Thirteen riders showed up on this Sunday in mid-January to pedal to the village of Magdalena Apasco near the northwestern limit of the Etla valley. The thermometer registered 58ºF (14.4ºC) as the group assembled in the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo at 8 am, then climbed to 83ºF (28.3ºC) by the time the ride ended at 2 pm. The gang was composed of a mix of men and women, natives and expats, full-time residents and folks just passing through Oaxaca. Most riders were aboard hardtail mountain bikes, but there was one touring bike, a gravel bike and one full-suspension ebike in the pack. Participants seemed evenly matched in terms of bike skills and stamina. The total round trip distance amounted to 42.0 miles (67.6 kms). The troop enjoyed a hearty lunch at a restaurant in Villa de Etla on the return leg of the outing. When all was said and done, it was an excellent bike adventure.
To see a map of the route we followed and some additional photos, please see:
A bright Sunday morning in mid-January lured thirteen riders to take to their bikes.Cycling to the outskirts of Oaxaca city. Pedaling along a country lane. A group photo at some of the Zapotec ruins in San Jose el Mogote. The emblem of Mexico carved in stone at the municipal building in Magdalena Apasco.
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has made improving the infrastructure of the nation one of his priorities. The best known examples of his success include the construction of a new airport in México City, the Maya Train in the Yucatan, the inter-ocean trade corridor across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the new refinery complex in Tabasco state. In Oaxaca State the long-delayed new highway linking the capital with Puerto Escondido is finally nearly finished. And there have been many miles of new paved roads (colloquially called “AMLO roads”) built linking villages all around the Valles Centrales. Some examples of these: San Pedro Ixtlahuaca to San Pablo Cuatro Venados – 17.6 kilometers
San Gabriel Etla to Arroyo Guacamaya – 17.8 kilometers Jalapa del Valle to Santiago Tlazoyaltepec – 19.6 kilometers San Felipe Tejalapam to Santa Maria Peñoles – 26.3 kilometers
La Lobera to San Miguel Peras – 31.2 kilomete Asuncion Noxchitlan to Santiago Apoala – 37.9 kilometers Built to facilitate vehicular travel between communities through mountainous terrain, these have also impacted mountain bikers wanting to test their legs and lungs on challenging routes. While the distances and elevation gains have not been altered, the pavement makes the pedaling uphill somewhat easier and the descents much more exhilarating
The road from San Felipe Tejalapam to Santa Maria Peñoles is a great example of the new AMLO roads.
There is an epic new trail near Oaxaca deserving of mention here. Under construction for two years, the Camino de Juarez opened in March 2024. The trail runs from San Pablo Guelatao – the birthplace of renowned Oaxaca native, Benito Juarez – to the outskirts of the capital city. The trail commemorates the twelve-year-old orphan’s solo walk from his hometown to Oaxaca in 1818, leaving behind his years as an unschooled shepherd boy to embark on a lifetime of stellar achievements as a student, lawyer, state governor, supreme court justice and president and savior of Mexico during the war of the French Intervention. A contemporary of Abraham Lincoln in the U.S., Juarez can fairly be called the father of the modern state of Mexico.
The Camino de Juarez winds for 29 miles (46.5 kms) through the mountainous terrain of the Sierra Norte, starting at an elevation of 5790 feet (1765 meters) in Guelatao and concluding at 5020 feet (1530 meters) in Tlalixtac. As of October 2024 the trail is complete except for the last segment on the outskirts of Oaxaca.
The highest point on the trail is 9246 feet (2818 meters). There is an elevation gain of 7631 feet (2326 meters) running from Guelatao to Oaxaca, with an elevation loss of 8333 feet (2540 meters) along the way. The paved trail has some steep segments containing steps. There are pedestrian overpasses in the several places where the trail crosses highway 175. The Camino de Juarez is amenable to hikers, backpackers, joggers and bicyclists.
Here are some impressions from riding several miles of the trail from El Punto towards Lachatao. First of all, we applaud the idea of a trail linking Guelatao with Oaxaca. For the most part the trail is 10 feet wide, though at times it narrows to 4-6 feet. In places it is quite steep, with a gradient of up to 25%. Cyclists should be wary of the frequent drainage channels that cross the path. Some are merely dips while others are narrow channels. Riders should be on the lookout for some of the dips that drop up to a foot very suddenly; and take care crossing the channels which sometimes run diagonally across the path. Both of these can cause a nasty spill if not traversed with caution.
The map below shows the Camino de Juarez as it runs from El Estudiante to the presas in Huayapam, the next-to-last segment of the route just north of Oaxaca city.
Welcome to the Camino de Juarez!Images of Benito Juarez are embedded in the trail in many places along the Camino’s route. The Camino wends for miles through the Sierra Norte.There are lots of swoops up and down on the trail.Sections of the Camino de Juarez run parallel to Highway 175.Bridges carry the trail over the highway in many places.There are stairs on some short, steep segments of the route.You will have to duck under some low-hanging tree branches.There are frequent pullouts where travelers can rest and enjoy the scenery. With thousands of trees along the trail, why were these left in the middle of the path?
The Days of the Dead – November 1 & 2 – are national holidays in Mexico. At this time people honor their deceased relatives by decorating their graves with lavish flower bouquets and spend time communing with the spirits of the dead. This holiday is more important than Christmas, Easter or any other fiesta in the calendar year. This ride on 2 November to the small villages of Santo Domingo and Santa Cecilia Jalieza took cyclists past six cemeteries, all resplendent with flowers and crowded with the living descendants of those interred there. Though hardly evident now, archeologists say that at one time the Jalieza region of the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca was the most densely populated in the area. Even today the hidden valley between San Antonio Buenavista and Santa Cecilia is wonderfully scenic and a worthy destination for a bike ride. The 70 kilometer (43.6 mile) route is pretty mellow. Though the terrain is not flat, the hills are not that many or particularly challenging, making this an inviting excursion for anyone with decent biking skills.
There are miles of backcountry roads and a snaggle of single track trails in the hills north and west of Santiago Suchilquitongo that are a lure to mountain bikers looking to explore new territory. This post recounts two similar but distinct rides.
RIDE ONE: To scratch the itch of adventure, two cyclists set out from Oaxaca to shuttle their bikes 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) to Suchilquitoingo one morning, intent on discovering what that region has to offer. This being an exploratory trip and a first-time visit, the day’s route rested on a roll of the dice as to which direction to ride. First up was a trek up the hill just west of the cuota to Mexico City past the Technologico Nacional de Mexico. What started as a promising ride on an unpaved country lane soon devolved into a jeep road and then a narrow, ill-defined single track which climbed up to a ridge overlooking the valley spread below. Near the top the trail became so faint and steep the riders deemed it best to turn around and retrace their path. Back in the valley, the cyclists had better luck following a freshly-graded road winding westward past two reservoirs, with the road climbing steadily upward for a number of miles. After pedaling for two hours, the pair decided to head back, calling the day’s excursion a success. The stats for the day are: 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) ridden, with an elevation gain and loss of 596 meters (1956 feet). See first map, below.
RIDE TWO: Intrigued by the road which seemed to wind ever higher and deeper into the nearby mountains, cyclists returned a second time to explore the area further. Turns out this old road is a winner! The lower portion is mainly sundrenched, but the upper sections offer good forest shade. The first five miles provide moderate climbs and descents as the track weaves through the woods. The next 1.3 miles are steeper, with grades of 8 to 15 percent. The final seven-tenths of a mile climb is a challenge, with lots of loose sand and a gradient of up to 20% in places. An ebike is a real asset and is definitely in its element here! The ride stats are: distance 21.7 km (13.5 miles) / elevation gain & loss 781 meters (2563 feet) / ride time of 2.5 hours on ebikes. See second map, below.
Scampering up a trail in the hills near Huitzo.A spectacular view of the countryside. The first of two reservoirs on today’s outing. The same reservoir seen from further up the mountain.The long, winding road up into the mountains. Lots of zigging and zagging along the way. Deep in the forest and high on the hill.
