Silacayoápam

Silacayoápam is the district seat of a part of the Oaxacan Mixteca, in a mountain valley in the northwest of the state at about 1,650 m. The name is Nahuatl and is usually rendered as "river of the chilacayotes" (a type of squash); in Mixtec the town is Ñuunduyu, "place of the chilacayotes". It belonged to the old lordship of Coixtlahuaca and was formally founded in 1692, when it was granted the title of villa. It became a parish and district seat in the mid-1800s, lost the rank of villa in 1891 and was named district seat again in 1901.

The 2020 census counted 2,911 people, the highest figure in its recent history: the population hovered around 2,400 from 1900 to 2000, dipped to 2,090 in 2010, then climbed. Most residents are Mixtec. The climate is temperate highland, averaging about 19 °C a year with summer rains; January is the coldest month and May the warmest.

The municipality lives off the land: corn, beans, some wheat and fruit, plus cattle and poultry. Local crafts include mezcal, brandy, palm and sisal weaving and pottery. Cerro Gordo (2,223 m) and Cerro Colorado (1,944 m) rise above town. On the plaza stands the parish church of San Pedro, with red-and-white towers, which is the first thing visitors photograph. There are a couple of simple hotels and eateries. This is more a regional service town than a hiking destination.