Archaeological site San Martín Huamelúlpam, Oaxaca Mixteca of Oaxaca
Early Mixtec ruins with carved stones and calendar glyphs in a village that keeps a small community museum.
From Huajuapan de León: 1 h 35 min by car (87 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
See everything nearby ↓
Plan your visit to Huamelulpan
Where to stay near Huamelulpan
Teposcolula, 17 km away, is the closest town with places to stay.
Hotel Casa Franco Hotel · ★★★ · 650 m from the center PricesTours to Huamelulpan
A guide brings Huamelulpan to life: look for tours from Teposcolula that include the site and the ride there.
How to get to Huamelulpan
- From Huajuapan de León: about 1 h 35 min by road (~87 km)
- 17 km southwest of Teposcolula
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 45 min by car to Teposcolula
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
About Huamelulpan
Huamelulpan is one of the oldest cities of the Mixtec world, spread over a hill in the village of San Martín Huamelulpan, south of Teposcolula on the road to Tlaxiaco. It was founded around 400 BC and was at its peak between about 300 BC and 200 AD, when it was among the large early cities of the Mixteca Alta, trading with Puebla, Tehuacán and the Pacific coast. Its Mixtec name is usually given as Yucunindaba.
The site was recorded by the archaeologist Alfonso Caso in 1933. What survives are platforms, a ball court and the remains of temples and plazas, built in places with enormous cut stone blocks, along with carved monoliths bearing calendar glyphs. These carvings are unusual: they look more like the early writing of the Zapotecs at Monte Albán than anything else found in Mixtec cities.
Many of the finds, including fine ceramic urns, are kept in the village's community museum, which also has a model of the ancient city and an exhibit on local traditional medicine. The ruins are not run as a formal tourist site, so there are few services, but they sit right beside the village and the church, and you can walk among them.
How to get to Huamelulpan
Drive from Huajuapan de León: 1 h 35 min, 87 km
San Martín Huamelulpan is about 25 minutes south of Teposcolula on Highway 125 toward Tlaxiaco. Buses and vans running between Teposcolula and Tlaxiaco pass the village. The museum's hours can be irregular, so ask at the municipal office if it is closed.
17 km southwest of Teposcolula
Directions from Teposcolula on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
From the nearest cities to Huamelulpan
- Huajuapan de León · 87 km by road, 1 h 35 min
- Tlapa · about 135 km by road, ~2 h
- Oaxaca · 144 km by road, 2 h
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Huamelulpan: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- INAH lists it as open every day, 9 am to 6 pm, but also says the zone is not officially open to the public and has no visitor services, so expect an informal visit. INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- Free to enter. INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- No smoking, no food and no pets on the site. There are no tourist services, though public toilets are nearby in the village. INAH · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Huamelulpan: what to see and do
Walk among the platforms, ball court and temple remains on the hill.
Look for the carved stones with calendar glyphs.
Visit the community museum for the model of the ancient city and its ceramic urns.
Stop on the way between Teposcolula and Tlaxiaco.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Huamelulpan
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Huamelulpan.
Tours & activities
A guide brings Huamelulpan to life: look for tours from Teposcolula that include the site and the ride there.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 45 min by road to Teposcolula, then 17 km more to Huamelulpan, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 1 h 45 min by road from Teposcolula, the base for Huamelulpan.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Teposcolula: download a map of the way to Huamelulpan before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
When to go to Huamelulpan cool
Huamelulpan shares the climate of Teposcolula, 17 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Teposcolula
Weather in Huamelulpan now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Teposcolula your base
Huamelulpan is an easy trip from Teposcolula, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Huamelulpan
-
San Martín Huamelulpan · Village · 0 km away · Oaxaca
-
Santa Cruz Tayata · Town · 6 km away · Oaxaca
-
Santa Catarina Tayata · Town · 7 km away · Oaxaca
-
Santiago Yolomécatl · Town · 9 km away · Oaxaca
-
San Juan Achiutla · Village · 12 km away · Oaxaca
-
San Miguel Achiutla · Landmark · 16 km away
-
Tlaxiaco · Town · 17 km away
-
San Juan Teposcolula · Town · 25 km away · Oaxaca
Near Huamelulpan
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Huamelulpan
Ruins in Oaxaca · 12 Ruins near Teposcolula · 4Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.