Village Santiago Apoala, Oaxaca Mixteca of Oaxaca
A Mixtec farming village at the bottom of a canyon, with tall waterfalls, swimming pools, caves and trails run by the community.
From Oaxaca: 1 h 50 min by car (115 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Santiago Apoala
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Tours to Santiago Apoala
Day trips and guided outings from Teposcolula often include Santiago Apoala; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tour in Santiago Apoala with Transportation
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How to get to Santiago Apoala
- From Oaxaca: about 1 h 50 min by road (~115 km)
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 45 min by car to Teposcolula
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Popular tours to Santiago Apoala
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About Santiago Apoala
Santiago Apoala is a small Mixtec village in the Nochixtlán district of the Mixteca Alta, at about 1,970 m in a valley closed in by steep rock walls, some 115 km by road north of Oaxaca City. The village had 270 residents in 2020, and its municipality covers about 57 km². It is a farming community: maize and wheat grow in small plots on the valley floor, watered by canals that villagers open and close to share the river.
Apoala holds a special place in Mixtec history. Its Mixtec name, Yuta Tnoho, is usually translated as "river where the lords come from", and local tradition says it was among the first places the Mixtecs settled. The pre-Hispanic painted books of the Mixteca tell the same story: the Codex Vindobonensis, now in Vienna, shows the first rulers being born from a great tree at Apoala, and the codices Zouche-Nuttall, Bodley and Selden name the lords and ladies of Apoala at the start of the royal lineages of places such as Tilantongo.
Visitors register at the community tourism office, where the ecotourism committee collects a single entry fee for the trails, arranges local guides and runs wooden cabins at the edge of the village. The best-known walk follows the river down to the Cola de Serpiente waterfall, reached by steps cut into the slope, where the water drops into a deep pool; the falls of the canyon are well over 30 m tall. Another trail leads to the Peñas Gemelas, twin rock towers above a narrow gorge with rock paintings on the far bank, and a longer loop climbs to a viewpoint above the canyon. Close to the village, La Gruta is a cave where a spring that feeds the river can be heard underground, and the Cueva del Diablo stands at the start of the viewpoint trail.
How to get to Santiago Apoala
Drive from Oaxaca: 1 h 50 min, 115 km
Apoala is about 115 km from Oaxaca City, roughly two hours' drive: take the toll highway north to Asunción Nochixtlán, then about 38 km of winding mountain road, only partly paved, down into the valley. Without a car, combis run from Oaxaca to Nochixtlán about every 30 minutes (around 1 hour 15 minutes); from Nochixtlán, shared camionetas and taxis cover the last stretch in about 1.5 hours, leaving mostly early in the morning. There are no ATMs in Apoala, so bring cash from Nochixtlán.
Directions to Santiago Apoala on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Santiago Apoala
- Oaxaca · 115 km by road, 1 h 50 min
- Tehuacán · 140 km by road, 2 h 10 min
- Huajuapan de León · 110 km by road, 2 h 15 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Santiago Apoala: hours, prices and tips
- Entry
- A single community fee of about 50 pesos per person, paid at the tourism office, covers the trails; guides cost extra (figure from 2021–22, may have risen). Packing Up The Pieces · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- In the June–September rains the river runs high and brown, swimming may be impossible and the river crossing on the Peñas Gemelas trail can be dangerous. Packing Up The Pieces · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- Local guides are available at the tourism office; the viewpoint loop is poorly marked, so a guide or offline map helps. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Packing Up The Pieces · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Cash (there are no ATMs), sturdy shoes for steps, rock and mud, and warm clothes for cold nights. Packing Up The Pieces · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Santiago Apoala: what to see and do
Walk down the canyon to the Cola de Serpiente waterfall and swim in its pool when the water is low.
Hike the river path to the Peñas Gemelas and look for the rock paintings with a guide.
Climb the longer loop to the viewpoint above the canyon.
Visit La Gruta and listen to the spring that feeds the river.
Stay a night or two in the community cabins.
Walk among the wheat and maize plots on the valley floor.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Santiago Apoala
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Santiago Apoala.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Teposcolula often include Santiago Apoala; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 45 min by road to Teposcolula, then 41 km more to Santiago Apoala, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 1 h 45 min by road from Teposcolula, the base for Santiago Apoala.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Teposcolula: download a map of the way to Santiago Apoala before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Santiago Apoala cool
Santiago Apoala shares the climate of Teposcolula, 41 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
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Weather in Santiago Apoala now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Teposcolula
Teposcolula is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Santiago Apoala, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Huautla · Oaxaca · 61 km away
Closest to Santiago Apoala
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Santa María Ixcatlán · Town · 23 km away
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San Cristóbal Suchixtlahuaca · Town · 26 km away
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Yanhuitlán · Landmark · 26 km away
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San Juan Tepeuxila · Village · 32 km away
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Santiago Quiotepec · Town · 32 km away
Near Santiago Apoala
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.