Town 7 km south of Mitla
A town that calls itself the world capital of mezcal, lined with family palenques where you can see agave being roasted and distilled.
Santiago Matatlán, a few minutes south of Mitla on Highway 190, greets visitors with a roadside sign proclaiming it the world capital of mezcal, and it has a fair claim to the title. The hills around town are planted in rows of agave, mostly espadín, and the town has a very large number of registered palenques, as the small family distilleries are called. Many of them line the highway, and the smell of roasting agave often hangs over the road.
Visiting a palenque is the best way to understand what mezcal is. The hearts of the agave, called piñas, are roasted for days in a pit in the ground lined with hot stones, which gives mezcal its smoky taste. They are then crushed, often under a large stone wheel pulled by a horse, left to ferment in wooden vats and distilled in copper or clay stills. Most family distilleries will walk you through each step and finish with a tasting of different agaves.
Matatlán is an easy stop on the way to or from Hierve el Agua, and many day tours from Oaxaca City include it. If you plan to taste, have someone else drive.
What to see and do
Visit a family palenque to see the earth ovens, the stone mill and the stills.
Taste mezcals made from different kinds of agave, wild and cultivated.
Walk or drive past the agave fields on the hills around town.
Take a photo under the welcome sign that calls Matatlán the world capital of mezcal.
Getting there
Matatlán is about 10 minutes south of Mitla on Highway 190, the road toward the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Many palenques are right on the highway. Buses and colectivos toward the Isthmus pass through, and taxis from Mitla make the short trip.
7 km south 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 Santiago Matatlán
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Photos
Weather mild
Santiago Matatlán shares the climate of Mitla, 7 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Mitla your base
Santiago Matatlán is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Mitla
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.