Archaeological site Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca Municipality of Tlacolula de Matamoros Central Valleys of Oaxaca
A small Zapotec site by the highway with two striking stucco masks of Cocijo, the rain god, at a noble's house.
From Oaxaca: 25 min by car (29 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Lambityeco
Tours to Lambityeco
A guide brings Lambityeco to life: look for tours from Mitla that include the site and the ride there.
Archaeological sites Tour and Red Pottery in Tlacolula
★ 5.0 (1) · From US$170
How to get to Lambityeco
- From Oaxaca: about 25 min by road (~29 km)
- 15 km northwest of Mitla
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 47 min by car to Mitla
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Popular tours to Lambityeco
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About Lambityeco
Lambityeco is a small Zapotec site right beside Highway 190, just west of Tlacolula. It was at its height between about 600 and 800 AD, around the time Monte Albán was declining, and it was a salt-making town: water was run through the salty soil here and then boiled down, and by some estimates the site supplied most of the salt used in the valley. Salt was still made in the area as late as the 1940s.
The ruins are compact, but they hold some of the finest stucco work in Oaxaca. In one mound, the house of a noble family, the entrance to a patio is flanked by two large masks of Cocijo, the Zapotec god of rain and lightning, still with traces of their original paint. Another building has a tomb whose facade carries stucco portraits of seated ancestors, a rare look at the people who lived here.
Because it takes less than an hour to see, Lambityeco is easy to combine with Yagul and the Tlacolula market. It sees very few visitors, so you may have the masks to yourself.
How to get to Lambityeco
Drive from Oaxaca: 25 min, 29 km
Lambityeco is about 20 minutes west of Mitla, right on the south side of Highway 190 a short way past Tlacolula toward Oaxaca. Buses and colectivos on the highway can drop you at the entrance. It is an INAH site with a small entry fee; hours can vary, so check before going.
15 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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From the nearest cities to Lambityeco
- Oaxaca · 29 km by road, 25 min
- Tuxtepec · about 170 km by road, ~2 h 30 min
- Salina Cruz · 216 km by road, 2 h 35 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Lambityeco: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Open daily 8 am to 5 pm; last entry at 4:30 pm. INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- 145 pesos for foreign visitors, 80 for Mexicans (and, per INAH, foreigners living in Mexico). INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- No food and no pets; INAH's listing also marks photography as not allowed, so ask at the gate before taking pictures. INAH · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Lambityeco: what to see and do
See the two stucco masks of Cocijo, the rain god, at the noble house.
Look for the stucco portraits of ancestors on the tomb facade.
Combine the visit with Yagul and Tlacolula on the same morning.
Plan your trip
Tours & activities
A guide brings Lambityeco to life: look for tours from Mitla that include the site and the ride there.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 47 min by road to Mitla, then 15 km more to Lambityeco, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 47 min by road from Mitla, the base for Lambityeco.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Mitla: download a map of the way to Lambityeco 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. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Photos
When to go to Lambityeco mild
Lambityeco shares the climate of Mitla, 15 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Mitla
Weather in Lambityeco now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Mitla your base
Lambityeco is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Capulálpam de Méndez · Oaxaca · 37 km away
Closest to Lambityeco
-
Tlacolula · Town · 2 km away
-
Santa Ana del Valle · Town · 3 km away
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Yagul · Archaeological site · 5 km away
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San Juan Guelavía · Town · 6 km away · Oaxaca
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San Marcos Tlapazola · Town · 7 km away
-
Teotitlán del Valle · Town · 7 km away
-
Dainzú · Archaeological site · 8 km away
-
San Bartolomé Quialana · Town · 8 km away · Oaxaca
Near Lambityeco
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Lambityeco
Ruins in Oaxaca · 12 Ruins near Oaxaca · 6Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.