After you have toured the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Monte Albán and been on a Mezcal Tour, a very popular thing to do in Oaxaca, why not take a bus east and backpack the ancient Zona Arqueológica de Mitla? It’s an easy half-day trip, and you can get there using public transportation.
The Mitla Archaeological Site, located in the modern municipality of San Pablo Villa de Mitla, is the most important site of the Zapotec culture.
The Zapotec name is Lyobáa, identified as ‘resting place’ or ‘grave’. In Nahuatl, the language of the Mexica, it means ‘place of the dead’.
The Templo Católico de San Pablo Villa de Mitla was built in the late 16th century on a pre-Hispanic platform using materials from the temples destroyed by the Spanish:
Patio de las Grecas:
Patio de las Columnas:
Entrance to the tombs, sadly off-limits just now:
Patio de las Tumbas:
Practical Information: Getting There & Away, Opening Hours and Tickets
How to get to Mitla from Oaxaca:
Mitla is 45 km from Oaxaca, and it’s easy to get there by bus. There is no need to take a tour. Here is the location of Mitla on Google Maps:
The place to catch the bus to Mitla in Oaxaca is on the highway, about 500 metres east of the ADO Bus terminal, just before McDonald’s by the Plaza Bonn Car Dealer.
Here is my Oaxaca – Mitla Bus:
The bus took 54 minutes to cover the 45 km.
Does anyone have an update on the bus fare?
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Tickets: (updated 2026, taken from the official INAH website):
General admission: 210 pesos.
Nationals and foreigners residing in Mexico: 105 pesos.
