Town Tlacolula de Matamoros, Oaxaca Municipality of Tlacolula de Matamoros Central Valleys of Oaxaca
A Zapotec village in the hills where women shape red clay pottery by hand, without a wheel, as their families have for generations.
From Oaxaca: 45 min by car (40 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to San Marcos Tlapazola
Where to stay near San Marcos Tlapazola
Hotel La Calenda Hotel · ★★ · 7.2 km from the center Prices Hotel Guish-Bac Hotel · 6.8 km from the center PricesTours to San Marcos Tlapazola
Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in San Marcos Tlapazola; a tour is the easy way to see it without a car.
Archaeological sites Tour and Red Pottery in Tlacolula
★ 5.0 (1) · From US$170
How to get to San Marcos Tlapazola
- From Oaxaca: about 45 min by road (~40 km)
- 17 km west of Mitla
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 47 min by car to Mitla
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Popular tours to San Marcos Tlapazola
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About San Marcos Tlapazola
San Marcos Tlapazola is a Zapotec village in the hills south of Tlacolula, known across Oaxaca as the land of red clay. Much of the village makes pottery, and the work is done mainly by women, who learn it from their mothers and grandmothers as girls.
The pieces are built entirely by hand, with no potter's wheel. The women dig red and yellow clay on the hillsides, mix it, shape it into pots, comales, jugs, bowls and figures, then polish the surface with smooth stones until it shines. Traditionally they are fired in the open with wood. The result is a warm red ware that you will see on sale at the Tlacolula market and in shops in Oaxaca City.
Some of the potters have organized into groups, such as the cooperative Mujeres del Barro Rojo, and welcome visitors to their workshops to watch the process and buy straight from the people who made the pieces. It is a working village rather than a tourist town, so it helps to go with a guide or to arrange a visit ahead.
How to get to San Marcos Tlapazola
Drive from Oaxaca: 45 min, 40 km
Tlapazola is about 30 minutes from Mitla: drive west to Tlacolula, then south into the hills on a local road. There is little signage, so a taxi from Tlacolula or a local guide is the easiest way to go, and arranging a workshop visit ahead is a good idea.
17 km west 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 San Marcos Tlapazola
- Oaxaca · 40 km by road, 45 min
- Tuxtepec · about 180 km by road, ~2 h 40 min
- Salina Cruz · 223 km by road, 2 h 50 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to San Marcos Tlapazola: hours, prices and tips
- Best season
- The village has held a Red Clay Fair (Feria del Barro Rojo) in July, with sales, pottery demonstrations and guided visits; the 2022 edition ran July 15–17. Check current dates. El Financiero · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- You can walk the main street, Matamoros, and step into home workshops or collectives that welcome visitors; the women's shop Mujeres del Barro Rojo is a common first stop. Guided red-clay day trips from Oaxaca City also run (one operator charges US$145 with transport and meals). Many potters also sell at the Tlacolula Sunday market, though the village has the bigger selection. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide The Eye Huatulco · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting San Marcos Tlapazola: what to see and do
Watch a potter shape a piece by hand and burnish it with a stone.
Buy red clay pots, comales and figures directly from the women who make them.
Ask about the open-air firing, if one is happening during your visit.
Look for Tlapazola pottery at the Sunday market in Tlacolula.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in San Marcos Tlapazola
Hotel La Calenda Hotel · ★★ · 7.2 km from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Guish-Bac Hotel · 6.8 km from the center Find on ExpediaTours & activities
Day trips around Mitla sometimes stop in San Marcos Tlapazola; 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 17 km more to San Marcos Tlapazola, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Oaxaca (OAX), about 47 min by road from Mitla, the base for San Marcos Tlapazola.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Mitla: download a map of the way to San Marcos Tlapazola 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 San Marcos Tlapazola mild
San Marcos Tlapazola shares the climate of Mitla, 17 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Mitla
Weather in San Marcos Tlapazola now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Mitla your base
San Marcos Tlapazola 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 · 44 km away
Closest to San Marcos Tlapazola
-
San Bartolomé Quialana · Town · 3 km away · Oaxaca
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San Juan Guelavía · Town · 5 km away · Oaxaca
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Lambityeco · Archaeological site · 7 km away
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Tlacolula · Town · 7 km away
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Santa Cruz Papalutla · Town · 8 km away · Oaxaca
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Yagul · Archaeological site · 9 km away
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Dainzú · Archaeological site · 11 km away
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San Sebastián Teitipac · Town · 11 km away · Oaxaca
Near San Marcos Tlapazola
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.