My husband and I travel to Oaxaca from Mexico City several times a year to visit family. During most of those trips our time is taken up with family events and maintenance at the house, like on our last trip. On one recent trip though, we managed to get out of town for a couple of days to explore the surrounding area.
If you take Route 190 southeast of Oaxaca, you will go through Santa María del Tule, home to the widest tree in the world. After that, you’ll pass Teotitlán del Valle, where you will find beautiful woven textiles. Finally, you’ll arrive at San Pablo Villa de Mitla, where you’ll find the ruins of an ancient Mixtec city.
Get empanadas for breakfast and visit the tree of Tule
If you leave Oaxaca early, Santa María del Tule is an excellent spot to grab breakfast. The town is famous for its empanadas: corn tortilla dough stuffed with yellow or green mole and cooked on a comal; Oaxaca’s traditional stove top is a piece of pottery or metal over an open flame. You’ll find plenty of mom and pop restaurants serving them in the center of town.
My recommendation is to order una empanada de amarrillo con quesillo (an empanada with yellow mole and Oaxacan cheese). It’s my all time favorite Oaxacan dish and I eat at least one every time I’m in town. If you decide to branch out and try a tlayuda (a giant crispy tortilla topped with black beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and meat – think of a Oaxacan pizza), keep in mind that they are huge. When my parents were in town, they each ordered one and we had a lot of leftovers!
Before getting back in the car, take a walk around the center of town. You’ll find the Arbol de Tule (Tree of Tule) in front of the church. The tree’s trunk has the largest circumference of any tree in the world. Pay one of the local kids a few pesos and they’ll give you a tour. They’ll point out all the animal figures formed naturally by the shape of the tree’s trunk and branches.
Visit ancient ruins in Mitla
From Santa María del Tule, I’d suggest going all the way to San Pablo Villa de Mitla. Then, stop at Teotitlan del Valle on the way back to Oaxaca City. The name Mitla comes from the Nahuatl word “mictlan”, which means “place of tombs”. In Zapotec, the place was called “liobaa”, which means “house of tombs”. Mitla was a center of political and religious power in the Valles Centrales, where both Oaxaca City and Mitla are located, following the fall of Monte Alban. /1/ Monte Alban is an impressive Zapotec site near Oaxaca City.
While Monte Alban is more well-known, I enjoyed visiting Mitla because of the well preserved stone work. The stones are set to form intricate patterns on the walls. You can even see some painting in a few places. The original paint was preserved because the stone roof protected it from the elements.
Find beautiful weaving in Teotitlan del Valle
If you’re looking for a beautiful rug, a gift, or a unique souvenir that won’t break in your suitcase on the way home, Teotitlán del Valle is a great place. In the center of town, you’ll find a market with vendors selling hand woven rugs. The rugs are available in a wide variety of designs and colors, from deep reds and greens to monochrome grey and black. Some are minimalist, while others display complicated patterns. On the surrounding streets you’ll find shops selling woven blankets, scarves and ponchos. Some of them sell blouses as well. There are also shops dedicated to a specific weaver’s work.
You might be tired, but by the end of the day you’ll have visited ancient ruins, tried my all time favorite Oaxacan dish, and found some great souvenirs.