After seeing rather plain pyramids on Monte Albán, we were stunned by the gorgeous mosaics on the Zapotec palace in Milta. Fancy geometric patterns decorate the walls of the palace making it far prettier than we had imagined. Combine a trip to the mosaics with a visit to the frozen waterfalls in Hierve el Agua for a great day trip from Oaxaca.
Mitla Archeological Site
Around the time the Zapotecs abandoned Monte Albán, they built a ceremonial centre in present day Mitla. What remains of this centre are beautifully decorated stone buildings that were once religious buildings and palaces. There were likely people living in this region since 900 BCE, but the buildings we see today were built by the Zapotecs between the years 900 and 1520 AD.
Mitla’s Archeological Site is quite small. There are four different areas in Mitla but only two have been restored. The most visited two are Grupo de las Columnas (Group of the Columns) and Grupo del Norte (North Group). They are both inside the Archeological Site.
Group of Columns
The Group of Columns is by far the prettiest collection of buildings on the site. There are two patios, north and south, with single story buildings on each side. Not all of these buildings have been restored, but the ones that have are well worth a visit.
The stone walls of theses buildings are decorated in various geometric patterns, said to represent the sky, earth and underworld. Palace of Columns has the best examples of these designs. Its outer walls are wrapped in gorgeous mosaic friezes in a variety of interlaced designs. Inside, its four small rooms around a small courtyard showcase the brilliant stonework. These buildings are from the 12th and 13th centuries.
They do bear a little resemblance to the Mayan puuc architecture style we saw in Uxmal, near Mérida. To date there hasn’t been any evidence to show that either city influenced the other.
Inside one of the rooms you can still see these mosaics on the walls. Most of the stone used to create these buildings was local , but the stone around the doorways was brought down from the mountains a few kilometres away.
In addition to the mosaics, many of these walls would have been painted. There are still a few places where you can see the remnants of red paint. The dye was made by crushing cochinillas, a parasitic insect.
The name of the palace comes from Hall of the Columns (Sala de las Columnas); a long room with six large columns. In the 12th century, the columns would also have been decorated with paint and mosaics.
Grupo de las Columnas has two main patios, North and South. Underneath South Patio is a tunnel with Zapotec catacombs. They used to be open to tourists, but today are blocked off.
North Group
When you visit the North Group, you can’t help but notice the large Catholic Church of San Pablo Villa. Built in 1600s by the Spanish, the church was built directly on top of the Zapotec site. In fact, the Spanish used many of the stones from the temple to build the church. At least it isn’t as flamboyant as some since it was built atop the indigenous temple. Along the back of the church, you can see where the old Zapotec wall has been incorporated into the church wall.
There are a few low roofed buildings with stone friezes in the North Group, but they are not as elaborate as the Columns Group. It would be best to visit this area first, before the Columns so you’re not too disappointed.
We stopped by one of the two free sites in town, Goupo del Arroyo, but it is in very poor condition. More of a piles of rocks rather than ruins.
The town of Mitla is quite cute too. It was an easy, pleasant walk from bus stop to the archeological site, passing bakeries, clothing stores and a few tourist shops. Tuk tuks will also take you if you don’t want to walk.
Getting to Mitla
Mitla Archeological Site is included in many full day tours from Oaxaca. Some include Hierve el Agua, Mezcal tastings and the world’s widest tree. You can easily visit the site on your own. Public buses leave near the ADO bus station, on the corner of Carretera Internacional (Rte 190), and De Los Derechos Humanos. This is also the spot for colectivos to Mitla and is marked on Google Maps. Buses drop you off at Oaxaca bus stop, which is an18 min walk to the archeological site.
The entrance to the archeological site is not well marked but is near the back of Church of San Pablo Villa.
Hierve el Agua
Meaning “Bubbling or Boiling Water’, you may expect Hierve el Agua to be hot springs. In reality, the water in these pools is cool. The hill top site has travertine pools formed when springs below the surface escape through fissures in the ground. You can even see some of the places where the water ‘bubbles’ out from the ground. The water is high in calcium, bicarbonate and other minerals. Once the water reaches the ground it cools and carbon dioxide is released. The result is a calcium carbonate precipitate and once that dries, it becomes travertine.
We have visited other travertine sites around the world. You can click on the links to read about out adventures in Agua Azul, Pamukkale, Semuc Champey and Kuang Si.
The fist site you reach when you visit are the pools that have formed on a plateau on the edge of a cliff. One is so close to the edge, it appears as an infinity pool. The best part of this spot are the sweeping mountains views.
The site was likely used by the Zapotecs 2,500 years ago. It is believed they built terraces on the mountain slopes for agriculture and may have used the pools in ceremonies.
The pools themselves are not very spectacular but their location on the edge of a steep cliff creates something that is. Over thousands of years the carbonated water has formed travertine ‘waterfalls’. They are nicknamed Frozen or Petrified Waterfalls and from a distance they almost look like a frozen waterfall. A small waterfall above is a teaser to what we could see a little further away.
We had heard that the best views of this large waterfall are from below so we set off down the mountain. The trail first took us around a gorge giving us a great look back at the pools, and the gentle ‘waterfall’ that falls off that cliff. The trail then drops down about a hundred meters where you can see the frozen waterfall effect.
Getting to Hierve el Agua
If you don’t have your own car or motorcycle, there are many full day tours offered in Oaxaca that include the falls, along with Mitla, the widest tree and Mezcal tasting. It’s also possible to go on your own. See the above for directions to get to Mitla from Oaxaca. Once in Mitla, colectivos leave near the bus stop. You sit in the back of a pickup truck for the winding 45 min drive up and over a mountain pass. It’s not comfortable, but not as bad as some rides we’ve had in Mexico. Colectivos wait until they have 12 people so you may have to wait for others to show up. We were there in the shoulder season (May) and waited about 30 minutes on the way in, but much longer to get back out.
Tips for visiting Hierve el Agua
- To reach the pools from the parking lot, there is a 20-30 min downhill walk to the pools. It’s an easy walk, but you can hire a mule to take you back up. You can swim in these pools but don’t expect a warm bath.
- The lower waterfall view point is approximately 110m (360 ft) below the parking lot so only go down if you can climb back up. It’s at a moderate elevation around 1745m (5,700 ft) so some people may have problems with the elevation.
- Tours may not give you enough time to hike down to the lower frozen waterfall lookout.
- There have been disagreements between the local community and government regarding access to the pools. The local people feel they have not been properly compensated for the amount of visitors that drive through their land to reach the pools. There is only one road to the pools and at times the locals may close this road, check if its open before making plans. In May 2024, the community charged $15 MXN (80¢ USD) per person to have access. Whether you arrive by car, tour or colectivo, everyone must pay this fee.
- In May 2024, the total costs to visit Hierve el Agua, if you take the colectivo, are $215 MXN ($11.30). We think it’s only worth it if you are willing to hike down the 110 m for the lower frozen waterfall view. If you only plan to see or soak in the pools, it may not be worth the money and the effort to get there.
Click on the link to see our Travel Tips For Mexico.
To read more of our adventures in Mexico, click here.
Coming Next – Colourful San Cristobal de las Casas
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To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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