A region of Oaxaca
The pine- and oak-covered mountains north-east of the city of Oaxaca, also called the Sierra Juárez: Zapotec communities that run their own forests and eco-tourism, such as the Pueblos Mancomunados, Ixtlán and Capulálpam, linked by hiking trails, cabins and mountain-bike routes, plus Guelatao, where Benito Juárez was born.
1 Pueblo Mágico · 20 places to visit
Pueblos Mágicos in Sierra Norte of Oaxaca
Map
Places to visit in Sierra Norte of Oaxaca 20
20 places with their own page, grouped by kind.
Towns · 12 Villages · 7 Nature reserves · 1
Towns
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Guelatao de Juárez · Town · Capulálpam de Méndez
Benito Juárez's birthplace: a small Zapotec village around a little lake, with a museum and the statue of Juárez as a shepherd boy. -
Ixtlán de Juárez · Town · Capulálpam de Méndez
The Sierra Juárez's main town: the Baroque church where Benito Juárez was baptized, a model community forest and an adventure park. -
Lachatao · Town · Capulálpam de Méndez
The nearest of the Pueblos Mancomunados: a cobbled mountain village with a colonial church, a small museum and hikes to Cerro del Jaguar. -
San Juan Yatzona · Town · Oaxaca
Zapotec village in the Sierra Norte at 1,300 m, next to Villa Talea de Castro; main fiesta on 24 June. -
San Pedro Cajonos · Town · Oaxaca
Zapotec village in the Sierra Norte at about 1,850 m, one of Oaxaca's smallest municipalities, known for silk and ixtle weaving. -
Santa Catarina Ixtepeji · Town · Oaxaca
Zapotec seat in the Sierra Norte at about 1,900 m, in pine forest, with an 18th-century church and a famous colonial codex. -
Santa María Jaltianguis · Town · Oaxaca
Sierra Juárez town at 2,039 m beside Ixtlán: cloud forest, a certified community sawmill and cabins. -
Santiago Comaltepec · Town · Oaxaca
Chinantec town at 1,989 m in the Sierra Juárez, with one of the best-kept cloud forests; Santiago's fiesta is on 25 July. -
Tamazulápam del Espíritu Santo · Town · Oaxaca
Mixe town at 2,040 m with a 1600 parish church, a Holy Spirit fiesta in May or June and a regional basketball tournament. -
Totontepec Villa de Morelos · Town · Oaxaca
Mixe town at 1,840 m in the Sierra Norte, below the Peña del Trueno rock; about 146 km from Oaxaca city on mountain roads. -
Viguera · Town · Oaxaca
Locality in Oaxaca de Juárez at 1,622 m, north of the capital; it grew from 260 people in 1900 to 8,506 in 2020. -
Villa Talea de Castro · Town · Oaxaca
Coffee-growing Zapotec town in the Sierra Norte at 1,660 m, with five wind bands, a San Miguel fiesta on 29 September and its own mobile network.
Villages
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Llano Grande · Village · Oaxaca
A tiny Zapotec forest village around 3,000 m in the Pueblos Mancomunados, with trails to waterfalls, cabins and sunrises above the clouds. -
San Antonio Cuajimoloyas · Village · Oaxaca
A Zapotec village above 3,000 m in the Pueblos Mancomunados, with forest trails, a 1-km zip line and a wild mushroom fair every July. -
San José Chinantequilla · Village · Oaxaca
Sierra Mixe village at 1,171 m, about 7 km from Totontepec, with its San José fiesta on 11 May and views of Cerro de Algodón. -
San Juan Evangelista Analco · Village · Oaxaca
Sierra Juárez village at 2,090 m, close to Ixtlán and Capulálpam de Méndez; about 374 residents in 2020. -
San Miguel Yotao · Village · Oaxaca
Zapotec community in the Sierra Juárez at 1,433 m, 452 residents, rain almost all year and ridge walks to the west. -
San Pablo Macuiltianguis · Village · Oaxaca
Zapotec town in the Sierra Juárez at 2,100 m, with five barrios, a lookout and a yearly carnival of petate bulls. -
San Pedro Yólox · Village · Oaxaca
Seat of a Zapotec municipality in the Sierra Juárez at 1,877 m, 759 residents, seven localities and peaks above 3,000 m.
Nature reserves
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Pueblos Mancomunados · Nature reserve · Capulálpam de Méndez
Eight Zapotec villages that run their pine and cloud forests together, linked by guided trails, with cabins, viewpoints and trout.
Top tours in Sierra Norte of Oaxaca
San Miguel Yotao
Hierve el Agua 2.5 hours, Mitla, Tule, Rugs and Mezcal for a Day
From US$70
San Miguel Yotao
Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, Mitla and Mezcal Distillery Tour
From US$60
San Miguel Yotao
Monte Alban Guided Half Day Tour
From US$30
San Miguel Yotao
OAXACA CULTURAL FOOD TOUR, eat like a local.
From US$103
San Miguel Yotao
Immersion Tour and Oaxaca Markets, All gastronomy included
From US$55
Pueblos Mancomunados
Hike in the Sierra Norte, Cuajimoloyas
From US$198
Lachatao
Hike el Camino Real, Latuvi – Lachatao
From US$259
Ixtlán de Juárez
Tour of the Sierra Juárez, Ixtlán, Guelatao and Capulálpam
From US$128
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
Getting around Sierra Norte of Oaxaca
Fly into Oaxaca (OAX).
Cities to start from: Oaxaca
Most of the region is reached by road: a rental car is the easiest way to see several places in a day, and buses link the larger towns.
When to visit Sierra Norte of Oaxaca
Most of Sierra Norte of Oaxaca is at its best in January, February, March, and December.
Month-by-month climate on each Pueblo Mágico's page: Capulálpam de Méndez