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    Satellite view of Santa María Amialtepec, Oaxaca

    Photo by EOX IT Services, Copernicus Sentinel data 2016, CC BY 4.0, via EOxCloudless

    Santa María Amialtepec

    Town Santa Catarina Juquila, Oaxaca Oaxaca Coast

    The mountain village where the Virgin of Juquila was first venerated and came through the fire of 1633, now a quiet stop for pilgrims.

    From Oaxaca: 3 h 5 min by car (182 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Santa María Amialtepec

    Where to stay near Santa María Amialtepec

    Juquila, 9 km away, is the closest town with places to stay.

    Juqulia Mágico Hotel Hotel · 260 m from the center Prices San Nicolas Hotel Hotel · 270 m from the center Prices
    Hotels in Juquila Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Santa María Amialtepec

    Day trips around Juquila sometimes stop in Santa María Amialtepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Tours from Puerto Escondido Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido ★ 4.8 (362) · From US$61
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Juquila

    How to get to Santa María Amialtepec

    • From Oaxaca: about 3 h 5 min by road (~182 km)
    • 9 km northeast of Juquila
    • Nearest airport: Puerto Escondido (PXM), 1 h 22 min by car to Juquila
    Rent a car at PXM Flights to PXM

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Puerto Escondido, near Santa María Amialtepec

    Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido ★ 4.8 (362) 3 h From US$61
    Guided tour of an ancestral Mezcal distillery with transport ★ 5.0 (246) 2 h 30 min From US$85
    2-Hour Surf Lesson in the Waves of Puerto Escondido ★ 5.0 (193) 2 h From US$66
    Boat Trip to See Marine Life in Puerto Escondido ★ 4.9 (124) 3 h From US$61
    Dolphin Watching Tour ★ 4.7 (103) 3 h From US$60

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Santa María Amialtepec

    Santa María Amialtepec is a small village in the hills about 9 kilometers before Juquila, on the road in from the Oaxaca side, and it is where the story of the Virgin of Juquila begins. According to tradition, in the 16th century the Dominican friar Jordán de Santa Catalina gave a small carved image of the Immaculate Conception to a devout local man from Amialtepec, who kept it in his thatched house. Word of favors granted spread to the surrounding villages, and pilgrims began to come.

    The parish priest later moved the image into the village church. In 1633, a fire set to clear the dry hillsides spread into the village and burned houses and church alike, but the little figure was found on the ashes with its clothes intact and only lightly smoked. The news drew crowds from all over Oaxaca. The image was eventually taken to Juquila, and after years of back and forth between the two villages, a bishop's order in 1719 settled it there for good.

    Today Amialtepec is a quiet place compared with the bustle of Juquila. Many pilgrims stop at its church on the way to the sanctuary to pray where the devotion was born, and the mountain setting makes it a calm place to pause.

    How to get to Santa María Amialtepec

    Drive from Oaxaca: 3 h 5 min, 182 km

    Amialtepec is roughly 9 kilometers from Juquila, about 20 minutes by car or taxi on the road toward the Oaxaca highway. Closer to Juquila on the same approach, many pilgrims also stop at El Pedimento, the chapel where people mold clay figures of their wishes; it reopened in December 2024 after years closed by a dispute between Juquila and Santiago Yaitepec, so ask locally about its current status.

    9 km northeast of Juquila

    Directions from Juquila on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Santa María Amialtepec on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Santa María Amialtepec

    • Oaxaca · 182 km by road, 3 h 5 min
    • Tlapa · about 265 km by road, ~3 h 50 min
    • Tuxtepec · about 300 km by road, ~4 h 25 min

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Santa María Amialtepec: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    The village holds its own fiesta for the Virgin of Juquila on November 8; the big pilgrimage to the shrine in Juquila peaks on December 8. Oaxaca Tourism Secretariat, Ruta de la Fe Juquila guide · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Optional: the community offers guided walks through its coffee plantations, and there are community cabins and family guesthouses. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Warm clothes: the village sits above 2,000 m and the Juquila area is cool. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Ask locals before taking photos inside the churches. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Santa María Amialtepec: what to see and do

    Visit the village church, where the devotion to the Virgin of Juquila began.
    Learn the story of the 1633 fire that made the image famous.
    Take in the mountain views on the road between Amialtepec and Juquila.
    Stop here on the way to the sanctuary, as many pilgrims do.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Santa María Amialtepec

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santa María Amialtepec.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Juquila sometimes stop in Santa María Amialtepec; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at PXM (Puerto Escondido): about 1 h 22 min by road to Juquila, then 9 km more to Santa María Amialtepec, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Puerto Escondido (PXM), about 1 h 22 min by road from Juquila, the base for Santa María Amialtepec.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Juquila: download a map of the way to Santa María Amialtepec before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to Santa María Amialtepec mild

    Santa María Amialtepec shares the climate of Juquila, 9 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Juquila

    Make Juquila your base

    White baroque facade of the Santuario de Juquila under a deep blue sky, Oaxaca mild
    Oaxaca Juquila

    Santa María Amialtepec is an easy trip from Juquila, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to Santa María Amialtepec

    The 1 town or sight around Juquila →

    Near Santa María Amialtepec

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.