Mitla is a Zapotec and later Mixtec ceremonial site distinguished from other Oaxaca valley ruins by its geometric stone mosaic fretwork, thousands of individually cut stones assembled into repeating grecas patterns across entire building facades. The Árbol del Tule, a Montezuma cypress standing in the church atrium of Santa María del Tule, is one of the stoutest tree trunks in the world and is normally visited as a short stop on the road to Mitla rather than a destination on its own. Together they make an easy half-day pairing because the tree sits directly on the route east from Oaxaca city.
| Distance | 45 km / 1 hr from Oaxaca city |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1 hour one way to Mitla; Tule Tree is a 20-minute stop en route |
| Getting there | Mode: Colectivo along Highway 190 or rental car; Notes: Both towns sit directly on Highway 190, making a self-guided stop-and-go itinerary straightforward |
| Address | Zona Arqueológica de Mitla, San Pablo Villa de Mitla, 70430 Oaxaca, Mexico |
How to get there
- Colectivo from Calle Bustamante second-class terminal
- Guided van tour
- Rental car
Location
Zona Arqueológica de Mitla, San Pablo Villa de Mitla, 70430 Oaxaca, Mexico
16.9167, -96.4000 View on map
Highlights
- The Hall of the Columns at Mitla - a palace structure whose interior walls are covered in mosaic stonework rather than painted plaster or carved relief
- The underground tomb beneath one of Mitla's patios - a cross-shaped chamber that visitors can descend into
- The Árbol del Tule - the massive cypress in the Santa María del Tule church atrium, worth circling to see how its trunk shape has been read as animal and object silhouettes by generations of locals
- Mitla's Church of San Pablo, built directly on top of one of the original Zapotec building groups