Landmark 32 km northwest of Mitla
A Montezuma cypress in Santa María del Tule with one of the widest trunks in the world, on the road between Oaxaca and Mitla.
The Árbol del Tule is a Montezuma cypress, or ahuehuete, that grows in the churchyard of Santa María del Tule, a town on the road between Oaxaca City and Mitla. Its trunk is one of the widest of any tree in the world: about 42 meters around and some 14 meters across, so wide that it was once thought to be several trees grown together, until DNA tests showed it is a single tree. It stands about 35 meters tall.
Nobody knows its exact age. Estimates range from around 1,400 to more than 2,000 years, and Zapotec tradition says it was planted by a priest of Ehecatl, the wind god. The ahuehuete is Mexico's national tree, and this one is a source of great local pride, watered and protected by the town.
The gnarled bark forms bumps and hollows that people read as animals, and local children work as guides, pointing out the elephant, the lion and other shapes with a small mirror. Next to the tree are the white church of Santa María de la Asunción and a garden with smaller ahuehuetes, including descendants of the big one.
What to see and do
Walk around the tree to take in the size of the trunk.
Let one of the local children guides show you the animal shapes in the bark.
Visit the church of Santa María de la Asunción beside it.
Try the snacks and nieves sold around the main square.
Getting there
Santa María del Tule is about 40 minutes west of Mitla on Highway 190, just before you reach Oaxaca City. Any bus or colectivo between Oaxaca and Mitla passes through. A small fee is charged to enter the churchyard where the tree stands, and many visitors stop here on the way to Mitla.
32 km northwest of Mitla
Directions from Mitla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Árbol del Tule
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Photos
Weather mild
Árbol del Tule shares the climate of Mitla, 32 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Mitla your base
Árbol del Tule is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.