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    City Hall Santa Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca

    Photo by El Ágora, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Santa Lucía del Camino

    Town Santa Lucía del Camino, Oaxaca Central Valleys of Oaxaca

    City 3 km east of Oaxaca, with 45,895 people in 2020 and the second-highest density of any municipality in the state.

    From Oaxaca: 5 min by car (4 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    Plan your visit to Santa Lucía del Camino

    Where to stay near Santa Lucía del Camino

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Santa Lucía del Camino.

    Hotels in Santa Lucía del Camino Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Santa Lucía del Camino

    Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Santa Lucía del Camino; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.

    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Santa Lucía del Camino

    • From Oaxaca: about 5 min by road (~4 km)
    • 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 ↓

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    About Santa Lucía del Camino

    Santa Lucía del Camino sits so close to the capital that many visitors cross it without noticing they have changed municipality. It lies about 3 kilometres east of downtown Oaxaca, at 1,540 metres, and is part of the metropolitan area. It is named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse, patron saint of the blind.

    Its recent history shows in the census figures. For the first half of the 20th century it was a village of a few hundred: 674 in 1900, 417 in 1930, 539 in 1950. It rose to 1,211 in 1970 and 2,322 in 1980, then jumped to 27,611 between 1980 and 1990. By 2020 it had 45,895 in the city and 50,362 in the municipality, which also includes the village of San Francisco Tutla (3,182).

    The municipality is tiny, only 9.4 square kilometres (the town covers about 6.6), which makes it the second most densely populated in Oaxaca, after Santa Cruz Amilpas, with more than 5,000 people per square kilometre.

    The sources I opened name no monuments of its own. The plaza and the municipal hall, with its clock on the gable and pink-columned arcade, are the most visible sights; the rest is commerce, workshops and services for the whole metropolitan area.

    How to get to Santa Lucía del Camino

    Drive from Oaxaca: 5 min, 4 km

    Santa Lucía del Camino is about 3 km east of downtown Oaxaca, roughly 5 to 10 minutes by car depending on traffic. It forms one continuous urban area with the capital, so there is no turn-off or toll: you enter along the avenues of the city's east side.

    Wikivoyage mentions taxis and apps such as DiDi and Uber around Oaxaca, as well as the city bus lines BinniBus and Sertexa; check the bus route before boarding to make sure it passes through Santa Lucía. A taxi from downtown is a short ride.

    If you arrive by long-distance bus, the first-class terminal is at Calzada Niños Héroes de Chapultepec 1036, north of the centre and on Highway 190; from there take a taxi east. The reference village, Capulálpam de Méndez, lies about 37 km north in a straight line, in the Sierra Juárez.

    Directions to Santa Lucía del Camino on Google Maps

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

    Where to stay Hotels in Santa Lucía del Camino Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Santa Lucía del Camino. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Santa Lucía del Camino

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

    What to see in Santa Lucía del Camino 14

    Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.

    Landmarks and museums

    Viewpoints

    Map of Santa Lucía del Camino

    Neighbourhoods and villages of Santa Lucía del Camino

    Part of Santa Lucía del Camino or just outside it, closest first.

    Day trips and tours from Santa Lucía del Camino

    The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Santa Lucía del Camino and tours that leave from it.

    Parque Nacional Benito Juárez Nature reserve · near Oaxaca 10 min · 7 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    San Andrés Huayápam Town · near Oaxaca 10 min · 8 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Árbol del Tule Landmark · near Mitla 10 min · 7 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Dainzú Archaeological site · near Mitla 15 min · 19 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    San Antonio Arrazola Village · near Oaxaca 20 min · 15 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Mitla Pueblo Mágico · Oaxaca 30 min · 40 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Capulálpam de Méndez Pueblo Mágico · Oaxaca 1 h 15 min · 66 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Teposcolula Pueblo Mágico · Oaxaca 1 h 40 min · 124 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Before you go: getting to and around Santa Lucía del Camino

    • The nearest airport is Oaxaca (OAX).
    • The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
    • 4 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
    • For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Santa Lucía del Camino.

    Visiting Santa Lucía del Camino: what to see and do

    Walk the plaza and the arcade of the municipal hall.
    Notice the change of pace between downtown Oaxaca and this working neighbourhood.
    Visit San Francisco Tutla, the municipality's other community.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Santa Lucía del Camino

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santa Lucía del Camino.

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

    Tours & activities

    Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Santa Lucía del Camino; 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 27 min by road to Capulálpam de Méndez, then 37 km more to Santa Lucía del Camino, 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 Santa Lucía del Camino.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

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

    Airalo

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    When to go to Santa Lucía del Camino cool

    Santa Lucía del Camino shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 37 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

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

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Capulálpam de Méndez

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

    Capulálpam de Méndez is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santa Lucía del Camino, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Near Santa Lucía del Camino

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.