La Pe

La Pe is a small municipality of just 26.79 km² in the Ejutla district of Oaxaca's Central Valleys. Wikipedia places it at about 1,490 meters, on gentle terrain, with a mild climate that changes little through the year and semi-arid vegetation. Its neighbors are Ejutla de Crespo and Ayoquezco de Aldama. The municipality had 3,052 residents in 2020, up from 2,446 in 2010 and 2,135 in 2005; the seat itself counts around 2,500.

The first inhabitants were scattered Zapotec groups, and the area's first large ranch was set up around the time of Independence. Farming was the main activity: sugar cane, corn and beans.

The most striking chapter of its recent past is the railway. The Mexican Southern Railway ran through La Pe and El Vergel on its way to the terminus at Ejutla, which the service reached in 1904. The INAFED municipal encyclopedia says the rails were lifted in 1932; another source dates the end of service a year earlier, in 1931. We do not know what of the line is still visible, so ask in town before you go looking.

The main festival is San Antonio de Padua on June 13, with calendas, a popular fair, a dance and processions; the Nativity is also celebrated on December 24. It is a working town rather than a sight, useful if you are touring the Ejutla area and want to see Oaxacan farmland away from the tourist routes.