5 Things to do in Teotitlán del Valle: Fun Day Trips from Oaxaca

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For once in my life while traveling, I did the unthinkable – at least for me. I didn’t have an itinerary. This once in a century event happened when I traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, and just decided to play things by ear. Well, that and I got a terrible stomach bug that left me attached to the toilet for a few days. So any plans I had would have been thrown out the window anyway. I initially signed up for a tour on how traditional alters are made for Dia de los Muertos in a small village called Teotitlán del Valle, but after ONE visit, I knew I had to go back.

After my tour, I returned to Teotitlán del Valle and spent a whole day wandering its chill roads and petting a lot of cute dogs. But what the village of Teotitlán del Valle is most known for is their unique Zapotec rugs. In fact, it’s kind of what Oaxaca is MOST known for.

Well…also their mezcal. And their Dia de los Muertos celebrations. And their incredible food….and their natural wonders.

OKAY SO OAXACA IS KNOWN FOR A LOT OF THINGS APPARENTLY.

But honestly, Teotitlán del Valle is one of the centers for the region’s incredible woven rugs and tapestries. So if you’re interested, keep reading to see what I did on my day trip to Teotitlán del Valle and other things to do in this small town!

The Logistics

So real quick before we dive in, I just want to give a quick overview of Teotitlán del Valle and some details about the whos, whats, whens, wheres, and whys.

The Who:

If you didn’t know, Mexico is similar to the USA in that a lot of the land making up the country is stolen indigenous land. In fact, all of it is.

#colonization.

I can’t really speak on Indigenous communities (especially in Mexico) because I am neither Indigenous nor Mexican, but I do feel as though it is important to remember that fact when traveling through the Americas.

So when I (or anyone else) mention Indigenous communities in Mexico, it is not one group of people or one community. There are hundreds. Thousands. Indigenous communities in Mexico and elsewhere are not monolith.

Teotitlán del Valle is an Indigenous (Zapotec) town. Zapotec communities are mostly concentrated in the state of Oaxaca and neighboring southern states. And, yanno, all over the world too because people move. I know that there is a pretty active Zapotec organizations in Los Angeles where I grew up.

The Zapotec language is Zoogocho Zapotec, or Diža’xon. Many people in Teotitlán del Valle DID NOT SPEAK SPANISH (or English for that matter), especially older generations. They spoke Diža’xon. It sounds nothing like Spanish. So that was pretty rad. That said, I didn’t encounter any shop or restaurant owners who didn’t speak Spanish, and some spoke English as well!

The What/When/Where:

In a quick spark noted summary, Teotitlán del Valle was one of the first villages founded in the area and is actually one of the oldest continuously inhabitied sites ON EARTH. Yeah. Teotitlán del Valle is up there with the ancients like Damascus.

OLD.

Though, back then the village was named Xaquija, which means “celestial constellation.” However, it’s CURRENT Zapotec name is Xaguixe, which means “at the foot of the mountain.”

I visited in October and November, and the weather was very fair. Warm during high noon, and -slightly- cooler during the rest of the day.

Teotitlán del Valle is about 45 minutes from Oaxaca City by car/taxi. You can also get there by bus, and it only takes a little longer (maybe about 50 minutes) but busses stop running from Teotitlán del Valle in the afternoon.

The Why:

Teotitlán del Valle is most popular for their Zapotec weaving. You’ll find a fewwww shops in Oaxaca City, but it’s nowhere near the variety that you will find in Teotitlán del Valle. You may also be able to get a better price for rugs IN Teotitlán del Valle, especially if you are looking for bigger or more intricate rugs!

Plus, although Oaxaca City isn’t BIG, per say, if you’re looking for a slower paced and smaller vibe, Teotitlán del Valle is a perfect day trip!

Things to Do in Teotitlán del Valle

I mentioned before that I first visited Teotitlán del Valle as part of a tour that explained the significance of Dia de los Muertos alters and I helped a local family make their alter.

I also killed a chicken for dinner.

That…that was a whole experience.

But anyways, I was on the tour literally 9am to 6pm, so I didn’t get a chance to explore the town, so I decided to come back on my own for a day trip!

#1. Shopping

Shopping was the main reason I wanted to return to Teotitlán del Valle. I bought rugs from the family that invited us in on the tour, but there are SOOO many rug shops on EVERY STREET that I wanted to browse around. Shopping is actually one of my favorite activities when I travel, even if it’s just window shopping, so Teotitlán del Valle is a great destination for that!

Although at first glace, the shops may look like they all “just sell rugs,” but really they are all unique in their own way because they are HAND-WOVEN (hand-weaved? idk the proper term) and each family has their own style. Plus, some shops have more purses and bags and others specialize in scarves and ponchos. So really, you just have to go in and look!

That said, I personallyyyyy have some favorite shops that I would love to share. BUT! That doesn’t mean they are necessarily BETTER than anyone else’s in town. Every shop I went into had beautiful textiles and extremely welcoming and friendly shop owners. So really it was hard to choose. I have a very “Joshua Tree/Desert Dreamer” decor aesthetic, so I love warm neutrals with blends of rich reds, oranges, and yellows. So shops that had more of that vibe ended up be my favorites, but there were others that had blues, pinks, (I didn’t see many with pink so it may be a difficult color to achieve), technicolored, and modern designs.

* Shopping Tips *

Most rug shops DO take credit card, but the WiFi isn’t GREAT so it may take a few seconds, or maybe even a few attempts, to run your card. Don’t panic, that’s normal. However for cafes and restaurants, not all of them accepted card, so make sure you have some cash on you as well.

Also, you will find huge shops right at the entrance to the town. Don’t stop at those. Those shops are where all the huge tour buses stop, and their prices are often a bit higher than shops deeper into town. So pass up those first ones until you reach the meat of the town!

But anyways, enough disclaimers. Shoutout to all of my favorite shops that had me swiping my CARDSSSS.

• Artesanias & Tapetes Rugs, Josefina Mdz: Josefina and her family hosted our Dia de Los Muertos tour! So I am eternally grateful to the learning experience she provided! She has a lot of rugs with reds, browns, and blues. And there’s a TON of them. She also has a few neutral ponchos!
• Linda Zapoteca, Galeria Artesanal: I didn’t get the name of the shop owner, but he was really nice. There were rugs, but also a TON of super cute bags, purses, and pillow cases.
• El Descanso: Wow, talk about RUGS galore!!! I have a picture of the shop below and I literally bought that wavy rug hanging on the right! I also ordered a custom rug from here!

Oh, also note that if you see a rug here that you love but maybe it isn’t the size you want, or you’d want to swap out a different color, many shops take custom orders! It is a little more expensive, but honestly so so worth it, especially if you have a specific theme or look in your house already. Depending on the season you order, there may be a bit of a wait until they are able to start working on your order. Summer and Fall are very busy for many of the weavers.

#2 Cafes

If you haven’t been following me for a while then: hi, I’m Kay. I’m addicted to cafe culture. But like, truly. It’s one of the reasons I actually love Oaxaca City so much, so I was excited to find a few cafes in Teotitlán del Valle as well! Since I was only there for a day, I was only able to chill out and sip tea in three cafes (yeah, I know. Three cafes in one day. I have a problem ok).

My personal recommendations are:

• Cafe 40: They had THE BEST chai, omg it was so good. Also the interior is super cute.
• Dulizun Café: This shop also has rugs! And a cute interior courtyard to drink yo drink in!
• Neveria Cuauhtemoc: The best ice cream in town.
• Café Vid: I think this was my favorite because their upstairs had super cute balconies. I mean, you can’t see MUCH, but the breeze was fantastic. Their food and smoothies were great too! I stayed here for a few hours reading one of my favorite books by a Mexican author.

Excuse my face in the above picture, I was caught off guard and mid-sentence haha. Also, I actually didn’t eat at any restaurant-restaurants in Teotitlán del Valle since I kept snacking at cafes, so I don’t have much advice there. If you have any food recommendations, let me know in the comments below!

#3 Centro Cultural Comunitario

Unfortunately, the community center was closed when I visited *cry* but it is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! Architecture nerds, your eyes will thank you. When it is open, however, it is a community cultural center that shows off the archeological and textile wealth of Teotitlán del Valle.

There are rooms that host collections of historical finds of the region. From what I understood in my limited Spanish skills, I think this building houses the Teotitlán Museum of History. I actually came across the center because it provides a pedestrian walkway between the main square and a more residential area. It has it’s own plaza and small garden as well, so it seems like a hot spot for community events and celebrations. When I visited for Dia de los Muertos, it’s on the same street as the vendors selling bread and produce, but I didn’t see anything going on at the center specifically. I’d love to check out the inside in the future though!

#4 Hiking

Say whaaat? Yeah, this cute little shopping village has great access to the outdoors as well! As you make the drive over to Teotitlán del Valle, you may notice there are a lot of hills and mountains in the area. So, it should be no surprise that one of the best hiking spots would be one of these said hills, specifically, the one known as El Picacho!

On May 3rd, it is an annual tradition to climb to the summit to celebrate La Fiesta de las Cruzes, a pilgrimage held throughout  Mexico to seek protection for skilled trade workers like masons, construction workers, and miners. Though, the mountain has pre-Hispanic significance as well!

The village has the super cute lil taxis that can take you right to the trailhead for about 5 or so pesos. There isn’t a lot of shade -by that I mean NO shade- so make sure you bring a hat and lather on some sunscreen! If you have a bit more melanin like me and hate dealing with the white ashy caste that a lot of “mainstream” sunscreen gives you, check out my list of sunscreens for darker skin tones!

You’ll get great views of the Oaxacan Valley and the dam! There are a few peaks you can add onto your hike. A lot of people opt for just the summit (where the giant cross is) which is about 1.5-2 hours total. However, for some real sick views, head over to the second peak, which will bring your total time to about 3.5 hours round trip.

#5 Photography

Hey, bring your camera, because the streets in Teotitlán del Valle are beautiful! A little less manicured than Mexican cities like Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende, but Teotitlán del Valle certainly has it’s own picturesque charm, especially with the lush green hills in the background.

I’m not too much of a photographer myself – like really, I’m NOT – but I can appreciate some pretty doors and balconies okay? The cathedral was also really beautiful, and there was actually a young couple (from Oaxaca City I believe) taking engagement/wedding photos in the cathedral chapel. Since I’m just a basic blogger, I did some staple door photos and went on about my day. However, if you have a good eye, I’m confident you can find some really unique shots here!

Things to do in Teotitlán del Valle: Conclusion

Whew, that was a pretty good post if I do say so myself. Had me reliving my experience and honestly, I’d be so excited to go back. And that’s coming from someone who LOVES big cities.

Maybe I just have a shopping addiction.

…

Anyways, have you ever been to Teotitlán del Valle? Or even Oaxaca? What did you think of it? Did you spend as much on Zapotec rugs and bags as I did? Let me know in the comments below!

I’ll probably return to Teotitlán del Valle EVERY time I visit Oaxaca. I love it that much. The next time I visit Oaxaca, I plan on checking out the Oaxaca coast, and guess what. I’ll have a brand new Zapotec beach towel with me 🙂

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