Town Santa Ana del Valle, Oaxaca Central Valleys of Oaxaca
A Zapotec weaving village with a pioneering community museum and a church full of colonial saints.
From Oaxaca: 30 min by car (34 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Santa Ana del Valle
Where to stay near Santa Ana del Valle
Hotel La Calenda Hotel · ★★ · 3.8 km from the center Prices Hotel Guish-Bac Hotel · 4.2 km from the center PricesTours to Santa Ana del Valle
Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in Santa Ana del Valle; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Tours from Oaxaca City
Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day
★ 4.9 (1,557) · From US$70
How to get to Santa Ana del Valle
- From Oaxaca: about 30 min by road (~34 km)
- 14 km northwest of Mitla
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 47 min by car to Mitla
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Tours from Oaxaca City, near Santa Ana del Valle
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Santa Ana del Valle
Santa Ana del Valle is a small Zapotec village in the hills just north of Tlacolula, and alongside Teotitlán del Valle it is one of the two best-known rug-weaving towns in Oaxaca. Families here weave wool rugs, sarapes and blankets on foot looms, many still using natural dyes, and the pace is quieter than in Teotitlán, with fewer tour groups.
The village is proud of its Museo Comunitario Shan-Dany, one of the early community museums in Oaxaca, set up and run by the townspeople themselves. Its rooms cover pre-Hispanic finds from the area, including fine ceramics, the town's history during the Mexican Revolution, the weaving tradition and the Danza de la Pluma, the feathered dance of the Zapotec valleys. The museum staff can point you to workshops where you can watch weavers at work.
Facing the plaza, the colonial church is known for its many old statues of saints, carved and painted and unusually well preserved. Santa Ana is an easy add-on to a Sunday at the Tlacolula market.
How to get to Santa Ana del Valle
Drive from Oaxaca: 30 min, 34 km
Santa Ana del Valle is about 20 minutes from Mitla: drive west on Highway 190 to Tlacolula, then a few kilometers north on a paved road. Shared taxis run between Tlacolula and the village. The museum usually opens daily with a midday break.
14 km northwest of Mitla
Directions from Mitla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Santa Ana del Valle
- Oaxaca · 34 km by road, 30 min
- Tuxtepec · about 165 km by road, ~2 h 25 min
- Salina Cruz · 218 km by road, 2 h 40 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Santa Ana del Valle: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The Zapotec Feather Dance (Danza de las Plumas) is performed here at the Fiesta de Esquipulas (January 12–14), on July 26 and at the Fiesta de Santa Ana (August 11–13). Lonely Planet · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- Ask at the Shan-Dany community museum about weaving workshops you can visit in the village. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Lonely Planet · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Santa Ana del Valle: what to see and do
Visit the Museo Comunitario Shan-Dany on the main plaza.
Watch a family weave on a foot loom and see how the wool is dyed.
Step into the church to see its colonial statues of saints.
Combine the visit with the Sunday market in Tlacolula.
Plan your trip
Tours & activities
Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in Santa Ana del Valle; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 47 min by road to Mitla, then 14 km more to Santa Ana del Valle, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 47 min by road from Mitla, the base for Santa Ana del Valle.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Mitla: download a map of the way to Santa Ana del Valle before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Photos
When to go to Santa Ana del Valle mild
Santa Ana del Valle shares the climate of Mitla, 14 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Mitla
Weather in Santa Ana del Valle now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Mitla your base
Santa Ana del Valle is an easy trip from Mitla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Capulálpam de Méndez · Oaxaca · 34 km away
Closest to Santa Ana del Valle
-
Lambityeco · Archaeological site · 3 km away
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Tlacolula · Town · 4 km away
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Yagul · Archaeological site · 5 km away
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Teotitlán del Valle · Town · 6 km away
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Dainzú · Archaeological site · 9 km away
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San Juan Guelavía · Town · 9 km away · Oaxaca
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San Bartolomé Quialana · Town · 11 km away · Oaxaca
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San Marcos Tlapazola · Town · 11 km away
Near Santa Ana del Valle
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.