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    San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca 10, Oaxaca

    Photo by Eduardo Robles Pacheco, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Town San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca, Oaxaca Mixteca of Oaxaca

    Mixtec municipal seat at 1,678 m near Juxtlahuaca, with a pale-blue church and the Laguna Encantada's sulphur springs, one cold and one hot.

    From Huajuapan de León: 1 h 40 min by car (98 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Tours to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Day trips around Teposcolula sometimes stop in San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

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    How to get to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    • From Huajuapan de León: about 1 h 40 min by road (~98 km)
    • Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 45 min by car to Teposcolula
    Rent a car at OAX Flights to OAX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    About San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Tecomaxtlahuaca, in Oaxaca's Lower Mixteca, lies at 1,678 m and is the seat of a municipality of about 237 km² with 58 localities. The name is Nahuatl and refers to a plain of tecomates, the vessels made from the fruit of a bignonia plant; San Sebastián is the patron saint.

    The past here runs deep. There was a pre-Hispanic settlement, dated to the 16th century in the record, and Friar Francisco de Burgoa considered it the largest religious centre in the Mixteca of his day. The first land titles were bought in 1810 from the cacique Domingo de Guzmán of Yucuyachi. In the Revolution locals sided with the Zapatistas against the Carrancistas, and between 1918 and 1920 influenza decimated the population. The census shows it: 3,006 people in 1910, a low of 1,591 in 1970 and 2,708 in 2020.

    On the plaza stands the church of San Sebastián, with twin towers painted pale blue. Outside town, within the municipality, is the Laguna Encantada: a pool about 50 m across fed by two sulphur springs, one cold and one hot, so the water ends up warm. The community bans soap and does not let animals bathe. On weekends families from the area come to play volleyball and eat under the trees; there is a play area for children, and you can hike, camp and watch plants and wildlife. A tourist corridor linking Juxtlahuaca, Tecomaxtlahuaca, San Miguel Cuevas and El Mogote has been proposed.

    How to get to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Drive from Huajuapan de León: 1 h 40 min, 98 km

    From Oaxaca city take federal highway 190 to Huajuapan de León (about 3 h) and then the turn-off onto 125 toward Santiago Juxtlahuaca; the whole trip is about 5 hours. From Huajuapan to the town is about 90 km and about 1 h 45 min on a narrow two-lane road, and Juxtlahuaca is about 10 minutes away.

    By bus, the lines serving this area are Cristóbal Colón and Autobuses El Sur, plus Suburban-type vans that run between Juxtlahuaca, Huajuapan and Oaxaca. From Mexico City: ADO from Terminal Norte to Puebla's CAPU, Autobuses Oro from Puebla to Huajuapan (about 3 h) and then a taxi. We found no timetable for a local colectivo from Juxtlahuaca to the town; ask in Juxtlahuaca, or take a taxi.

    Directions to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca on Google Maps

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

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    From the nearest cities to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

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

    Before you go to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Busiest at the Laguna Encantada on weekends, when local families come and traditional food is sold. El Universal Oaxaca · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No soap in the lagoon, and animals may not bathe in it. El Universal Oaxaca · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca: what to see and do

    Visit the church of San Sebastián, with its twin blue towers.
    Walk around the plaza and the centre of the seat.
    Swim in the Laguna Encantada, warmed by two sulphur springs; do not use soap.
    Go on a weekend for company and traditional food by the lagoon.
    Hike or camp around the lagoon.
    Combine the visit with nearby Santiago Juxtlahuaca.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Teposcolula sometimes stop in San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 45 min by road to Teposcolula, then 60 km more to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 1 h 45 min by road from Teposcolula, the base for San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Teposcolula: download a map of the way to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca cool

    San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca shares the climate of Teposcolula, 60 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Teposcolula

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Teposcolula

    The 16th-century convent of San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula and its open chapel, Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca cool
    Oaxaca Teposcolula

    Teposcolula is the Pueblo Mágico closest to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

    Near San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.