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    Satellite view of Llano Grande, Oaxaca

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

    Llano Grande

    Village San Miguel Amatlán, Oaxaca Municipality of San Miguel Amatlán Sierra Norte of Oaxaca

    A tiny Zapotec forest village around 3,000 m in the Pueblos Mancomunados, with trails to waterfalls, cabins and sunrises above the clouds.

    From Oaxaca: 1 h 20 min by car (66 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Llano Grande

    Where to stay near Llano Grande

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Llano Grande.

    Hotels in Llano Grande Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Llano Grande

    Day trips and guided outings from Capulálpam de Méndez often include Llano Grande; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Oaxaca City Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day ★ 4.9 (1,558) · From US$70
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Llano Grande

    • From Oaxaca: about 1 h 20 min by road (~66 km)
    • 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 Llano Grande

    Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day ★ 4.9 (1,558) 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 (1,070) 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 Llano Grande

    Llano Grande, officially San Isidro Llano Grande, is a small Zapotec village in the high forests of Oaxaca's Sierra Norte, at roughly 3,000 m above sea level. It is a locality of the municipality of San Miguel Amatlán, a short way northeast of Cuajimoloyas, and the 2020 census counted just 77 residents. As its name says, it sits on a broad high meadow surrounded by pine forest whose branches hang thick with Spanish moss. This is not the Llano Grande of the Costa Chica or of the Isthmus, which share the name.

    The village is one of the eight Pueblos Mancomunados, Zapotec communities that own their forests in common and earn a living from careful logging and community-run ecotourism through Expediciones Sierra Norte. Llano Grande's ecotourism committee keeps cabins and a campground and serves meals to visitors, and local guides lead walks out of the village. The most popular is an out-and-back trail of about 3.4 km to a waterfall, with only modest climbing, and longer routes link Llano Grande with Cuajimoloyas (about 8.5 km of rolling forest track) and, far below, with San Miguel Amatlán and Latuvi.

    Llano Grande is a place for quiet walking, mountain biking and birdwatching rather than sights. Early risers can climb to a viewpoint before 5 am to watch the sun come up over a sea of clouds, best in February, and then warm up with freshly ground coffee or hot chocolate. At this height the air is thin enough to leave visitors from the coast short of breath, and cloud, rain and cold wind are common even in the dry season.

    How to get to Llano Grande

    Drive from Oaxaca: 1 h 20 min, 66 km

    Llano Grande lies a few kilometres northeast of Cuajimoloyas in the Sierra Norte, about two hours' drive from Oaxaca city: take Federal Highway 175 toward Ixtlán de Juárez and then the mountain road through Cuajimoloyas. Many visitors arrive on foot along the 8.5-km forest trail from Cuajimoloyas. Public transport is scarce, so arrange the trip through the Expediciones Sierra Norte office in Oaxaca.

    Directions to Llano Grande on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to Llano Grande

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

    Before you go to Llano Grande: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    February is the best month for sunrises above a sea of clouds from the viewpoint. El Siglo de Torreón · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Visitors pay a village admission fee in cash and must hire a local guide for hikes. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Oaxaca Lending Library · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Layers and rain gear: at about 3,000 m it is chilly, and cloud and rain are common even in the dry season. Oaxaca Lending Library · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Llano Grande: what to see and do

    Hike with a local guide to the waterfall on the 3.4-km out-and-back trail.
    Get up before dawn to watch the sunrise over the clouds from the viewpoint.
    Walk or ride the forest track to Cuajimoloyas, about 8.5 km away.
    Watch for birds in the pine forest around the meadow.
    Stay overnight in the community cabins or campground.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Llano Grande

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Llano Grande.

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

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Capulálpam de Méndez often include Llano Grande; with a local guide you can get there 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 18 km more to Llano Grande, 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 Llano Grande.

    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 Llano Grande before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Llano Grande cool

    Llano Grande shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 18 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

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

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Capulálpam de Méndez

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

    Capulálpam de Méndez is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Llano Grande, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Llano Grande

    Near Llano Grande

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.