Archaeological site 22 km northwest of Mitla
An early Zapotec site at the foot of a hill, famous for dozens of carved stones showing masked ball players.
Dainzú is one of the oldest towns in the Tlacolula Valley, a Zapotec settlement first occupied around 700 BC, centuries before Monte Albán rose to dominate the region. Its main period ran from about 200 BC to 350 AD. The name comes from the Zapotec for "hill of the organ cactus," and the ruins sit at the foot of that hill, near the village of Macuilxóchitl.
What sets Dainzú apart are its carvings. Along the base of its largest building, Building A, are some fifty stone slabs carved in low relief with figures of ball players, shown in action wearing helmets or masks and protective gear and holding a ball. They are among the earliest images of the Mesoamerican ball game anywhere. More carvings are scattered on the hillside above.
The site also has a small ball court, and a tomb whose entrance is carved as the head of a jaguar. It was excavated in the 1960s by the archaeologist Ignacio Bernal. Dainzú gets few visitors, and it is a short detour off the highway on the way between Mitla and Oaxaca City.
What to see and do
Study the carved slabs of ball players along the base of Building A.
Find the tomb with its entrance carved as a jaguar head.
Climb partway up the hill for more carvings and a view across the valley.
Pair it with Teotitlán del Valle, which is close by on the same side of the highway.
Getting there
Dainzú is about 30 minutes west of Mitla. Drive toward Oaxaca on Highway 190 and take the signed turnoff south near Macuilxóchitl; the site is a short way from the highway. Buses and colectivos can drop you at the turnoff. It is an INAH site with an entry fee; check opening hours before going.
22 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 Dainzú
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Dainzú.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather mild
Dainzú shares the climate of Mitla, 22 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Mitla your base
Dainzú is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Mitla
-
Santiago Matatlán
· Town · 7 km away
A town that calls itself the world capital of mezcal, lined with family palenques where you can see agave being roasted and distilled. -
Yagul
· Archaeological site · 10 km away
A Zapotec hilltop city with a big ball court, a maze-like palace and a fortress lookout over the Tlacolula Valley. -
Hierve el Agua
· Nature reserve · 11 km away
Mineral springs that have built white rock "waterfalls" down a cliff, with pools to swim in and huge views of the sierra. -
Tlacolula
· Town · 12 km away
Home of one of Oaxaca's oldest and biggest Sunday markets, and a Baroque chapel covered in gilded plasterwork. -
Santa Ana del Valle
· Town · 14 km away
A Zapotec weaving village with a pioneering community museum and a church full of colonial saints. -
Lambityeco
· Archaeological site · 15 km away
A small Zapotec site by the highway with two striking stucco masks of Cocijo, the rain god, at a noble's house. -
San Marcos Tlapazola
· Town · 17 km away
A Zapotec village in the hills where women shape red clay pottery by hand, without a wheel, as their families have for generations. -
Teotitlán del Valle
· Town · 20 km away
The Zapotec weaving village of the valley: family workshops making wool rugs on foot looms with natural dyes. -
Tlacochahuaya
· Landmark · 25 km away
A Dominican church whose walls and vaults are painted with flowers and angels, with a restored 18th-century pipe organ. -
Árbol del Tule
· Landmark · 32 km away
A Montezuma cypress in Santa María del Tule with one of the widest trunks in the world, on the road between Oaxaca and Mitla.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.