Landmark 30 km northeast of Teposcolula
A 16th-century Dominican convent with a carved Renaissance facade and one of the finest open chapels in Mexico.
San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca is a small town in the dry, high country north of Teposcolula, once the capital of the Chocholtec people. Its last native ruler, Atonaltzin, is remembered for resisting the Mexica, who conquered the area in the 15th century. The name is Nahuatl and is usually translated as "plain of snakes."
The Dominicans built the church and convent of San Juan Bautista here, finishing the church in 1576. Its facade is Renaissance in style, with a rose window, carved saints in niches and a main doorway framed by row after row of recessed arches. Inside is a large Baroque main altarpiece and a collection of old statues of saints.
Beside the church stands the open chapel, built so that large crowds of newly converted people could attend Mass outdoors. Its tall arch and Gothic-style vaulting make it one of the most admired open chapels of 16th-century Mexico. Coixtlahuaca is the farthest of the three great Dominican convents of the Mixteca from Teposcolula, but it is the one that many architecture lovers rate highest.
What to see and do
Look closely at the Renaissance facade, with its rose window and carved saints.
Stand under the vaults of the open chapel beside the church.
See the Baroque main altarpiece and the old statues of saints inside.
Walk the atrium and the cloister of the former convent.
Getting there
Coixtlahuaca is about an hour from Teposcolula by car: head north to Tamazulápam, then east toward the 135D Oaxaca to Puebla highway and follow the signs to the town. It pairs well with Yanhuitlán on the same day. Check opening times locally, since the church may close in the middle of the day.
30 km northeast of Teposcolula
Directions from Teposcolula on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
Coixtlahuaca shares the climate of Teposcolula, 30 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Teposcolula your base
Coixtlahuaca is an easy trip from Teposcolula, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Teposcolula
-
Yanhuitlán
· Landmark · 16 km away
A Mixtec town dominated by a fortress-like 16th-century Dominican church, with fine altarpieces and a restored colonial organ. -
Huamelulpan
· Archaeological site · 17 km away
Early Mixtec ruins with carved stones and calendar glyphs in a village that keeps a small community museum. -
San Miguel Achiutla
· Landmark · 23 km away
Once the seat of a famous Mixtec oracle, now home to a restored 16th-century Dominican convent with colonial altarpieces and paintings. -
Tlaxiaco
· Town · 33 km away
The commercial hub of the Mixteca Alta, with a big Saturday market where Mixtec villages come to trade, and a large Dominican church.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.