 5 people and hands-free lamps.
- Other services: Ecotourism office, community guides, camping areas, campfire areas and tours.
- Activities: Ethno-tourism, observation of flora and fauna, walking and mountain biking.
Grottos of San Sebastián
The caves are famous for being the largest in all of America with their more than 1,000 meters deep and more than 60 kilometers long. One part is open to the public and comprises 5 chambers with heights from 20 to 70 meters with a length of 400 meters. To enter you can request the support of a guide with a cost from 60 pesos per person.
The caves have more than 20 entrances scattered throughout the region. First explored in the 1970s, they were found to join a nearby cavern called Li Nita. This cave system is unique in the world and therefore a team of cavers from UNAM conquered its darkness by descending more than 1,000 meters to come face to face with the bowels of the earth in 2015.
We find San Sebastián de las Grutas interesting because they have managed to exploit it in a way that integrates various activities for the traveler. For example, you can enter the underground river that gives life to the community and that in dry season has crystal clear waters.
The town offers a beautiful view full of vegetation in which if you look carefully you could come across a white-tailed deer, a green toucan or some common animals of the region.
People who travel to San Sebastián complement their experience supporting local tourism with the purchase of mezcal from the region and handicrafts. The most famous are the handicrafts carved in wood and the weaving of the palm that becomes the famous mats.
More Tourist Attractions in Oaxaca
The vast Oaxacan cuisine is distinguished by its tradition and the use of regional ingredients. Not for nothing has it positioned itself as the Best Tourist City in the World and the Best Gourmet Destination. In the presentation of the 2021 edition of The Mexico Gastronomic Guide "The Great Restaurants of Mexico" 278 restaurants located throughout the Mexican Republic were recognized, on this occasion, there were 16 Oaxacan restaurants that were placed in the list .
Oaxaca is famous throughout the world for its archaeological sites and the history they keep. Discover Monte Alban, Mitla, Yagul and more of these remote sites, which have made Oaxaca a World Heritage city, according to Unesco. The original Zapotec and Mixtec peoples of Oaxaca lived in the cities and religious centers of the valley of this city until the time of Spanish colonization. Today, there are still vestiges of these towns and places where you can meet them.
The Guelaguetza is an ancient tradition with pre-Hispanic roots related to agricultural ceremonies of gratitude to the gods for the arrival of the rains and the lifting of the harvest at the end of July and is the largest festival in Oaxaca. La Guelaguetza is a celebration of gratitude for the arrival of the rains and the harvests, in which representatives from all regions of the state gather in the capital to share their culture through dances, crafts and food.
Oaxaca's culinary tradition is extraordinary and deeply rooted. There are fourteen different ethnic groups, with their own dishes. It is an area of incomparable wealth for the tourist interested in gastronomy, ethnology and culture in general. Oaxaca is the land of mezcal, tlayudas and the famous seven moles. You have to dedicate several days to it. Oaxacan gastronomy is one of the cultural manifestations that identify and define its people, due to its variety, richness and complexity that have been preserved through the centuries. The best way to enjoy Oaxacan food is by tasting it, from the “strong” dishes that are used to enjoying at lunchtime; like the traditional Oaxacan snacks that can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
The Santo Domingo Cultural Center is a cultural complex that is located in what was one of the most important convents in the colony. It is a large convent in which the Museum of the Cultures of Oaxaca, the Fray Francisco de Burgoa Library and the Ethnobotanical Garden have been established. The Néstor Sánchez Public Newspaper Library is located in a building that is part of the complex but dates from the 19th century. Apart from all these institutions brought together, the Santo Domingo Cultural Center has multipurpose spaces in the former convent, in which temporary exhibitions, conferences, courses, book presentations and concerts are held, among many other activities.
The City of Oaxaca is a destination that offers a great variety of tourist attractions and charms that leave anyone surprised. However, there are other places that are also worth knowing and are in the surroundings of the city, in whose surroundings various populations are located, each with its own personality and artisan tradition, accompanied by their respective customs, festivals and dishes. .
Crafts in Oaxaca are so varied and of such good quality that they have become a tourist attraction. The ancestral traditions, the diversity in the ethnic groups, as well as the richness in the history of the state have been manifested in the great diversity of creations of more than half a million artisans that are registered in Oaxaca. In the center of the state is the City of Oaxaca, a fascinating and hospitable capital in whose surroundings various towns are located, each with its own personality and craft tradition, accompanied by their respective customs, festivals and dishes.
Monte Albán is the most important archaeological zone of the Oaxacan entity, of unique regional importance due to the religious, political and economic control that the Zapotec state exercised over the population of the Valley of Oaxaca for more than thirteen centuries. It has been named by UNESCO as Cultural Heritage of Humanity along with the city of Oaxaca on December 11, 1987. The heritage of the Zapotec world reaches us through the magnificent archaeological sites designed in the Valley of Oaxaca. Of these, the city of Monte Albán stands out for its enormous importance as an economic, political and religious hub (it was the first urban complex in Mesoamerica); by its extension, almost as big as the current capital of Oaxaca; and for its long life, started around 500 BC and concluded around 850 AD
Oaxaca City, the state capital, is famous for its architecture and rich cultural traditions. Oaxaca also has a splendid and varied cuisine and a spring climate throughout the year. UNESCO declared the city a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Oaxaca is the most diverse state in Mexico. It has peaks that reach more than 3,000 meters in height, caverns that are among the deepest in the world, pristine beaches, secluded forests and sunny valleys. Oaxaca is rich in traditions and customs and has the largest ethnic population in Mexico.
In Oaxaca we are proud to have 5 communities that have been awarded the title of Magic Towns of Mexico, a Magic Town is a town that has symbolic attributes, legends, history, transcendent events, everyday life, in short magic that they emanate in each of their socio-cultural manifestations, and that today mean a great opportunity for tourist use. The Magical Towns Program contributes to revalue a group of populations in the country that have always been in the collective imagination of the nation as a whole and that represent fresh and different alternatives for national and foreign visitors.
The beaches of the coast of the state of Oaxaca are among the most beautiful and complete in Mexico, thanks to a developing tourist infrastructure and the rich gastronomy of the Pacific. Along the 533 kilometers of coastline, the beaches of Oaxaca offer a wide variety of activities for lovers of water sports: snorkeling, diving, sport fishing, surfing, among others ... there is something for everyone!
Places such as Puerto Escondido, Mazunte, Zipolite, Carrizalillo, Puerto Ángel or the beaches of Huatulco will offer you the possibility of contemplating beautiful sunsets, delighting in intense adventure tourism or witnessing the exciting release of newborn turtles.
In the state of Oaxaca there are many customs and traditions throughout the year, and within the state, said that they have the same purpose of celebration but with different things, in fact from one region to another or even more from one town to another, the Customs vary for perhaps details but that is what makes them authentic. Oaxaca has deep-rooted customs and traditions. All the holidays are celebrated, the profane and the religious ones. The festival calendar is extensive due to the diversity of ethnic groups, which they still conserve.
The name mezcal has its roots in one of the ancient native languages of the area and translates as 'agave (also known as maguey) cooked'. Although pre-Hispanic Oaxaqueños used maguey to make pulque (an undistilled alcoholic beverage), it seems that the real advances in mezcal production occurred when the Spanish arrived in Oaxaca; by bringing with them their knowledge of distillation processes.
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