About this trip:

Don’t miss this memorable experience that combines Oaxaca’s principal archeological site and two of the most emblematic traditional craft villages.

Our tour begins in Monte Alban, one of the most important and impressive archeological sites in all of Mexico. It served as the main settlement of the Zapotec culture from 500 BCE to 800 CE, and archaeologists estimate that its peak population was approximately 50,000. It is located on top of a hill that overlooks the current city of Oaxaca. Your bilingual guide will explain its historical importance, rise to prominence, and subsequent decline. You will get close to its ancient plazas, tombs and the three most important ceremonial structures: the South Platform, the Great Ball Game and the Building of the Dancers. We will have time to walk and take photos in the large plaza of this monumental complex.

From there we visit one of the region’s most impressive artisan towns, San Martin Tilcajete. This very colorful town preserves the craft of painted carved wooden figures, better known as “alebrijes.” These fanciful objects are carved from copal wood, and artisans decorate them with natural paints such as cochineal and indigo. In this visit we will learn from master artisans about the process of carving the alebrijes, the hand drawn decoration of symbols, and the significance of those symbols in the Zapotec worldview. You can observe the process, ask questions, and of course have the option to purchase objects directly from the artisans.

If the Alebrijes delight you, there’s more to come — the town of Santa María Coyotepec. The town of Coyotepec has a magical air, and its people are known for their welcoming and friendly manner. Here the artisans are dedicated to black pottery, a craft many centuries old in which each ceramic piece portrays symbols decorated by hand. We will learn about the process of making black clay pottery, from the collection of the clay, unique to this region, to the hand molding to the polishing. You will be surprised to know that the artisans of San Bartolo Coyotepec use very rudimentary tools to polish and decorate each handmade piece.

Itinerary

7:30 am             Pick-up at your lodging

08:00–11:00     Guided tour in the Archeological Zone of Monte Albán

12:00-01:00        Visit a woodcarving workshop in Tilcajete

01:30 – 2:30       Lunch

3:00 – 4:00      Visit to the "Barro Negro" workshop in San Bartolo Coyotepec

5:00.                  Back to Oaxaca Center