There are many beautiful UNESCO World Heritage sites to visit in Oaxaca state that could be day trips from the city. There’s the archeological site of ‘Monte Alban’, the petrified waterfalls and natural pools of ‘Hierve el Agua’, the pueblo mágico (magical town) of ‘Mitla”, and Mezcal distilleries. There are several tours available in Oaxaca offering a wide array of options, depending on how long you would like to stay at each site. If you’re like me and prefer the adventure of traveling like a local, here’s the breakdown of how to do these day trips in Oaxaca
Monte Albán
The most centric archeologic site is ‘Monte Alban’. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is open Monday to Sunday from 10am to 4pm (16h) and there’s a $90 MXN entrance fee (around $5 USD). Here’s the official website for Monte Albán for the latest news and prices. It is a large open site with ruins and pyramids. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk long distances in the sun.
‘Monte Albán’is about a 20-minute drive from the city making it one of the easiest day trips in Oaxaca. The most affordable route would be to hop on a ‘colectivo’, which is a shared taxi van. The easiest way is to book a ride with ‘Lescas Tours‘. Their vans depart every hour from the city center to the site and back. They are quite comfortable and clean. They even have A/C! The cost is $100 MXN (About $6 USD) roundtrip, you can also catch a one-way ride with them from Monte Albán and pay the driver without having booked in advance. Believe me, this van is more affordable and comfortable than a taxi.
Mitla
Mitla is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its archeological ruins, gastronomy, and the famous old ‘Tule’ tree. This tree is believed to have the largest diameter in the world! You’ll also find unique embroidery at the ‘Mercado de Artesanías’ in Mitla. This ‘pueblo mágico’ is included in most tours since it’s on the route to ‘Hierve el Agua’. If you would like to learn more about Mexico’s magical towns aka ‘pueblos mágicos’, check out my post on Guanajuato Day Trips.
Hierve el Agua
‘Hierve el Agua’ is a must-see when visiting Oaxaca! It is open from 7am to 5pm but has a maximum capacity limit, so it’s recommended to get here as early as possible. Once here, you can choose to bathe in the natural pools or simply enjoy the view. You’ll be able to walk around the pools and take in the mountain view and the beauty of the petrified waterfalls. These are 200m (656 ft) high!
This natural location is over 100km (62 miles) from Oaxaca City and is more complicated to get to than Monte Albán. The easiest route is with a tour. Tours will include other stops such as a Mezcal distillery and the town of Milta. You can also drive but keep in mind that you’ll go through dirt toads up the mountain.
Route from Oaxaca City to Mitla
If you prefer to use public transportation and are staying near the center you can walk to the ‘colectivo’ station at Calle de M.Arista 107. This is a parking lot where taxi vans depart every hour towards Mitla. I recommend getting here early to seize the day since it’ll be a long route. Also, keep in mind that weekends and holidays might affect departures. You can choose to spend some time in ‘Mitla‘ but I recommend doing this on your way back from ‘Hierve el Agua’ so as to arrive before the tour buses.
Mitla to Hierve el Agua
If you’re with a group, you can split a taxi from Oaxaca City to Mitla. Note that even when splitting between 4 people, this is more expensive than the shared taxi vans. If you opt for a taxi, do not let them drop you off anywhere else besides Mitla. Even if they tell you that another town is closer to ‘Hierve el Agua’ your next ride will be in Mitla.
Once in Mitla, head towards the ‘Hierve el Agua’ station, it should be around the corner where the taxi vans or ‘colectivo’ stops. Depending on the time and day, you might have to wait for the next pick-up truck to come back to the station. Be sure to ask at what time the last pick-up truck departs if you’re planning on spending the entire day at ‘Hierve el Agua’.
Note that you’ll be literally riding on the back of the pick-up truck with about 10 or more people on a winding dirt road up the mountain. In my opinion, this was part of the fun since I got to bond with this group of people and we later took pictures of each other in the pools. We also decided to ride together on the way back and explore the city together.
Besides the fee for the ‘colectivo’ and the pick-up truck, there’s an entrance fee paid per person to the caretakers of the land. Save your ticket since you’ll need this when getting off the pick-up truck and walking towards the location. You’ll also find the pick-up truck at the same location that it dropped you off for whenever you’re ready to head back.
Recommendations
As always, when traveling in Mexico, you’ll need to bring cash with you, especially in small bills (less than $500 bills) when possible. You’ll need it for transportation, entrance fees, drinks, snacks, or souvenirs.
Another important recommendation is to always bring water and healthy snacks with you. Most of these locations have street food vendors offering beer, salty snacks, candy, and other goodies that are not necessarily satisfying when walking around in the sun all day.
Last but not least is sunblock! An eco-friendly sunblock is strongly suggested if you intend to bathe in the natural pools of ‘Hierve el Agua’. Also, don’t forget to reapply since most of these locations do not offer much shade from that strong Oaxacan sun.
If you enjoy traveling in Mexico, check out these posts on how to explore these cities like a local: Puebla, Guanajuato, and Cancún. Wherever you decide to travel, I am sure you’ll enjoy Mexico’s gastronomy, culture, and community. And as always, don’t forget to enjoy every moment and BE PRESENT.
Let me know in the comments which sites in Mexico have you visited already!