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    Village of the Pueblos Mancomunados spread across a pine-covered valley in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca

    Photo by Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

    Layered mountain ridges seen from the hiking trails of the Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca

    Photo by Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

    Houses and agave plots on a hillside in the Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca

    Photo by Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

    Red-roofed house among the hills on the Pueblos Mancomunados trail, Oaxaca

    Photo by Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr

    Pine forest and mountains around Cuajimoloyas, one of the Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca

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

    Pueblos Mancomunados

    Nature reserve Oaxaca Municipality of San Miguel Amatlán Sierra Norte of Oaxaca

    Eight Zapotec villages that run their pine and cloud forests together, linked by guided trails, with cabins, viewpoints and trout.

    From Oaxaca: 1 h 5 min by car (56 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Pueblos Mancomunados

    Where to stay near Pueblos Mancomunados

    Yaa Cuetzi Hotel · 330 m from the center Prices
    Hotels in Capulálpam de Méndez Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Pueblos Mancomunados

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

    Hike in the Sierra Norte, Cuajimoloyas ★ 5.0 (21) · From US$198
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Capulálpam de Méndez

    How to get to Pueblos Mancomunados

    • From Oaxaca: about 1 h 5 min by road (~56 km)
    • 20 km south of Capulálpam de Méndez
    • 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.

    Popular tours to Pueblos Mancomunados

    Hike in the Sierra Norte, Cuajimoloyas ★ 5.0 (21) 10 h From US$198

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

    About Pueblos Mancomunados

    The Pueblos Mancomunados are eight Zapotec villages in the Sierra Norte that have owned and managed a large block of mountain forest in common for centuries: Amatlán, Lachatao, Yavesía, Latuvi, Llano Grande, La Nevería, Benito Juárez and Cuajimoloyas. Several of them border Capulálpam. For decades they have run a joint ecotourism project, Expediciones Sierra Norte, which opened a network of more than 100 kilometers of trails, many following old royal roads between the villages.

    The forests climb from oak and pine into misty cloud forest full of mosses and bromeliads, and most of the villages sit above 2,400 meters, so nights are cold year-round. Cuajimoloyas, the highest, at about 3,200 meters, holds a wild mushroom fair in the rainy season. Benito Juárez has a long suspension bridge over a ravine and a viewpoint over the mountains. Latuvi, lower and greener, has orchards, a temazcal and trout farms, and Lachatao, the closest to Capulálpam, has cobbled streets, a colonial church and a small community museum.

    Each village has a tourism office and simple cabins with fireplaces and hot water. The communities govern themselves by usos y costumbres, and the tourism is run the same way: local guides are required for the hikes from one village to another.

    How to get to Pueblos Mancomunados

    Drive from Oaxaca: 1 h 5 min, 56 km

    Lachatao and Amatlán are a short drive south of Capulálpam on a mountain road. Cuajimoloyas and Benito Juárez are farther, usually reached from the Oaxaca side of Highway 175 by a signed mountain road; allow well over an hour from Capulálpam and ask about road conditions locally. Expediciones Sierra Norte has an office in Oaxaca City where you can book guides and cabins, and each village's tourism office arranges guides on the spot.

    20 km south of Capulálpam de Méndez

    Directions from Capulálpam de Méndez on Google Maps

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

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

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Pueblos Mancomunados

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

    Before you go to Pueblos Mancomunados: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Wild-mushroom season in Cuajimoloyas, one of the villages, peaks from May to September. UnoTV · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Each village has an office with local Zapotec guides, and the marked trails can also be walked alone; Expediciones Sierra Norte in Oaxaca city books trips and gives maps. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide World Nomads · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Warm layers and a jacket: the trails run from about 2,200 to over 3,200 m and nights get very cold. World Nomads · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Pueblos Mancomunados: what to see and do

    Hike between villages with a local guide, for example the classic walk from Benito Juárez down to La Nevería through cloud forest.
    Cross the suspension bridge and climb to the viewpoint at Benito Juárez.
    Visit Cuajimoloyas in the rainy season for its wild mushroom fair.
    Stay a night in a community cabin and eat trout in Latuvi.
    Walk the cobbled streets of Lachatao and visit its community museum.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Pueblos Mancomunados

    Yaa Cuetzi Hotel · 330 m from the center Find on Expedia
    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 Pueblos Mancomunados; 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 20 km more to Pueblos Mancomunados, 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 Pueblos Mancomunados.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at Pueblos Mancomunados, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Capulálpam de Méndez: download a map of the way to Pueblos Mancomunados before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    Photos

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    When to go to Pueblos Mancomunados cool

    Pueblos Mancomunados shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 20 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

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

    Make Capulálpam de Méndez your base

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

    Pueblos Mancomunados is an easy trip from Capulálpam de Méndez, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Pueblos Mancomunados

    All 4 towns and sights around Capulálpam de Méndez →

    Near Pueblos Mancomunados

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

    Lists with Pueblos Mancomunados

    Nature Parks in Oaxaca · 8 Nature Parks near Oaxaca · 3

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.