Town Tlalixtac de Cabrera, Oaxaca Central Valleys of Oaxaca
An old Zapotec farming town 10 km east of Oaxaca city, at the foot of the Sierra Norte, linked to the colonial painter Miguel Cabrera.
From Oaxaca: 15 min by car (10 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Where to stay near Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Tlalixtac de Cabrera.
Tours to Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Tlalixtac de Cabrera; 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 (1,558) · From US$70
How to get to Tlalixtac de Cabrera
- From Oaxaca: about 15 min by road (~10 km)
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 27 min by car to Capulálpam de Méndez
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Tours from Oaxaca City, near Tlalixtac de Cabrera
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About Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Tlalixtac de Cabrera is a town of about 11,400 people (2020 census) on the eastern edge of the Oaxaca valley, roughly 10 km from the state capital at about 1,580 m. It sits where the valley floor meets the first slopes of the Sierra Norte, bordered by San Agustín Yatareni to the north, Santa María del Tule and San Sebastián Tutla to the south and Santa Catarina Ixtepeji in the mountains to the east. The name is Nahuatl for "on the white earth". A river born in the Ixtepeji hills runs down the Cañada del Estudiante, also called Llovaneli, and the town's fine vertisol soils have long been farmed for maize.
Tlalixtac was a pre-Hispanic Zapotec town, written in old sources as Taliztaca or Tlaliztacan, and local tradition dates its founding to the 12th century. It was a subject of the Zapotec lordship of Zaachila, to which it paid tribute in feathers and cloaks, and it housed an image of Coquihuani, the god of light. The second part of its name honours Miguel Cabrera (1695–1768), the leading painter of 18th-century New Spain; the municipality counts him as its most famous son, although several biographies place his birth in the city of Antequera, today's Oaxaca.
Today Tlalixtac is a quiet, largely residential town within easy reach of the city. Its historic monuments are the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel, the Calvario chapel and a colonial bridge, and the municipal records mention a small museum with reproductions of Cabrera's paintings. Festivities honour San Antonio de Padua, the Holy Trinity, San Miguel Arcángel and the Virgin of Juquila, always with brass bands. For the Day of the Dead, families set up home altars with the dead's favourite dishes, enchiladas and hot chocolate or atole, and the town dances the Jarabe del Valle. Local cooks are known for chichilo, amarillo and higaditos.
How to get to Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Drive from Oaxaca: 15 min, 10 km
Tlalixtac is about 10 km east of central Oaxaca, just north of Santa María del Tule, and is reached from Highway 190, the road that runs east through the valley toward Tule and Mitla. It is a short drive or taxi ride from the city centre.
Directions to Tlalixtac de Cabrera on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Tlalixtac de Cabrera
- Oaxaca · 10 km by road, 15 min
- Tuxtepec · about 165 km by road, ~2 h 25 min
- Huajuapan de León · 179 km by road, 2 h 30 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in Tlalixtac de Cabrera 1
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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Árbol del Tule · Landmark · 3 km from the centre
A Montezuma cypress in Santa María del Tule with one of the widest trunks in the world, on the road between Oaxaca and Mitla.
Map of Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Neighbourhoods and villages of Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Part of Tlalixtac de Cabrera or just outside it, closest first.
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San Francisco Tutla · Town · 2 km from the centre
Brick-making village in the Central Valleys right beside Oaxaca city, founded by settlers from San Sebastián Tutla; fair from late September. -
San Andrés Huayápam · Town · 4 km from the centre
A hillside town just northeast of Oaxaca city, home of tejate, the cacao and corn drink, and of a yearly Feria del Tejate.
Day trips and tours from Tlalixtac de Cabrera
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Tlalixtac de Cabrera and tours that leave from it.
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 Tlalixtac de Cabrera
- The nearest airport is Oaxaca (OAX).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
- 1 of the places on this page is 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 Tlalixtac de Cabrera.
Before you go to Tlalixtac de Cabrera: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The town holds fiestas for San Antonio de Padua, the Holy Trinity, San Miguel Arcángel and the Virgin of Juquila; home altars go up for the Day of the Dead. INAFED · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Tlalixtac de Cabrera: what to see and do
Visit the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel in the town centre.
Look for the Calvario chapel and the old colonial bridge.
Ask about the small museum with reproductions of Miguel Cabrera's paintings.
Try chichilo or higaditos at a local fonda or during a fiesta.
Combine the trip with the Árbol del Tule in neighbouring Santa María del Tule.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Tlalixtac de Cabrera.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Tlalixtac de Cabrera; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 27 min by road to Capulálpam de Méndez, then 33 km more to Tlalixtac de Cabrera, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 1 h 27 min by road from Capulálpam de Méndez, the base for Tlalixtac de Cabrera.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Capulálpam de Méndez: download a map of the way to Tlalixtac de Cabrera before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Tlalixtac de Cabrera cool
Tlalixtac de Cabrera shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 33 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Capulálpam de Méndez
Weather in Tlalixtac de Cabrera now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Capulálpam de Méndez
Capulálpam de Méndez is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Tlalixtac de Cabrera, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mitla · Oaxaca · 34 km away
Near Tlalixtac de Cabrera
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.