Oaxacan Mountains – Ecotourism, diversity, and Natural Beauty
The majestic mountain ranges of Oaxaca are a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered by visitors to Oaxaca State. The principal sierras of interest to tourists are the Sierra Norte (AKA Sierra Juárez named after the ex-president of Mexico who came from the village of Guelatao) and the Sierra Sur; however the Sierra Mixe also exists towards Veracruz, and the Sierra Mixteca to the North of the City of Oaxaca in the Mixteca region of the state.
Apart from stunning scenery, idyllic mountain drives (renting a car really is the best way to visit the Sierras – though be careful as road conditions can range from abominable to fair), and a biodiversity seldom seen anywhere else on the planet (Oaxaca state is home to around 5% of the plant life on the planet); the cosy mountain villages are all too pleased to welcome you.
Many of the mountain villages offer accommodation in the form of log cabins and offer mountain biking, pony trekking, guided hikes, zip lines (For the brave – some of these are quite terrifying!), rope bridges, and a few even have caves for you to explore.
A visit to the Oaxacan Mountains really is a must to fully appreciate the biological, geographical, and cultural diversity that Oaxaca has to offer.
Oaxaca’s Sierra Sur Mountains
San José del Pacífico – Sierra Sur, Oaxaca
San José del Pacífico is a mountain village on the road that runs between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido, it is a popular stop off for tourists traveling between the two. San José del Pacífico is famous for its mushrooms particularly of the magic variety. San José del Pacífico has several cabins and activities designed for ecotourism which is why we have decided to include it in the ecotourism section of the website.
Follow this link to go to San José del Pacífico’s ecotourism page.
Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte Mountains
Ixtlán de Juárez – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Ixtlán de Juárez is a medium sized mountain town in the Sierra Norte that is home to a few churches, a market and an ecotourism park a few miles away. The Ecotourism park is a lovely park are with a large cave with a stream running through it. The Ecotourism park also has many facilities that cater for the Eco tourist which is why we have put Ixtlán de Juárez under the ecotourism section of the website.
Follow this link to go to the ecotourism Ixtlán page.
Benito Juárez – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Benito Juárez is a small mountain village accessible only by dirt roads that offers many ecotourism activities. Benito Juárez is one of the Pueblos mancomunados of the Sierra Norte. The most direct route to get to Benito Juárez is through Teotitlan and follow the dirt road (This gets closed at 9:00pm if you plan on coming back on this route), sometimes however it can be quicker to head towards Cuajimoloyas on the paved road that leaves from Tlacolula and then turn off towards Benito Juárez, It depends on the state of repair of the road.Because ecotourism is so important for the village of Benito Juárez we have put it under the ecotourism section.
Follow this link to visit the ecotourism page for Benito Juárez.
Llano Grande – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Llano Grande is one of the pueblos mancomunados of the Sierra Norte and offers activities focused on ecotourism. This beautiful little mountain town is located right at the top of the mountain in a large flat open space. Llano Grande is located about an hour and forty five minutes’ drive from Oaxaca City on the other side of Caujimoloyas. We have placed Llano Grande in the ecotourism section of the website due to its focus on sustainability and adventure activities.
Follow this link to visit the Llano Grande ecotourism page.
La Nevería – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
La Nevería in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca is a tranquil little village that focuses on horticulture, agriculture, forestry and ecotourism. La Nevería is one of the pueblos mancomunados in the Sierra Norte and is accessible via the small mountain town of Benito Juárez on a dirt track; La Nevería is about a two hour drive from Oaxaca City. Because of La Nevería’s focus on ecotourism we have placed it under the ecotourism section of the site.
Follow this link to visit La Nevería’s ecotourism page.
Capulalpam – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Calpulalpam in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca is an extremely picturesque village in the Sierra Norte that was originally a mining town. It has a recently refurbished market place a few restaurants and a pretty village square next to the church. It also has a small gave, cabins and a restaurant with its own trout farm next to the stream. It is known as ‘El Pueblo magico’ (The Magic Village) and focuses quite heavily on ecotourism which is my we have put it on the ecotourism section of the website.
Follow this link to go to Capulalpam’s ecotourism page.
Cuajimoloyas – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Cujimoloyas is a mountain village about an hour and a half’s drive from Oaxaca City. It is one of several villages in the Sierra Norte (aka Sierra Juarez) that is part of the Pueblos Mancomunados, who work together to manage and protect their natural resources. Ecotourism is important for Cuajimoloyas which is why we have put it under the ecotourism section of the site.
Follow this link to go to the ecotourism page for Cuajimoloyas.
Santa Martha Latuvi – Sierra Norte, Oaxaca
Santa Maria Latuvi is one of Oaxaca’s pueblos mancomunados and is located in the Sierra Norte about an hour and forty five minute drive from Oaxaca City, which includes a 13Km stretch of dirt road. Santa Martha Latuvi is a beautiful village which has a strong focus on ecotourism, which is why we have listed Santa Martha Latuvi in the ecotourism section of the website.
Follow this link to go directly to the ecotourism page for Santa Martha Latuvi.
A map of some of Oaxaca’s mountain villages
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