Landmark Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, Oaxaca Mixteca of Oaxaca
A Mixtec town dominated by a fortress-like 16th-century Dominican church, with fine altarpieces and a restored colonial organ.
From Oaxaca: 1 h 10 min by car (93 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Plan your visit to Yanhuitlán
Tours to Yanhuitlán
Look for tours of the area around Teposcolula that stop at Yanhuitlán.
Tours from Oaxaca City
Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day
★ 4.9 (1,557) · From US$70
How to get to Yanhuitlán
- From Oaxaca: about 1 h 10 min by road (~93 km)
- 16 km east of Teposcolula
- Nearest airport: Oaxaca (OAX), 1 h 45 min by car to Teposcolula
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Tours from Oaxaca City, near Yanhuitlán
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Yanhuitlán
Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán, east of Teposcolula, was an important Mixtec city long before the Spanish arrived, and in colonial times it became a busy trading town that sent silk to Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca. Its great monument is the church and former convent of Santo Domingo, built by Dominican friars around the middle of the 16th century on top of pre-Hispanic foundations. Raised on a broad platform and braced by massive buttresses, it looms over the small town like a fortress.
Inside, the single long nave holds one of the richest collections of colonial art in the Mixteca: carved and gilded side altarpieces, many old statues of saints, a carved wooden ceiling under the choir and a main altarpiece built in panels like a folding screen. In the choir loft is a pipe organ from around 1700 that was restored to playing condition in 1998.
The convent rooms beside the church house a museum of religious art. Together with Teposcolula and Coixtlahuaca, Yanhuitlán is one of the three great Dominican convents of the Mixteca, and many travelers visit all three on the same trip.
How to get to Yanhuitlán
Drive from Oaxaca: 1 h 10 min, 93 km
Yanhuitlán is roughly half an hour east of Teposcolula by road; the church sits beside the old Oaxaca to Puebla highway (Federal 190), close to the 135D toll road. Opening hours of the church and museum can vary, so it is best to go in the morning and check locally.
16 km east of Teposcolula
Directions from Teposcolula on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Yanhuitlán
- Oaxaca · 93 km by road, 1 h 10 min
- Huajuapan de León · 77 km by road, 1 h 15 min
- Tehuacán · 127 km by road, 1 h 35 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Yanhuitlán: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- The INAH museum in the former convent opens Wednesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. Other guides list longer Tuesday–Sunday hours, so check before a Sunday or Tuesday trip. INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- 145 pesos for foreign visitors and 80 for Mexicans. Free for Mexican children under 13, students, teachers and seniors; professional cameras pay extra. INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- The museum lists guided tours among its services; you can also visit on your own. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide INAH · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- No smoking, no food, no pets and no flash photography inside the museum. INAH · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Yanhuitlán: what to see and do
Walk around the outside of the church to take in its platform and huge buttresses.
Study the main altarpiece and the gilded side altarpieces inside.
Look up at the choir loft for the restored colonial pipe organ.
Visit the museum of religious art in the old convent rooms.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Yanhuitlán
Posada los Dominicos Hotel · ★★ · 600 m from the center Find on Expedia Tierra Sagrada Hotel · 200 m from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Ayuxi Hotel · 300 m from the center Find on Expedia Albergue Escolar Hostel · 110 m from the center Find on Expedia Albtregue Cbta 51 Hostel · 290 m from the center Find on ExpediaTours & activities
Look for tours of the area around Teposcolula that stop at Yanhuitlán.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at OAX (Oaxaca): about 1 h 45 min by road to Teposcolula, then 16 km more to Yanhuitlán, 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 Yanhuitlán.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Teposcolula: download a map of the way to Yanhuitlán 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.
When to go to Yanhuitlán cool
Yanhuitlán shares the climate of Teposcolula, 16 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Teposcolula
Weather in Yanhuitlán now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Teposcolula your base
Yanhuitlán is an easy trip from Teposcolula, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Yanhuitlán
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San Juan Teposcolula · Town · 9 km away · Oaxaca
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Yucuita · Archaeological site · 9 km away · Oaxaca
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Villa Tejúpam de la Unión · Town · 20 km away · Oaxaca
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Coixtlahuaca · Landmark · 22 km away
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San Cristóbal Suchixtlahuaca · Town · 22 km away · Oaxaca
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Santiago Yolomécatl · Town · 25 km away · Oaxaca
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Santiago Apoala · Village · 26 km away · Oaxaca
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San Juan Achiutla · Village · 27 km away · Oaxaca
Near Yanhuitlán
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.