Surrounding the city of Oaxaca there are many small towns where the customs and traditions of centuries are intensely followed, where handicrafts, gastronomy and legends are passed down from father to son and traditionally conserved, where the prodigious artistic heritage is the reflection of the colorful and vibrant spirit of the different communities, where you will find sublime expressions in their handcrafts which they will show you, and which you will surely admire. Likewise, their deeply rooted traditions are manifested in the daily life of the communities, including ancestral customs that modernism has not been able to extract from the Oaxacan peoples, where a marriage or a wake is a solemn ritual; where the Oaxacan Guelaguetza (fiesta of ancient origin) takes place annually, with the support and brotherly cooperation of its people; where you will enjoy a varied and exquisite gastronomy, in each and every one of the towns. Thus, the great cultural richness of the central valleys of Oaxaca represents a spectacular array of elements truly worthy of your presence.
Some of the principal towns are:
San José El Mogote
Considered one of the most ancient and important Middle American settlements of the valley of Etla, believed to have been founded before Monte Albán. Among the remains there are indications of urban planning in which the buildings appear to have been the seat of an eminently elite organization. In the local museum there is an archaeological exhibit, tangible proof of the many years of investigation and excavations, in which two outstanding pieces are a jade figure of 35 cm. (13.8 inches) and a statuette-brazier painted red and known in the town as the hot chili devil.
Cuilapam de Guerrero
This is another beautiful town, known for its temple and for two historical details: the first is that during many years the construction was thought to be that of an open chapel, but actually it was an unfinished Dominican structure; the second corresponds to the event of February 14, 1830, where General Vicente Guerrero was executed within the walls of the ex-convent.
In the interior of the temple, near the presbytery, there is a tomb protected by a metallic fence in which it is said that the remains of the Princess Donají and her eternal lover, the Mixtec Prince Nucano, are buried.
Santa Ana del Valle
This is a Zapotec community inhabited by weavers who produce the beautiful and famous woolen rugs woven in traditional fashion and dyed with natural colors, among which is the red obtained from the cochineal (grana cochinilla). The highlight of the traditional fiestas is the spectacular Plume Dance (Danza de la Pluma), commemorating the conquest of Mexico.
Teotitlán del Valle
A place famous for the quality and beauty of its woolen products, woven in large wooden looms and decorated with natural dyes. The designs range from the traditional Zapotec grecas and glyphs of Mitla to reproductions of contemporary paintings.
The lovely seventeenth-century temple of the Precious Blood of Christ (Preciosa Sangre de Cristo) is also well worth visiting. A few yards away from the archaeological zone, its principal faCade is notable for its outstanding quarry-stone carvings.
Be sure to visit the beautiful Central Valleys, and let them provide you with endless options for making your stay an unforgettable adventure.
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