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    La Bocana beach and the mouth of the Copalita river seen from a lookout in the Copalita eco-archaeological park, Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita, Oaxaca

    Photo by Suwanosejima, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    Archaeological site Santa María Huatulco, Oaxaca Municipality of Santa María Huatulco Oaxaca Coast

    A pre-Hispanic ceremonial centre with a ball court and acropolis above the mouth of the Copalita river, with a site museum and sea views.

    From Salina Cruz: 1 h 40 min by car (133 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    A guide brings Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita to life: look for tours from Mazunte that include the site and the ride there.

    Tours from Huatulco Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) · From US$55
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    • From Salina Cruz: about 1 h 40 min by road (~133 km)
    • Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
    Rent a car at HUX Flights to HUX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Huatulco, near Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    Tour to Copalitilla Magical Waterfalls from Huatulco with admission included ★ 4.9 (414) 8 h From US$55
    Full Day Tour of the Bays of Huatulco ★ 4.3 (251) 7–8 h From US$40
    Huatulco Ocean Eco Adventures ★ 4.9 (182) 4 h 30 min From US$77
    Cascadas: Puente Colgante + Zona de Clavados ★ 4.9 (173) 7 h From US$53
    Huatulco Walking Food Tour ★ 4.8 (127) 3 h From US$75

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

    About Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    The Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita protects the archaeological zone of Bocana del Río Copalita, a pre-Hispanic town on the low hills where the Copalita river meets the Pacific, about 8 km east of the Tangolunda hotel strip in Bahías de Huatulco. The name comes from Nahuatl and is usually read as "place of copal", the resin burned as incense. The park was laid out by FONATUR together with INAH, with a visitor centre, site museum, interpretive trails, plazas and lookouts, and the site museum opened on 5 October 2010.

    INAH excavations began in the late 1990s under archaeologist Raúl Matadamas and ran for some two decades. They show people living on the hills by the river mouth in the Late Preclassic (400 BC to AD 200). By around AD 600 the settlement had a plaza ringed by buildings and a ball court, and it worked as a civic and ceremonial centre, probably also controlling trade along the coast. It declined in the Postclassic, when the region paid tribute to the Mixtec kingdom of Tututepec. The excavated core covers about 36 ha.

    A walk through the park takes in three main structures. The Acropolis (Structure IV) is a natural hill shaped into two terraced levels, linked to elite burials and offerings that included turquoise and a green-stone staff finial. The Temple of the Serpent (Structure II), 21 m long and nearly 4 m high, is named for carved snake-head stones found there. The I-shaped ball court has a stone carved with the numeral 4. Trails continue through low dry forest to a cliff-top lookout over La Bocana beach and the river mouth. The park closed for about three years during the pandemic and reopened in September 2024; it lies within the protected zone around Huatulco National Park, so visitors wear a conservation wristband.

    How to get to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    Drive from Salina Cruz: 1 h 40 min, 133 km

    From Tangolunda, follow the Copalita–Tangolunda coastal boulevard east for about 8 km toward La Bocana; the park entrance is signposted on the boulevard, about 350 m from the bay. It is about 10 minutes by car or taxi from the Huatulco hotel zones.

    Directions to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

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

    Before you go to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Tuesday to Sunday, 8 am to 4 pm since the September 2024 reopening (INAH's site page still lists daily 9 am–5 pm). El Heraldo de México (Sept 2024) · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    About 46 pesos for general admission; free for over-60s, children under 12, people with disabilities and local residents; half price for students and teachers. A conservation wristband is required. El Heraldo de México (Sept 2024) · checked Oct 2026
    Time needed
    Guided walks through the park take about two hours. El Heraldo de México (Sept 2024) · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Comfortable shoes, a hat and a water bottle; the lookout trail climbs steps. El Heraldo de México (Sept 2024) · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No smoking, no food inside the site and no pets. INAH, Lugares · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita: what to see and do

    Start at the site museum to see finds from the excavations.
    Climb to the Acropolis, the terraced hill where the elite lived and were buried.
    Look for the serpent carvings at the Temple of the Serpent.
    Find the stone with the numeral 4 at the ball court.
    Walk the forest trail up to the lookout over La Bocana and the river mouth.
    Watch for herons, hawks and iguanas along the trails.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

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    Tours & activities

    A guide brings Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita to life: look for tours from Mazunte that include the site and the ride there.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at HUX (Huatulco): about 44 min by road to Mazunte, then 55 km more to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita.

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    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Mazunte: download a map of the way to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

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    When to go to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita warm

    Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita shares the climate of Mazunte, 55 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Mazunte

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mazunte

    Sunset over the bay and headland at Mazunte, Oaxaca warm
    Oaxaca Mazunte

    Mazunte is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    Near Parque Eco-Arqueológico Copalita

    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.