↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Elaboración Artesanal de Mezcal Tobalá en San Baltazar Guelavila, Oaxaca 2019

    Photo by Xavier Peypoch Clavé, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Baltazar Guelavila

    Town San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca Central Valleys of Oaxaca

    Zapotec community in the hills above Mitla, with mezcal palenques and Las Salinas, a canyon of pools and salt springs.

    From Oaxaca: 55 min by car (64 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to San Baltazar Guelavila

    Where to stay near San Baltazar Guelavila

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in San Baltazar Guelavila.

    Hotels in San Baltazar Guelavila Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to San Baltazar Guelavila

    Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in San Baltazar Guelavila; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to San Baltazar Guelavila

    • From Oaxaca: about 55 min by road (~64 km)
    • Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 47 min by car to Mitla
    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.

    About San Baltazar Guelavila

    Guelavila shows up in the 1580 Relaciones Geográficas as "Quellabilla San Balthasar", a subject town of Mitla. Oral tradition cited by Wikipedia says San Francisco Ixtapa, a village about 3 km to the north, was emptied by smallpox and its people moved here; its San Francisco image stands in the church, which dates from the 17th century. Guelavila became a municipality in 1825, the state congress dissolved it in 1938 for economic reasons, and it has been an agency of San Dionisio Ocotepec since. The land is large: 13,604 hectares, mostly communal, with Nueve Puntas (2,608 m) as its high point and the source of the Río Hormiga.

    What draws visitors is mezcal. Several families run palenques and show the pit oven, the horse-drawn tahona and the stills; the range includes tobalá, espadín, cuixe and tepextate, with producers such as Cosme and Daniel Hernández, Los Ocotales and the late don Goyo's palenque. Many sell in bulk and it is wise to call ahead. Palm crafts and textiles are sold at the Friday tianguis.

    Las Salinas, about 30 minutes by dirt road from the village centre, is a canyon where salt springs meet a freshwater stream, with coloured rocks, natural pools and a small waterfall. The main celebrations are January 6 for Rey Baltazar, the fair ten days before Ash Wednesday, and Day of the Dead. In 2020 the town had 3,897 residents, up from 2,480 in 1980.

    How to get to San Baltazar Guelavila

    Drive from Oaxaca: 55 min, 64 km

    From Oaxaca city take federal highway 190 toward the Isthmus: it passes Tlacolula and Santiago Matatlán, and shortly after comes the turnoff to San Baltazar Guelavila. México Desconocido puts it at about an hour from Oaxaca; Mitla and Matatlán are about 40 km from the city, almost an hour on the 190 (Table Journey). In a straight line it is about 54 km from Oaxaca and 15 km from Mitla. Without a car, a colectivo or taxi leaves from Oaxaca's centro de abastos along the 190 as far as Tlacolula, then you need local transport to the village; we found no published schedules or companies for the last stretch. Lonely Planet places a palenque in Guelavila about 9 km southeast of Matatlán. For Las Salinas, check in at the municipal agency and ask for a guide; from there it is about 30 minutes on a dirt road. Load the map before you leave.

    Directions to San Baltazar Guelavila on Google Maps

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

    Best with a guide Tours to San Baltazar Guelavila 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 San Baltazar Guelavila

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

    Before you go to San Baltazar Guelavila: hours, prices and tips

    Guide or tour
    Report to the municipal agency in the village and ask for a guide to Las Salinas; the hike to Hierve el Agua needs planning and a local guide. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Water shoes with good grip, swimsuit, change of clothes, hat and drinking water for Las Salinas. México Desconocido · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Baltazar Guelavila: what to see and do

    Visit a family palenque and see the pit oven and tahona.
    Taste tobalá, cuixe and tepextate with the producer.
    Hike to Las Salinas: pools, coloured rocks and salt springs.
    Shop at the Friday tianguis for palm crafts and textiles.
    Step into the 17th-century church and find the San Francisco image.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in San Baltazar Guelavila

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Baltazar Guelavila.

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

    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in San Baltazar Guelavila; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 47 min by road to Mitla, then 15 km more to San Baltazar Guelavila, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 47 min by road from Mitla, the base for San Baltazar Guelavila.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Mitla: download a map of the way to San Baltazar Guelavila 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.

    When to go to San Baltazar Guelavila mild

    San Baltazar Guelavila 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

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mitla

    Stone fretwork of the Mitla palaces above the Oaxaca valley mild
    Oaxaca Mitla

    Mitla is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Baltazar Guelavila, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to San Baltazar Guelavila

    Near San Baltazar Guelavila

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.