Capulálpam Magic Town & Guelatao: Cloud Forest & Eco-Retreat (2D/1N)
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca02 Days / 01 NightStarts 08:00Cancellation up to 3 days before
About this experience
A 2-day, 1-night immersive mountain journey through the majestic Sierra Juárez, fusing pristine cloud forest nature, Mexican history, and indigenous healing wisdom. On Day 1, visit the Guelatao Glass Skywalk, the historic sacred lagoon, and Ixtlán's colonial church, continuing to the picturesque Magic Town of Capulálpam de Méndez to savor rare chichilo mole in the community market, tour 17th-century San Mateo Church, and stay overnight in rustic mountain cabins equipped with wood-burning fireplaces. On Day 2, visit a white-tailed deer wildlife reserve (UMA), venture barefoot into the pitch-black caverns of Cueva del Arroyo for a sensory grounding walk, and visit the Indigenous Traditional Medicine Center with optional herbal temazcal steam bath and massage.
Key details
Destination
Oaxaca City
Duration
02 Days / 01 Night
Start time
08:00
Operating days
Every day
Group size
2 – 12 people
Cancellation
Up to 3 days before
Service
Spanish and English
What is included
Round-trip air-conditioned transportation from Oaxaca City, certified bilingual tour coordinator, traveler insurance, 1 night accommodation in eco-cabins in Capulálpam with fireplace and firewood, Guelatao museum and lake entry, white-tailed deer sanctuary tour, Cueva del Arroyo cave expedition, and guided visit to the Traditional Indigenous Medicine Center.
DAY 1: 08:00 AM Departure to Sierra Juárez | 09:30 AM Glass Skywalk and Guelatao Lake | 11:30 AM Ixtlán de Juárez church | 01:00 PM Capulálpam: market lunch & chichilo tasting | 03:00 PM Historic village and church walking tour | 05:30 PM Check-in at pine cabins with fireplace & free evening. DAY 2: 08:30 AM Deer wildlife sanctuary visit | 09:30 AM Market breakfast | 10:45 AM Cueva del Arroyo underground sensory cave walk | 01:00 PM Mountain lunch | 02:30 PM Traditional Indigenous Medicine Center visit (optional temazcal/massage) | 05:00 PM Return drive | 07:30 PM Oaxaca drop-off.
Times are approximate and may vary with traffic and weather.
An intimate, transformative, and deeply sensory holistic healing retreat nestled in a peaceful highland village just outside Oaxaca City, where mountain streams and cool pine breezes foster profound inner reconnection. Guided by 'La China', a respected traditional indigenous healer, embark on a sacred 5-stage ceremonial journey focused on emotional release, energetic renewal, and body-soul harmonization using ancestral elements: copal resin smudging, fresh medicinal herb cleansing, therapeutic stream water rituals, and deep mindfulness meditation. To protect sacred privacy and foster complete presence, cameras and mobile phones are strictly prohibited during the ceremony.
Duration: 08 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Tue, Fri
Group: 2 – 8 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 2 days before
From, per adult$1,581MXN
A premium connoisseur experience designed for true aficionados of Oaxaca's most sacred spirit. Begin with a photo stop at the ancient Tule Tree before traveling deep into agave country to visit two distinct, world-class palenques. At the first distillery, learn the artisanal method (underground stone oven roasting, horse-drawn stone tahona wheel crushing, and copper alembic still distillation). Next, venture to the community of Xaaga to meet an authentic Master Mezcalier preserving rare ancestral mezcal: agave crushed by hand using heavy wooden mallets in oak tree troughs and double-distilled exclusively in pre-Hispanic clay pots with reed tubes. Conclude with an educational guided tasting comparing wild agave varieties.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Tue, Fri
Group: 2 – 12 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$1,581MXN
Child (3–11)$1,186MXN
An enriching Friday excursion into the southern Valley of Ocotlán to experience its vibrant weekly market day. Begin in Ocotlán de Morelos visiting its restored neoclassical church adorned with artwork by native painter Rodolfo Morales. Inside the lively town market, visit 'La Cocina de Frida', an iconic food stall run by Doña Beatriz, celebrated for her striking natural resemblance to artist Frida Kahlo. Savor a chilled bowl of pre-Hispanic téjate before continuing to Santo Tomás Jalieza, where indigenous women preserve ancient pre-Columbian backstrap loom weaving producing geometric cotton belts and textiles. Conclude in San Martín Tilcajete, stepping inside a family alebrije studio to witness copal wood carving and intricate fine-brush painting of mythical creatures.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 10:00
Fri
Group: 2 – 14 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$1,260MXN
Child (3–11)$945MXN
An extraordinary anthropological and culinary journey operated exclusively on Sundays to Mesoamerica's oldest and most vibrant indigenous open-air market: Tlacolula Traditional Market. Begin at the 16th-century Dominican Monastery of San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, admiring its hand-painted indigenous floral ceiling frescoes and historic working baroque pipe organ. Continue to San Marcos Tlapazola, a remote Zapotec village where indigenous women craft distinctive red clay cookware entirely by hand without a wheel. Arrive in bustling Tlacolula, walking among thousands of villagers dressed in colorful embroidered aprons where ancestral silent barter (trueque) is still practiced. Savor freshly pit-roasted lamb barbacoa, sweet pan de cazuela, and drink frothy téjate, the ancient pre-Hispanic 'drink of the gods'.
Duration: 05.5 Hours · starts 09:00
Sun
Group: 3 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$1,297MXN
Child (3–11)$973MXN
Just 17 km north of Oaxaca City, venture into the verdant Valley of Etla to discover two celebrated regional wonders: eco-friendly artisanal papermaking and the true birthplace of iconic Oaxacan string cheese (quesillo). Begin in San Agustín Etla at the Arte Papel Oaxaca studio, housed in a historic hydroelectric mill, witnessing how native botanical fibers—pochote tree bark, wild cotton, and flowers—are transformed into fine handmade paper and jewelry. Tour the magnificent San Agustín Arts Center (CaSa), Latin America's first ecological cultural center, set inside a restored 1883 textile factory with stunning architecture. Conclude at a family-run dairy farm in Reyes Etla, watching fresh curds stretched into endless ribbons and coiled into classic quesillo balls, accompanied by a delicious tasting of fresh cheeses and regional snacks.
Duration: 04.5 Hours · starts 09:00
Mon, Wed, Fri
Group: 2 – 14 people
3 plans: LIGHT · CONFORT · FULL
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$938MXN
Child (3–11)$704MXN
Experience one of the most exhilarating, vibrant, and unique Day of the Dead carnivals in all of Mexico: The Muerteada of San Agustín Etla, celebrated on the night of November 1st. With over 80 years of living tradition, the entire mountain community takes to the streets in a massive nocturnal procession where death is confronted with theatrical satire, infectious brass music, and community revelry. Hundreds of participants wear breathtaking costumes sewn with thousands of chiming metal bells and mirrors, portraying legendary folk characters—the Devil, Death, priests, doctors, and spiritualists—acting out an ancient comedic drama where a deceased soul returns to life before being guided back to eternity.
Duration: 06 Hours · starts 19:00
Every day
Group: 2 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 5 days before
From, per adult$1,735MXN
A deeply moving, solemn nocturnal experience operated exclusively on the night of October 31st to witness how indigenous and rural Oaxacan families honor their departed ancestors. Departing from La Merced Temple, journey to two historic cemeteries in the Central Valleys (such as Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán, San Bartolo Coyotepec, or Santa María Atzompa). Walk respectfully along pathways illuminated by thousands of flickering beeswax candles and enveloped in the fragrant aroma of copal incense and golden marigolds. Witness entire generations keeping vigil through the night, singing hymns, playing acoustic guitars, and sharing pan de muerto, tamales, and mezcal beside their ancestors' decorated graves.
Duration: 05 Hours · starts 19:00
Every day
Group: 2 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 5 days before
From, per adult$1,735MXN
An engaging and time-efficient half-day journey capturing three defining cultural pillars of Oaxaca's Central Valleys. Begin in Santa María del Tule to stand in awe before the legendary Tule Tree, an ancient Montezuma cypress over 2,000 years old boasting the stoutest tree trunk on Earth (over 14 meters in diameter) and weighing 600+ tons, deciphering whimsical animal shapes sculpted into its ancient bark. Journey onward to the Zapotec weaving capital of Teotitlán del Valle, visiting a family-run textile workshop to witness wool carding, organic dyeing with cochineal insects, and intricate geometric weaving on wooden foot looms. Conclude at a traditional mezcal distillery to discover time-honored artisanal production and enjoy an expansive tasting of artisanal mezcal, aged reserves, and flavored creams.
Duration: 04.5 Hours · starts 09:00
Tue, Thu, Sat
Group: 2 – 16 people
1 plan: Standard
Cancellation up to 1 day before
From, per adult$975MXN
Child (3–11)$732MXN
Adults
Children
Some dates are closed for operation and cannot be selected.
