Town Villa de Etla, Oaxaca Central Valleys of Oaxaca
Etla valley market town with a 1636 Dominican church and a Wednesday market known for quesillo, tamales and goat barbacoa.
From Oaxaca: 20 min by car (19 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Villa de Etla
Where to stay near Villa de Etla
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Villa de Etla.
Tours to Villa de Etla
Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Villa de Etla; 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 Villa de Etla
- From Oaxaca: about 20 min by road (~19 km)
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 27 min by car to Capulálpam de Méndez
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Tours from Oaxaca City, near Villa de Etla
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About Villa de Etla
Villa de Etla is the head town of the Etla valley, the northwestern arm of the Valley of Oaxaca, about 17 km from Oaxaca city at 1,660 m. The seat had 7,997 inhabitants in 2020. Its name mixes Spanish and Nahuatl: "etl" means bean, and Etla is read as the place where beans abound. Until 1968 the town was officially called San Pedro y San Pablo Villa de Etla, after the patron saints who still give their names to its church.
The centre of town is the church and former monastery of San Pedro y San Pablo, a stone complex the Dominicans completed in 1636 as part of their chain of churches and convents in Oaxaca. It has twin towers, a wide atrium with cypresses and an open chapel to one side. Next to it stands the Mercado Porfirio Díaz with its stone arched entrance, and a stretch of old stone aqueduct runs along one of the streets. Etla's other moment in history came on 18 October 1866, when the Battle of La Carbonera was fought nearby during the French intervention.
Wednesday is market day, and it is the reason most visitors come. A tianguis of stalls spreads around the permanent market toward the main square, selling everything from turkey eggs to pottery, while inside and in the middle of the market people line up for goat barbacoa cooked in earth ovens, menudo, tamales, hot chocolate and the Etla valley's white cheese and quesillo. It is smaller and easier to walk than some of the big valley markets. The town's main festival honours Saints Peter and Paul, and Lent brings its own celebrations, including the fair of the Señor de las Peñas.
How to get to Villa de Etla
Drive from Oaxaca: 20 min, 19 km
Villa de Etla is about 17 km northwest of Oaxaca city on Federal Highway 190 toward Mexico City, roughly 30 minutes by road. Colectivos and buses to Etla leave from Oaxaca throughout the day; on Wednesdays they fill up with market-goers. From the main square taxis continue to nearby villages such as San Agustín Etla.
Directions to Villa de Etla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Villa de Etla
- Oaxaca · 19 km by road, 20 min
- Huajuapan de León · 154 km by road, 2 h 15 min
- Tuxtepec · about 155 km by road, ~2 h 20 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
What to see in Villa de Etla 1
Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.
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San José Mogote · Archaeological site · 4 km from the centre
The Etla valley's first large Zapotec village, older than Monte Albán, with a restored mound and a small community museum.
Map of Villa de Etla
Neighbourhoods and villages of Villa de Etla
Part of Villa de Etla or just outside it, closest first.
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Reyes Etla · Town · 1 km from the centre
Seat of a small Etla valley municipality at 1,635 m, 18 km from Oaxaca, beside the Señor de las Peñas sanctuary and its fifth-Friday-of-Lent pilgrimage. -
San Agustín Etla · Town · 4 km from the centre
A hill town above the Etla valley with the CaSa arts centre in an 1883 textile mill, a walk along an old aqueduct and a famous Muerteada.
Day trips and tours from Villa de Etla
The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Villa de Etla 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 Villa de Etla
- The nearest airport is Oaxaca (OAX).
- The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
- 2 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 Villa de Etla.
Before you go to Villa de Etla: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Market day is Wednesday, when the tianguis sets up around the permanent market; go in the morning for the full spread and the barbacoa. Wikipedia; Mezcalistas · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- The main festival honours Saints Peter and Paul; Lent brings La Samaritana and the Señor de las Peñas fair. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Villa de Etla: what to see and do
Shop and eat at the Wednesday market around the Mercado Porfirio Díaz.
Try goat barbacoa from the earth ovens, tamales and a cup of hot chocolate.
Taste the valley's quesillo and fresh white cheese at the cheese stalls.
Visit the church of San Pedro y San Pablo, finished by the Dominicans in 1636, and its open chapel.
Walk along the old stone aqueduct.
Relax in the main square with its kiosk after the market.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Villa de Etla
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Villa de Etla.
Tours & activities
Day trips around Capulálpam de Méndez sometimes stop in Villa de Etla; 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 39 km more to Villa de Etla, 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 Villa de Etla.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Capulálpam de Méndez: download a map of the way to Villa de Etla before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Villa de Etla cool
Villa de Etla shares the climate of Capulálpam de Méndez, 39 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 Villa de Etla 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 Villa de Etla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Mitla · Oaxaca · 56 km away
Near Villa de Etla
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.