Monte Álban – Near Oaxaca
Monte Álban was the capital City and political powerhouse of the Zapotec people from around 500 BC until 750 AD when it was abandoned. Much research has been carried out at Monte Álban and many of the finds can be seen at the museum In Santo Domingo church in the centre of Oaxaca or at the National Anthroppology Museum (Museo nacional de Antropologia) in Mexico City. Monte Álban is a large site with numerous buildings of special interest like the ballcourt, the palace and the tombs. Whether you want to find out everything you can about the history of Monte Álban or just have a wonder around and be impressed by the scale of it, nobody will be unimpressed by this remarkable archaeological treasure. Monte Álban is a must see attraction for anybody visiting Oaxaca City and because of the sheer size of the site it’s remarkably uncrowded most of the year and very peaceful. Visiting Monte Álban is an Ideal day trip if you need to escape the hustle and bustle of Oaxaca City.
We could go ahead and describe in detail each of the buildings at Monte Álban but we think that it wouldn’t give a clear enough picture of what Monte Álban is all about. We recommend getting a guide when you visit Monte Álban as you get a much more animated, understandable idea of what is what than reading about it and trying to figure it out for yourself. Should you want to do some background reading however, follow this link for further information about Monte Álban.
To get to Monte Álban is about a 20 minute drive. If you don’t have a car you can take a tour or there is a bus that leaves every half an hour or so from Hotel Rivera del Ángel (c/ Mina 518 – Ten minutes walk from the Zócalo).
If you need more help in getting to Monte Álban via public transport then please check the forum or Facebook, we would like to keep the comments section below reserved for visitors reviews of the attraction where possible.
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The Things to do in Oaxaca Team ☺
A map of Monte Álban archaeological site
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Photos of Monte Álban Archaeological Site
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