MAGICAL TOWNS IN OAXACA

Mexico » States » Oaxaca » Magical Towns

Magical Towns of OAXACA

Share this article:

In Oaxaca we are proud to have 5 communities that have been awarded the title of Magical Towns of Mexico, a Magical 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.

Visit Mexico

A place framed by the Sierra Madre Oriental and abundant cloud forests. As you walk through its streets you will recognize the traditional architecture with materials such as adobe, wood, tile and yellow quarry. Its beginnings go back to an indigenous Zapotec community that still exists and is proud of its roots.

Capulálpam de Méndez
Capulálpam de Méndez

Do not miss the breakfasts at the Municipal Market, there you will taste delicacies such as tlayudas and Tasajo enfrijoladas. Although, if you prefer attractions with even more natural beauty, visit the Capulálpam Mágico Community Ecological Tourism Center for lodging and its Restaurant Centro Recreativo Los Molinos, there a 100-meter long zip line that crosses over a river awaits you.

Capulálpam de Méndez, one of the most beautiful places in our Mexico, a place where history, nature, gastronomy, music, folklore, architecture, uses and customs (governance), traditional medicine, with the warmth of its people who welcome the visitor and seduce him when passing through each space of our territory, all in a context of millenary knowledge, which is combined and translated into constant growth and development of the community.

Since 2008 it is proudly part of the Magical Towns of Mexico program, a recognition of the organization, work, the architecture of the place, the preservation of its values, customs, traditions and the hospitality of our people.

To speak of Capulálpam is to enter the Oaxacan geography, where you only need to be here, with your senses open, to discover in its details the greatness of its past, in its streets, alleys, paths, roofs, houses and its church. Perceive its smells, flavors and hear in their stories the vital importance of their present and glimpse their future as a land of promise and hope.

Visit Mexico

Mazunte is a town located on the Pacific Ocean coast of the state of Oaxaca, located 264 km from the Oaxacan capital. Mazunte or Mazunte as it is known worldwide, owes its name to a red and blue crab that lives in the place, but also in Nahuatl dialect it means “let me see you spawn”, and this refers to the fact that the beaches of this place are Nesting site of sea turtles and from there the history of the population emerges, since the sixties the virgin beaches of Mazunte are visited by hundreds of turtles of the Golfina species that spawned at night in certain lunar stages of this natural phenomenon it is known as “morriña”.

Mazunte
Mazunte

The area is currently experiencing a tourist boom, attracting the interest of visitors who are looking for different experiences. It is the only community in the region that has internal construction regulations, which promote buildings that alternate with the surrounding nature; so it is characterized by rusticity and direct contact with nature.

El Mazunte has an extensive list of natural attractions, the main one being Punta Cometa, also known as Cerro Sagrado; It is the most prominent mountain of Mexico in the South Pacific. Its strategic location allows that from this area you can see amazing sunrises and magnificent sunsets. It is an important place for the migrations of marine species and birds.

The migrations in the months of December to March of humpback whales that use Punta Cometa as a route and geomagnetic reference stand out, appreciating the passage of this species from Punta Cometa does not represent any risk to people or whales, in the same way they can appreciate the migration of flocks of pelicans frolicking in whimsical shapes in the sky.

As the salient point is a shortcut in its route for all types of boats, it is possible to observe large boats plying only 500 meters away from the coast. Without a doubt you will be able to swim and enjoy the sun on one of the most beautiful beaches in Oaxaca, so we recommend bringing a camera to document the good times of your trip.

In addition, it is one of the favorite places to camp in Mexico; Since the weather in Mazunte is ideal to enjoy one or two nights under the starry sky while you sleep to the rhythm of listening to the waves hitting.

Places to visit in Mazunte

Mazunte, Mexico has many must-see places that you must visit. You certainly have to discover why they are so popular and recommended for family visits.

  • Mexican Turtle Center
  • Laguna Ventanilla
  • Punta Cometa
  • Mermejita Beach
  • Mazunte Beach
Visit Mexico

The colonial art and architecture of Teposcolula are a mix of indigenous and European concepts and techniques. The Mixtecos preserved their identity, their culture and their completely indigenous symbols, and they knew how to integrate them with the culture of the Spanish. The word Teposcolula derives from the Nahuatl tepoztli “copper, colotl” twist “and tla” together “or” between “, which means” next to the copper twist “.

Its name in mother tongue is Yucundaá “Cerro de Subida”. When the evangelizers arrived in the region, they built one of the most important works of the 16th century in New Spain: the temple and cloister of San Pedro and San Pablo, which have the largest open chapel in Latin America.

San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula
San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula

It is located at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level and has a cool climate, with an average temperature of 17º C. Currently the Magical Town of San Pedro and San Pablo Teposcolula is an ideal destination to admire buildings and enjoy their exquisite gastronomy. It has a conventual complex which was built in the 16th century. Its facade of the temple shows a tequitqui art. The Chapel of Santa Gertrudis has elements similar to La Antigua, in Guatemala.

The Open Chapel is the largest in Latin America. The Municipal Park is surrounded by the Portal de Dolores and the Parish House, ideal for strolling through its gardens and seeing the monument of Las Mascaritas. The Temple of San Pedro and San Pablo houses oil paintings and a one-piece wood-carved confessional.

Get to know the Chapel of Santa Gertrudis, in the former convent, with two Solomonic columns that support the groin vaults. The Casa de la Cacica is a 16th century building where several caciques lived, currently it houses the BS Children’s Library. In Yucundaa or Cerro de Pueblo Viejo there are vestiges of houses of Mixtec rulers and a ball game.

Nearby is the Yucundaa Ecotourism Center where you can camp. At lunchtime, be sure to try the tamales with totomoste leaf in the Municipal Park, the stuffed chiles, the thick pozole with herbs santa and the yellow mole. For the drink you must try a cured brandy or a chilacayote water. In the Municipal Market you can find palm items and hand embroidery.

Visit Mexico

Huautla de Jiménez, town among the clouds and home of the Mazatecs, who invite you to participate in their ancient traditions. Live the experience of knowing their language, songs, dances and traditional medicine inherited from the famous María Sabina, Priestess of the Magic Mushrooms, also know Mama Julia one of the 13 grandmothers of the world, heir to this ancestral knowledge.

Huautla de Jiménez
Huautla de Jiménez

Huautla de Jiménez is a municipality belonging to the district of Teotitlán in the Cañada Mazateca Region of the state of Oaxaca, it is a rural-urban city, since it has a population of 68,555 inhabitants in the municipality and 53,999 in the City, and rural Due to its scarce development in urban infrastructure, Huautla de Jiménez is the tenth largest population in the Oaxacan state.

The word Huautla comes from the Nahuatl word that, in the splendor of the Aztec manor, Cuitláhuac will name Cuiticaname – Huautlan, which etymologically means “Place of Eagles”. De Jiménez, in honor of General Mariano Jiménez, who in 1864 visited the region. On December 14, 1926, by decree No. 55, Huautla de Jiménez obtained the title of City.

This indigenous culture has a set of symbols, characters, explanation of origin, sacred hills, rituals, calendar, clothing, music, caves, among others; Around which an identity is built that distinguishes them, a way of seeing, conceiving and interpreting the world, as recognized by the Declaration of the United Nations (UN) on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Visit Mexico

To speak of a place like Mitla is to speak of history, mysticism, tradition and magic; of a place that lives in eternity, where time dissolves to exist in the midst of an atmosphere full of color, smell and flavor that allows us to live a past that is present. Thus, the greatest charm that Mitla offers to the world is not found in what can be seen, but rather in everything behind it, in its past, in its history, in that mystical process carried out through the years and that is materialized in each product born in this place.

Mitla has been from its origin, a symbol in itself, not a place, rather an entrance, a passageway that has a life of its own, that envelops with its charm anyone who closes their mortal eyes and opens their heart to begin to see from the soul, letting itself be carried away to that magical place that coexists in the same space of all that is perceptible that many appreciate but few live.

San Pablo Villa de Mitla
San Pablo Villa de Mitla

The wealth of Mitla is found in the environment, in the environment, in the breath of the legendary air that runs through this place since ancient times, witnessing the mysteries that are hidden in the past of the old Zapotecs who are currently the last guardians of this unique wisdom and that open that door to everyone. Thus allowing crossing the boundary between the past and the present, between the ancient and the modern, between magic and reality, between this life and the next.

And it is that Mitla is rich day and night, by any point that is admired, by any perspective taken in a photo, because each view, ritual, act and product has a reason to be, a reason to exist and to show itself that way. Xibalba (Quiché), Lyobaá (Zapotec), Mictlán (Nahuatl) or Mitla (Spanish), some of the names given to the “resting place” was a Great City-sanctuary, a religious and civil center of great preponderance and at the same time a sanctuary national.

 The history of Mitla, takes us back to the history of an ancient culture, even more than what could become the Zapotec culture, the lineage that currently inhabits this important center. Since long before this great city became a fundamental part of such culture, Mitla was already an imposing settlement in which power resided, not only material, such as that possessed by kings and rulers, but one that extended beyond from the limits of life, a power over life and death.

Being the official residence of the Supreme Pontiff, the vicar of divinity, the oracle of faith and the channel through which all grace was communicated from heaven to earth, it also execrated, perpetually infamous with its curses, or granted them pardons and remissions; That is why among the inhabitants it was called Mitla, The Palace of the Living and the Dead. The place destined for the burial of the Zapotec pontiffs and monarchs, the passage to the next life, “The Great Door to Eternity”.

Visit Mexico

Map of the Magical Towns in OAXACA

Visit Mexico

More Tourist Attractions in OAXACA

Santo Domingo Oaxaca
Interesting Sites

Santo Domingo Cultural Center

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.… Read More

Read More »
Archaeological Sites in Oaxaca
Archaeological Sites

Monte Alban

Monte Alban 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 Cultural Heritage of Humanity together 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.… Read More

Read More »
La Guelaguetza
Traditions

La Guelaguetza

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. La Guelaguetza is celebrated every year on the two Mondays after July 16, except when the first Monday is July 18, Benito Juárez’s death anniversary. Many types of dances also participate, such as the traditional Flor de Piña; where women usually dress in Huipiles representing the different regions of the state, as well as with their pineapple on their shoulders, they comb their hair with beautiful long braids accompanied by their ribbons and can not missing her accessories that is, bracelets, necklaces and earrings of precious colors and her beautiful makeup.… Read More

Read More »
Mezcal
Gastronomy

Mezcal

Mezcal is a rich, handcrafted flavored drink that requires considerable attention to be produced. Mezcal is normally served with white salt or worm salt (salt mixed with a cooked larva and ground chili), lemon or orange. Mezcal production today remains more or less as it was when the Spanish arrived hundreds of years ago. Each “recipe” is transmitted from generation to generation within the families that care about its production; Because each family has its own approach to mezcal production, there are an enormous number of different flavors. It is also in this way that the rich diversity of flavors and traditions are preserved for all to enjoy.… Read More

Read More »
Huatulco, Oaxaca
Beaches

Beaches in Oaxaca

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!… Read More

Read More »
Archaeological Sites in Oaxaca
Archaeological Sites

Archaeological Sites in Oaxaca

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.… Read More

Read More »
Ecotourism in Oaxaca
Ecotourism and Adventure

Ecotourism and Adventure in Oaxaca

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. An ideal space for Alternative Tourism, Oaxaca offers activities such as walking, mountain biking, rappelling, climbing, zip-lining, horseback riding, observation of flora and fauna and more, in close contact with 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.… Read More

Read More »
Gastronomy of Oaxaca
Gastronomy

Gastronomy of Oaxaca

The Oaxacan gastronomy takes you on an amazing journey into one of the most outstanding and colorful cuisines in the world. Oaxacan food is among the most varied and delicious in Mexico, UNESCO has declared it Humanity’s Cultural Patrimony. Oaxaca’s gastronomy incorporates elements of pre-Hispanic cuisine, and lively imagination has created combinations that amaze by the color, the aromas and the flavors.
The list of dishes that characterize this cuisine is endless, however, we can mention: Oaxacan Mole in its 7 varieties depending on the type of chili used, Chapulines, (dry roasted, spiced grasshoppers), tlayudas (large tortilla spread with the remaining of the lard and beans), maguey worm sauce, chiles rellenos (stuffed chilies), and of course the famous Oaxacan tamales in banana leaves. Oaxaca cheese is a soft white string cheese, which is similar to mozzarella. It is sold in “ropes” which are wound onto themselves into balls, and eaten cold or lightly melted on quesadillas is considered among the best in the world.… Read More

Read More »
Oaxaca - Hierve el Agua
Interesting Sites

Oaxaca City Surroundings

Oaxaca is a destination that offers a great variety of attractions and tourist charms which leave anyone surprised. When arriving in the city of Oaxaca, the most common is to visit the historic center, the Santo Domingo Temple, the Macedonio Tourist Walk, the gastronomic delights in the Benito Juárez market, the Basilica de la Soledad, among other attractions. And one of the places that you cannot miss is the Monte Alban archaeological zone, which is approximately 30 minutes by car from the historic center. However, there are other places that are also worth knowing and are in the surroundings of the city. For this reason we recommend the following tourist routes.… Read More

Read More »
Traditions of Oaxaca
Traditions

Traditions of Oaxaca

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. 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. Oaxaca has a combination in its traditions of the culture of the ancestors and the current culture, a state that does not lose its customs, adapts them to new times and needs.… Read More

Read More »
Handicrafts from Oaxaca
Traditions

Handicrafts from Oaxaca

Handicrafts from Oaxaca are a great tradition and they offer a diversity that denotes the artistic richness and imagination of its people. The talented artisans of Oaxaca make beautiful pieces of clay, textiles, wood, metal, skins and other materials, forming a rich and varied folk art in both decorative and useful items.… Read More

Read More »
Oaxaca City
Capital City

Oaxaca City

Oaxaca is the most diverse state in Mexico. It has peaks that reach more than 3,000 meters high, caverns that are among the deepest in the world, virgin beaches, secluded forests, and sunlit valleys. Oaxaca is rich in traditions and customs and has the largest ethnic population found in Mexico.
The City of Oaxaca, the state capital, is famous for its architecture and for its rich cultural traditions. Oaxaca is also graced by a splendid and varied cuisine and spring-like weather year round. UNESCO declared the city a Cultural Heritage Site.… Read More

Read More »
Visit Mexico

Guided Tours in OAXACA

Visit Mexico

Flights & Hotels in OAXACA


Visit Mexico

More Tourist Attractions in MEXICO

Gastronomy of Puebla

Gastronomy

The Gastronomy of Mexico has a great diversity of typical dishes, which is why it was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The basic and representative ingredients of Mexican dishes are: corn, coriander, chili, beans, piloncillo, nopal and tomato. Mexican cuisine is also characterized by its sauces, which serve as an accompaniment to traditional dishes, prepared based on spices.… Read More

Read More »
Beaches in Mexico

Beaches

On the Beaches of Mexico you can immerse yourself in the intense blue ocean of the Pacific bays, sunbathe on the shore of the warm and transparent waves of the Caribbean Sea in Quintana Roo or even rest on the beautiful coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. Mexican beaches hide wonderful secrets for the traveler. By visiting them, in addition to enjoying the excellent climate and water activities, you can discover splendid archaeological sites and interesting colonial cities without traveling long distances.… Read More

Read More »
Capital Cities of Mexico

Capital Cities

Folklore, gastronomy, literary culture, art and exhibitions, is what you will find in the capitals of the states of Mexico. To the north, colonial Mexico, Puebla, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, the Sonoran desert and the California peninsula. To the east Veracruz and the gulf. To the west Acapulco, Oaxaca and Tuxtla Gutiérrez. And to the south the Riviera Maya and the pyramids of Chichén-Itzá, Tulúm and Cobá in Yucatán, Palenque in Chiapas, the cenotes, and the Central American jungles.… Read More

Read More »
Archaeological Sites

Archaeological Sites

The Archaeological Zones are the cultural past of every Mexican. You will be amazed at the ambient, nature and the environment that surrounds them. Climbing to the top or being around it will take us back in time to admire every detail. México is a country of culture and traditions, many of which we have inherited from the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of this vast territory, although it is true that there were more settlements in the central and southern part of the country, it is also possible to find some archaeological remains in the north.
Read More

Read More »
States Of Mexico

States Of Mexico

Mexico has an incredible diversity of landscapes, where the beauty of its beaches, internationally recognized, stands out. In its vast territory of coasts, there are beaches of unparalleled beauty, and colorful landscapes. A large network of first-class hotels and tourist services is available to visitors to these beaches. Mexico is also mystical places, dotted with archaeological testimonies inherited from its original inhabitants. Monuments made by the Mayas, Aztecs and Toltecs are located in magical landscapes, like lighthouses in an ocean of natural beauty. They offer visitors buildings that tell their history, and museums that collect their cultural heritage. And that keep alive ancestral traditions, in ceremonies and festivals, where you can enjoy cultural activities and entertainment.… Read More

Read More »
Ecotourism in Mexico

Ecotourism and Adventure

Mexico is one of the best countries for Ecotourism as it has a great variety of flora and fauna, as well as a large number of refuges for extraordinary species. You can enjoy recreational activities of appreciation and knowledge of nature through contact with it, such as: stargazing, observation of natural attractions, wildlife and bird watching. Throughout México there are more than 176 protected natural areas, 5 of them considered by UNESCO as Natural Heritage of Humanity. Just for this and much more, we believe that Mexico is a Paradise for Ecotourism.… Read More

Read More »
Magical Towns in Mexico

Magical Towns

A Magical Town is a place with symbols and legends, towns with history that in many cases have been the scene of transcendent events for our country, they are places that show the national identity in each of its corners, with a magic that emanates from its attractions ; visiting them is an opportunity to discover the charm of Mexico. The Magical Towns Program contributes to revalue a set of populations in the country that have always been in the collective imagination of the nation and that represent fresh and varied alternatives for national and foreign visitors. A town that through time and in the face of modernity, has conserved, valued and defended its historical, cultural and natural heritage; and manifests it in various expressions through its tangible and intangible heritage. A Magical Town is a town that has unique, symbolic attributes, authentic stories, transcendent events, everyday life, which means a great opportunity for tourist use, taking into account the motivations and needs of travelers.… Read More

Read More »
Interesting Sites and Activities

Traditions in Mexico

It is practically impossible to make a meticulous, and above all, accurate selection of the places to visit in Mexico. Each place that our country houses is unique and beautiful in its own way. Mexico, with its nearly 2 million km², has a large number of scenarios to offer, as well as endless activities to do. Do not lose your way and enter the places to visit in Mexico. In Mexico, apart from the beaches and its famous archaeological sites, there are many other really interesting sites and activities that you should know. In the surroundings of the main cities you will find places full of culture and tradition, where you can spend relaxing, interesting and fun vacations. On your trip through Mexico you cannot stop obtaining souvenirs, the crafts that are made here are of the highest quality and recognized worldwide. A shopping tour cannot be missed.… Read More

Read More »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *