Landmark 25 km northwest of Mitla
A Dominican church whose walls and vaults are painted with flowers and angels, with a restored 18th-century pipe organ.
San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya is a farming village just off Highway 190, between Santa María del Tule and Mitla. The Dominicans set up a mission here in 1558, and around 1586 they began the church and convent of San Jerónimo on top of Zapotec ruins. From the outside it is a handsome but sober building behind a wide atrium.
The surprise is inside. The walls and vaults are covered in paintings of flowers, vines, suns, stars and angels, done by local Zapotec artists in the 16th and 17th centuries, some of them colored with cochineal red. They are among the most complete church murals of that period in Oaxaca, and they give the nave a soft, almost textile-like feel. Gilded altarpieces and old statues of saints complete the interior.
In the choir loft is a pipe organ built in the early 18th century and painted with flowers to match the church. It was restored in 1991 and is played in concerts during the historic organ festivals that are held in Oaxaca. The former convent next door is plainer but worth a look.
What to see and do
Look up at the painted vaults and walls, covered in flowers, stars and angels.
Find the painted pipe organ in the choir loft.
See the gilded altarpieces and colonial statues of saints.
Walk through the atrium and the former convent next door.
Getting there
Tlacochahuaya is about 35 minutes west of Mitla on Highway 190 toward Oaxaca; the church is a short way south of the highway. Buses and colectivos stop at the turnoff. The church usually closes in the middle of the day and a small donation or fee may be asked, so check times locally.
25 km northwest of Mitla
Directions from Mitla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Tlacochahuaya shares the climate of Mitla, 25 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Mitla your base
Tlacochahuaya 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.