And what was your favorite part of the trip mama? It was all great but I loved seeing, touching, and standing on that bridge. Not the one hanging nearly 30 meters above the waterfall, the one that was built 400 years before I was born. 400 years. A bridge. And there it is. Still standing.… Continue reading We’re on a Bridge to Nowhere
San Martin Huamelulpam: A Little Flower in the Mixteca
Between San Pedro and San Pablo Tespocolula and Tlaxiaco, just a bit after the very quaint Santiago Yolomecatl you see an arch off to the side of the highway announcing the entrance to San Martin Huamelulpam. This little town of under 2000 inhabitants has the fortune of being just off the highway. I suppose that… Continue reading San Martin Huamelulpam: A Little Flower in the Mixteca
Santiago Yosondua
Sometimes, putting in greater effort brings a greater reward. The town of Santiago Yosundua and its Cascada Esmeralda, is one of those cases. It’s possibly one of the best places I’ve ever been to, but it’s such a trek that I’ve only been there twice. The trip from Oaxaca de Juarez would take about 6 hours… Continue reading Santiago Yosondua
Arches of “Flowers”
If you’ve spent much time in Mexico, especially in smaller cities and towns, you may have noticed special decorative archways in front of a church or on the road into a town that get put up at festival times. These can be made from a wide variety of different natural or synthetic materials but one… Continue reading Arches of “Flowers”
La Ruta Dominica–The Dominican Route
In 1529, Dominican monks arrived in what is today the state of Oaxaca. Here they found large populations of indigenous peoples with a wealth of natural resources which they used to construct massive temples and convents to aid in the conversion of the local populations. Their goal was to establish a convent at intervals of… Continue reading La Ruta Dominica–The Dominican Route
It’s the hottest time of year.
April is the hottest time of year in Oaxaca. The sun has not yet made it to its northernmost point, so it’s right overhead. Burning down. Not a good time to visit Oaxaca’s hottest region, or it is?
Most of what makes the Central Valles Region of Oaxaca hot is the sun, at 1,555 meters above sea level (5,102 ft.) that sun really beats down on you. The Papaloapan region in northern Oaxaca is where the gulf coast plane meets the mountains. The trip from Oaxaca City to Valle Nacional first takes you up over 2000 meters before dropping down to a mear 60 meters above sea level (196 ft.) in Valle Nacional. Be sure to travel during the day and get a window seat as the views are spectacular.
The stretch between Valle Nacional and Tuxtepec is lush and green and its rivers are full of cold water coming down the mountains in the form of beautiful waterfalls and natural swimming holes.
The most famous of which is Zuzul, where a large pool has been made before the water joins the main river. While the air temperatures are in the upper 30s (over 100) this time of year, the water is around 22 degrees (about 70).
Monte flor is also well known as it’s right off the highway, and easy to get to. The swimming area is smaller but built with the water flowing through it and it’s safe to continue floating on downstream.
Harder to get to, but very worth it is El Naranjal. This is a series of waterfalls with pools of a variety of depths set back in the trees so you can completely forget about the heat.
