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    Aerial view of Guelatao de Juárez in its valley below cloud-topped mountains, Oaxaca

    Photo by Pablo.riosc, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Guelatao de Juárez

    Town Guelatao de Juárez, Oaxaca Sierra Norte of Oaxaca

    Benito Juárez's birthplace: a small Zapotec village around a little lake, with a museum and the statue of Juárez as a shepherd boy.

    From Oaxaca: 1 h by car (60 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Guelatao de Juárez

    Where to stay near Guelatao de Juárez

    Cabañas Amatlán Hotel · 4.9 km from the center Prices Los Sabinos Hotel · 5.1 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Capulálpam de Méndez Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Guelatao de Juárez

    Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Guelatao de Juárez; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Tours from Oaxaca City Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day ★ 4.9 (1,557) · From US$70
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Capulálpam de Méndez

    How to get to Guelatao de Juárez

    • From Oaxaca: about 1 h by road (~60 km)
    • 5 km northwest of Capulálpam de Méndez
    • Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 27 min by car to Capulálpam de Méndez
    Rent a car at OAX Flights to OAX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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

    Tours from Oaxaca City, near Guelatao de Juárez

    Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day ★ 4.9 (1,557) 11 h From US$70
    Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla and Mezcal Distillery Tour ★ 4.7 (1,183) 12 h From US$60
    Monte Alban Guided Half Day Tour ★ 4.8 (1,068) 3–4 h From US$30
    OAXACA CULTURAL FOOD TOUR, eat like a local. ★ 5.0 (508) 6 h From US$103
    Immersion Tour and Oaxaca Markets, All gastronomy included ★ 4.8 (466) 3 h 30 min From US$55

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

    About Guelatao de Juárez

    Guelatao is a small Zapotec village on Highway 175, a few kilometers from Capulálpam, and it is famous for one person. Benito Juárez, the Zapotec boy who became president of Mexico and led the country through the Reform War and the French intervention, was born here on March 21, 1806. Orphaned young, he grew up herding sheep, and at twelve he left on foot for the city of Oaxaca, barely speaking Spanish.

    The name comes from the Zapotec for "little lake," and the villagers also translate it as "enchanted lake." That lake, the Laguna Encantada, is still the heart of the village. Next to it stands the statue the community likes best: young Benito as a shepherd with his sheep, near the spot where, the story goes, he used to graze them. A newer bronze shows him as an adult, seated beside a wall with his best-known line, "Respect for the rights of others is peace."

    The Sala Homenaje a Juárez, a small museum opened in 1967 on the site of the house where he was born, displays photographs, documents and other objects about his life. Guelatao is quiet most of the year, but on March 21 it fills with officials, schools and visitors for the anniversary of his birth.

    How to get to Guelatao de Juárez

    Drive from Oaxaca: 1 h, 60 km

    Guelatao is about 10 minutes from Capulálpam by car or taxi: drive down to Highway 175 and the village is right on the highway, just south of Ixtlán. Buses and colectivos between Oaxaca City and Ixtlán pass through Guelatao, so it is also an easy stop on the drive up from Oaxaca, about an hour and a half away.

    5 km northwest of Capulálpam de Méndez

    Directions from Capulálpam de Méndez on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in Guelatao de Juárez Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Guelatao de Juárez. 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 Guelatao de Juárez

    • Oaxaca · 60 km by road, 1 h
    • Tuxtepec · 159 km by road, 2 h 30 min
    • Tehuacán · about 205 km by road, ~3 h 5 min

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

    Before you go to Guelatao de Juárez: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    INAH's Sala Homenaje a Juárez, on the civic square, normally opens Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm, but INAH lists it as temporarily closed; check before you go. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    The Sala Homenaje a Juárez is free for everyone; professional cameras pay a fee. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Inside the INAH hall: no smoking, no food, no pets and no flash. INAH · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Guelatao de Juárez: what to see and do

    Walk around the Laguna Encantada and find the statue of Juárez as a shepherd boy.
    Visit the Sala Homenaje a Juárez, the museum on the site of his birthplace.
    Read the famous inscription at the seated bronze statue of Juárez.
    Come on March 21 for the birthday ceremonies, or any other day for a quiet stop on the way to Capulálpam.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Guelatao de Juárez

    Cabañas Amatlán Hotel · 4.9 km from the center Find on Expedia Los Sabinos Hotel · 5.1 km from the center Find on Expedia Posada Don Juanito Hotel · 5.1 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Chorromonte Hotel · 5.2 km from the center Find on Expedia Cabañas Hotel · 5.9 km from the center Find on Expedia Hostal Yaa-Letzi Hostel · 1.6 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Guelatao de Juárez; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 27 min by road to Capulálpam de Méndez, then 5 km more to Guelatao de Juárez, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 1 h 27 min by road from Capulálpam de Méndez, the base for Guelatao de Juárez.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Capulálpam de Méndez: download a map of the way to Guelatao de Juárez 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. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    When to go to Guelatao de Juárez cool

    Guelatao de Juárez shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 5 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Capulálpam de Méndez

    Make Capulálpam de Méndez your base

    Stone church of San Mateo with its two red-domed towers, Capulálpam de Méndez, Oaxaca cool
    Oaxaca Capulálpam de Méndez

    Guelatao de Juárez is an easy trip from Capulálpam de Méndez, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Guelatao de Juárez

    All 4 towns and sights around Capulálpam de Méndez →

    Near Guelatao de Juárez

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

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    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.