Oaxaca is easily one of my favorite places in Mexico. But don’t get me wrong. It’s also great to get out of the city and see the surrounding areas. On my trip to Oaxaca in 2018, my friend and I decided to do a day trip to Mitla in order to see the sites and eat some more great food. And it actually turned out to be the best Oaxaca day trip we took!

We arranged to do a full day tour with our Airbnb host. Hiring private drivers to do this trip is relatively easy in Oaxaca. You can find someone in Centro to take you. Alternatively, the host at your hotel or lodging should be able to make arrangements for you.  We paid 250 Pesos per hour, exclusive of entrance fees.

Our tour included the following:

• Arbol del Tule – the oldest and widest tree in the world!
• Mitla – home of the Zapotec civilization,
• Hierve el Agua – a calcified “waterfall” in the mountains,
• and Mercado de Tlacolula – a market, known for its famous barbacoa, BBQ goat/sheep, markets on Sundays!

And let me just tell you – it was one of our best Oaxaca day trips of our time there!! But first, before we start the day trip to Mitla, we need to make sure our bellies are nice and full!

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1. Breakfast

Of course, we had to start off our day with a hearty meal. We left our Airbnb at 8:30 and arrived at Restaurant La Palapa de Raúl at 9 am, right when they opened for breakfast.

It’s on the way, so you might as well time it perfectly like our host did!

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2. Arbol del Tule (“the tree of Tule”)

And then we were off!  The first stop was the Arbol del Tule, which is arguably the oldest and widest tree in the world.  Some call it the “tree of life.” 

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Rumor has it, the tree is at least 1500 years old.  The diameter of Arbol del Tule is 14.05 meters (46.1 feet).  It sits in a closed off courtyard, along with the town’s church. Walk around the tree and you see animals spring to life. A lion and a crocodile are easily visible in the massive tree trunk.  Sadly, the tree is slowly dying. Pollution, water shortages, and the weight of the nearby road on its roots are the main detriments to the tree’s health.

Entry to the courtyard costs 10 Pesos.  Although you can see the tree without entering the courtyard, it’s worth it to pay if you really want to see the true beauty and nuances of the old tree.

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3. Hierve el Agua (“the water boils”)

From there, we headed into the mountains to Hierve el Agua. This is the view, as you ascend the mountains.

As you pass through small villages on your way, you pay two entrance fees –

• one at an earlier village for 10 Pesos per person,
• and one right outside of Hierve el Agua for 25 Pesos per person. 

There is a reason for the two entrance fees. There is only one road to Hierve el Agua, with two villages in succession before the entrance. The first village wanted to reap the benefits of increased tourism, since buses and vans pass through their village and degrading their roads, etc.  Hence, the double entrance fee was born and frankly, for a combined total of 35 Pesos | under $2 USD, it’s definitely worth it.

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Once you get in, there are two parts to this attraction.

1. A petrified, calcified formation (similar to stalactites or stalagmites) that looks like a cliffside waterfall,
2. Pools formed by mountain spring waters. 

There are two pools, one on an upper terrace, which is natural, and one on a lower terrace, which has spring water directed there. 

Bring your swimsuits, because you can swim or soak in these two pools. 

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To my confusion, these are not thermal baths. Although the water is pure and probably great for your skin, it is a gentle, cool bath.  There are changing rooms and relatively clean bathrooms avaialble for a few pesos.  At the baths, you’ll get a view of the petrified waterfall.  It’s a short hike uphill to get to the actual “waterfall”.  I didn’t go, but my friend did. She said there was another pool at the top.

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4. Roadside Mezcaleria

Leaving Hierve el Agua, we stopped by an artisan mezcaleria run by a small family.  This is the Mexico’s mezcal region, with large swaths of agave plants growing along the roads, up into the mountains. 

Mezcal is made with the core, or the “pineapple” or the agave plant.  The leaves are all cut off and the core is thrown into a fire pit to roast.  After roasting, the cores are flattened with its juices squeezed out by a patient donkey and attached to a stone wheel.  The donkey spends the whole day walking around in a circle, pausing, while the caretaker uses his pitchfork and adjusts the agave cores which are now turning into a pulp.  It’s then fermented and twice distilled, and then it’s ready for drinking! 

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After a little tasting, I bought a walnut-infused mezcal, for 70 Pesos | ~$4 USD.

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5.  Mitla – home of the Zapotecs

Then we headed to Mitla, one of the most important archaeological site for Zapotecs, operating as their main religious center and sacred burial site.  Tickets are around 70 Pesos, same as my mezcal purchase. 

There are three complex groupings that are currently open for visitation – the church group, the column group, and the arroyo group (I think). The three sites are within walking distance of each other, with a small market on the grounds as well. The buildings in Mitla are known for the intricate, interconnected stone work. 

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The name Mitla is a Hispanicized word meaning “place of rest” or “place of the dead.” While I don’t want to diminish the importance of Mitla as a religious center, the reason why Mitla is famous is because of the intricate and decorative mosiac fretwork that you see above. That type of design covers tombs, panels, and entire walls! None of the other Mesoamerican sites in Mexico have that kind of geometric designs! Not only that, but it is extremely well-preserved, considering it may have been inhabited as early as 900 BC!

Gorgeous, right? Now you know why the day trip to Mitla was a must!

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6. Tlacolula Market – Sunday barbacoa eats!

After Mitla, we had worked up an appetite. Since we hadn’t eaten anything since our breakfast hours earlier, it was time to hit the Tlacolula Market!

The Tlacolula Market is famous for it’s Sunday barbacoa.  Local families and restaurants will come out to this market on Sundays to buy barbacoa for their families or their restaurants.  Barbacoa is goat or sheep barbecue, served in a taco or in a soup.  DELICIOUS!  and worth timing out for the Sunday market.

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Parting Thoughts on the Day Trip to Mitla

All in all, this was an amazing and diverse day trip.  It is well worth taking the time to make arrangements.  The itinerary took us from 8:30 am to about 5:30 pm, and was a full day trip.  Granted, we took our time eating and walking around the markets and things.  I’d definitely consider it the best Oaxaca day trip you can take!

The cost we paid to our Airbnb host was about 2,250 Pesos (or a little over $100 USD), which was split between the two of us. Entrance fees for Arbor del Tule, Hierve el Agua, and Mitla added to 115 Pesos (approximately $6 USD), per person. Great for the budget conscious traveller!

For an added bonus, consider combining Teotitlan del Valle with this day trip. It is a small village known for its artisans and weavers. It is conveniently located along the way, and is included on the Google Map below. 

If you’re looking to join a tour instead, it will cost about $45 USD per person, on average. Either via tour or on your own, it’s definitely worth it, and like I said – the day trip to Mitla was one of the best Oaxaca day trips we took!

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