Colonia San Felipe del Agua is a favorite neighborhood for mountain bikers living in Oaxaca – whether gringo ex-pats or natives – because of the proximity of a network of great singletrack trails in the hills just above the community. It is a quick (if not exactly easy) ride from one’s front door to any of a number of satisfying trails. These are remnants of old jeep roads connecting San Felipe with Viguera; various pedestrian and animal paths; and some access trails created during the installation of a high-voltage power line across the mountains. The trails are often badly eroded and overgrown with vegetation, but they are generally rideable – if you can find them! And that’s where this web site comes into play. We’ve mapped the area so you can locate the trail that tickles your fancy on any given outing. Be forewarned, though: the trails are not marked, and can be difficult to find in heavy brush, even with a map. Your best bet is to download trail information into a GPS unit and have that with you when you go exploring the territory – or hook up for a ride with one of the locals who knows the area.
This particular ride is a loop that connects several of the individually-named trail segments found on the “Trails” page of this web site. It begins and ends at Colosio Park (intersection of Primero de Mayo and Loma Oaxal), covers 7.9 miles (12.7 km) and has an elevation gain & loss of 1750 feet (533.4 meters). While some sections are fairly steep and riding in the woods can be tricky, this outing is rated “Moderate,” as there are no serious technical challenges along the way. Expect to finish the loop in 60 to 90 minutes, depending on your biking ability and riding style.
Specifically, this route uses the following trails segments, which are detailed on the “Trails” page of this web site: (start) LBR to LNR to TTT to R to LNR to RR to WFR to SP to CM to LBR (finish).
The Asociacion de Ciclismo Comptetitive y Recreative del Estado de Oaxaca (ACCREO) regularly sponsors closed-course races and cross-country marathon races around Oaxaca. These events draw anywhere from 100 to over 300 race participants, with lots of spectators lining the race course.
Race participants are divided by category into expert class, several age brackets in the master’s division, female riders, and amateurs. In the closed-course races, contestants must make several trips around the course. The number of required loops depends in part on the length and difficulty of the course, and in part on which category the rider is in — where the expert riders may make four circuits of the course, the master class bikers may make three loops and the amateurs just two go-rounds, for instance. The marathon races, on the other hand, cover a much greater distance, whether on a loop course, an out-and-back track or a one-way ride. In the marathon contests racers cover the course just once. Whatever the style of the race, all participants take the contest quite seriously and give it their all!
Race Calendar
In past years we posted a calendar of scheduled races around Oaxaca on this web site. However, experience has shown that race dates and/or venues are often changed through the year, and so the information posted becomes out of date and may be misleading. Therefore we no longer post such a calendar here. Information about upcoming races may be obtained at local bike shops or on Facebook or Twitter.
Race Courses
Cruz Blanca(Xoxocotlan) – Cruz Blanca is a small colonia located between Xoxocotlan and Cuilapam on the southwest side of Oaxaca city. See race course details listed below under the heading “Xoxocotlan”.
Cuilapam – The town of Cuilapam de Guerrero is just a few miles southwest of Oaxaca city. The race course runs 4.5 miles (7.2 km) along and through the riverbed that separates the northern and southern halves of the town, then continues through farmland west of the city. The course is one of the least technical of all the closed-course race venues around, but features the most water crossings.
El Rancho Jabalin – El Rancho Jabalin is in a remote area about an hour’s drive southeast of Oaxaca city on Hwy 190. The race course here uses a combination of singletrack trail and dirt roads, all of it challenging terrain with some very steep and treacherous descents. The course is 3.2 miles (5.2 km) around and has an elevation gain/loss of 772 feet (235 meters).
HuayapamCourse # 1 – This Huayapam race course is a loop running 3.8 miles (6.1 km), with 696 feet (212 meters) of elevation gain and loss along the way. That does not sound like much climbing, but some of the uphill segments register gradients from 15% to 20%, making many a racer a hike-a-biker. The loop utilizes a very little bit of city streets, but mainly sticks to single track trail running along the flank of the hills near town. The start/finish line is at 5554 feet (1696 meters) in altitude, and the highest point of the course tops out at 5751 fee (1753 meters).
Huayapam Course # 2 – The nearby village of San Andrés Huayapam hosted a mountain bike race sponsored by the Federacion Mexicana de Ciclismo on Sunday, 24 April 2016. The event took place in Huayapam’s ecotourism park, adjacent to the two presas which serve as water reservoirs for Huayapam and Tlalixtac. As is the custom with other local closed-course races, the main race was preceded by several rounds of shorter races for kids. The main event got under way about 10:30 am and featured riders from Oaxaca and various other states in Mexico competing in various “Expert” and “Womens” categories.
The course laid out for the race wound back and forth and around the park, at one point crossing over itself on a bridge. The course was 3.1 miles (5.0 kilometers) long, with an elevation gain and loss of 471 feet (143.5 meters) along the way. Depending on what category they were entered in, participants had to circle the course four or five times to complete the race. As race courses around Oaxaca go, this was at a relatively low elevation — 5330 to 5508 feet (1624.5 to 1678.8 meters) — with moderate climbs and few technical challenges, making it one of the easier venues. Even so, the course was sufficiently challenging to keep the riders on their toes.
La Cumbre Ixtepeji – The race course uses some old logging roads, but the exciting part is the singletrack trail through the deep woods. The circuit covers 4.8 miles (7.72 km), making it the longest of the race venues. The elevation gain and loss going around the loop amounts to 1153 feet (351 meters). The starting gate at La Cumbre sits at an altitude of 9492 feet (2892 meters) and the high point of the race course is 9822 feet (2994 meters).
La Cumbre Ixtepeji Marathon – The La Cumbre marathon is a point-to-point race utilizing parts of Highway 175, a couple of dirt roads and some singletrack trail in the mountains. The course covers 16 miles (25.7 km) going mainly uphill, with an elevation gain of 4513 feet (1376 meters) and a loss of just 440 feet (134 meters). The starting point is just a few blocks north of the Benito Juarez monument (at the intersection of highways 190 and 175 on the east side of Oaxaca city). The race ends at the ecotourism camp in the forest preserve operated by the World Wildlife Fund at La Cumbre. The starting gate sits at an altitude of about 5200 feet (1585 meters) while the highest point on the course registers 9403 feet (2866 meters) in elevation.
La Cumbre Ixtepeji Downhill Enduro Race – Downhill-specific mountain biking has taken off in Oaxaca in recent years with the development of trails designed for this segment of the sport. The Veredita trail near Guacamaya and Cieneguillas trail above San Agustin Etla are among these. But the largest concentration of downhill trails is found near the ecotourism camp at La Cumbre.
Los Audelos (San Pedro Ixtlahuaca) – Singletrack and dirt roads combine to make the loop riders follow for this race. The course is 3.0 miles (4.8 km) around, and manages an elevation gain & loss of 520 feet (158 meters) along the way. Overall, the track is more demanding than Xoxocotlan, but less challenging than most other race venues.
Miahuatlan de Porfirio DiazMarathon – To mark the 150th anniversary of the battle of Miahuatlan on 3 October 1866, the community sponsored a marathon mountain bike race in October, 2016. The first 2.5 miles of the course made use of city streets, then steered participants out into the surrounding countryside, where dirt roads and singletrack trails kept riders switching gears through the rolling terrain. The loop course ran 22.0 miles (35.4 kms), with an elevation gain & loss of 3436 feet (1047 meters).
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San Agustin Etla Marathon – San Agustin hosts the “La Carroñera” race, which is a grueling 23.5 mile (37.9 km) contest in the mountains just outside the town. The race begins and ends at the municipal building. Contestants first ride a small loop through town, then begin a tough 3712 foot (1131 meter) climb on city streets, dirt roads and single track trail in the forest, eventually reaching an altitude of 9220 feet (2810 meters). A highlight of the race is riding past the ruins of an old hydroelectric power station and then along the aqueduct that carries water from a mountain stream down into San Agustin.
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San Antonino – A 4.9 mile (7.88 kms) loop trail through the countryside just south of town provides ample challenge, with two sustained hill climbs totaling 720 feet (219 meters) of elevation gain, followed by sharp descents on a rough and steep trail.
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San Felipe del Agua – Race participants use the trail network along the Libramiento Norte, linking segments of various trails. With so many intersecting trails on the mountainside, it is easy to make each year’s course slightly different from the one before. The course shown on the map below is 3.1 miles (5.0 km) long, with an elevation gain/loss of 839 feet (256 meters). In other years the course has been 3.2 and 3.8 miles long.
San Francisco Telixtlahuaca – Here again the course uses dirt roads and singletrack trails, some of it dangerously loose and steep. It is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) around the circuit, with a gain/loss of 579 feet (176 meters).
San Jose de Gracia – The race circuit is a loop that starts/ends on the main street of town in front of the municipal building. The first part of the course follows city streets (dirt) uphill for four-tenths of a mile (.68 km), acting as a filter to separate faster riders from their slower brethren. Then the route turns downhill, zipping back through town and down into the valley of the Rio Quiechapa. After splashing through the stream, the route takes to a single-track trail that wends up, down and around through the forest before crossing the river again and going back into town to complete the loop. The course runs for 3.15 miles (5.1 km), with an elevation gain and loss of 621 feet (189.3 meters).
San Juan Teposcolula – This 56 kilometer marathon race course laid out in the hill country surrounding San Juan Teposcolula is a killer! Though not terribly technical, it has lots of hill climbs and seems to go on forever! The race was first conducted here on Sunday, 4 March 2018. Die-hard racers are hoping it will become an annual classic.
San Lorenzo Cacaotepec – The race course is a combination of city streets, country lanes and a bit of single track trail through farm fields. The loop course runs 2.6 miles (4.2 km), with a very modest elevation gain and loss of 254 feet (77.4 meters) and no technical challenges, making it one of the shortest and easiest race venues in the area. Contestants ride the circuit four times to complete the race.
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San Pablo Etla – The 3.2 mile long race circuit travels over some dirt roads but mainly singletrack trails that wind up and down, over and around the hills near the new mountain park being developed by San Pablo. There are no killer climbs on the course, but the narrow trail constantly rises and falls so that riders must pay close attention and shift gears regularly. The gain / loss is 400 feet (122 meters) around the race course. With close proximity to Oaxaca, San Pablo Etla is a popular race venue and draws a large number of contestants. To vary the course, bikers ride the loop in the opposite direction from year to year.
San Pablo Guila Marathon – The town of San Pablo Guila is 40 miles (64 kms) southeast of Oaxaca city, not far off Highway 190, the main road to Huatulco. It is home to the “Perros de la Montana” mountain bike club and the location for the “Titan Zapoteca” marathon race held in March each year. The race course is formidable, running for 42 km (26 miles) through the countryside, with steep climbs and scary, very technical descents. The total elevation gain and loss on the loop course amounts to over 1128 meters (3700 feet). This is not a race for the faint of heart!
San Pablo Huixtepec – The race course is in the hill country just west of town. The loop course runs 3.4 miles (5.47 km), mainly on dirt roads. There is one very technical downhill section of single track, though, that will certainly get your adrenaline flowing! This section is very steep and flows through a jumble of rocks. If you survive the rock gardens, the rest of the loop is a piece of cake! The overall elevation gain & loss amounts to 641 feet (195 meters).
San Pedro Ixtlahuaca Marathon – This race makes a loop using dirt roads on the western side of the Etla Valley. The course covers 19.8 miles (31.9 km) and entails an elevation gain & loss of 2910 feet (887 meters). The climb from the starting gate to San Cristobal is fierce and demands exceptional stamina. That is followed by a screamer of a descent to the Rio Jallapam and then a gradual downhill into Jalapa del Valle. Contestants must then ride over a ridge to get back to San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, but it is not nearly as daunting as the first killer climb. The start / finish line is at an altitude of 5515 feet (1681 meters) and the highest point along the route tops out at 7239 feet (2206 meters). Most participants finished the course in between 2 and 2.5 hours.
Titan Zapoteca Marathon – The Titan Zapoteca is an annual marathon race held in and around San Pablo Guila, 40 miles (64 kms) from Oaxaca City. The wicked loop course covers 26 miles (42 kms) on steep and technical terrain that will keep even professional racers on their toes. The race is sponsored by the “Perros de las Montanas” mountain bike club and is one of the premier races around Oaxaca.
Tule – Famous for its incredibly old and large cedar tree, the village of Santa Maria del Tule also hosts an occasional mountain bike race in the open countryside near the quarry just south of town. The course makes use of a combination of country roads, farm access lanes and some single track trail. The route covers 4.2 miles (6.76 km) in a loop, with an elevation gain and loss of 509 feet (155 meters). There are no water crossings or technical features on the course.
Xoxocotlan – The race takes place on the southwestern edge of town, using city streets and dirt roads for most of the route. The track is 3.1 miles (4.99 km) around, and has an elevation gain/loss of 492 feet (150 meters). This is the most urban and easiest race course in the circuit.
The village church in Tlcochahuaya is an artistic surprise. It is elaborately decorated with stenciling and has exceptional paintings and other furnishings, including a remarkable refurbished 17th century pipe organ. Getting there by bicycle is also quite a treat.
The route indicated on the map below avoids main roads and the highway, using side streets, a bike path and dirt roads in the country, instead. It also includes a visit to a marker set atop a steep hill just north of town. The hill requires a hearty climb, but offers a nice view of the surrounding area. You can bypass it, though, for a less strenuous outing. Similarly, you can shorten the overall ride by 7 miles and reduce the amount of climb by 375 feet by starting the ride in downtown Oaxaca rather than in San Felipe del Agua.
The ride out and back as shown covers 31.0 miles (50 km), with a total of 1766 feet (538 meters) going uphill. Other than the steep climb up the hill to the overlook above Tlacochahuaya, which at times is over loose scrabble, there are no technically demanding features. It is an easy ride, but a rather long one.
The ride from Benito Juarez through Cuajimoloyas to Llano Grande is one of the easiest treks in the Pueblos Mancomunados, as it takes place mainly on a paved road and has relatively little elevation change along the way — at least compared to other rides in the Sierra Norte mountains. Given the altitude of nearly 10,000 feet (3048 meters), you’re riding on top of the world. You will often see clouds in the forest below you as you swoop along this wonderfully scenic route.
While all three of these very small villages are quite charming, Llano Grande is the most unique, with an architectural style and flavor that made me feel like I had stumbled into an elfin enclave in Bavaria or been somehow transported to the world of Hobbits. Each town has an ecotourism center where you can get information, hire trail guides or rent cozy cabins for overnight stays.
If you do the out-and-back ride, sticking to the road both ways, it will take you 20.5 miles (33.0 km) through gently rolling terrain, sometimes in dense forest and at other moments presenting panoramic vistas. The overall elevation gain & loss riding back and forth is 2330 feet (710 meters). There are no demands for technical bike-handling skills on this trip. However, the altitude may present some physical challenges to those who venture here from sea-level locations.
The map below, however, includes a section of excellent fire road that plunges down, up and around through the woods between Llano Grande and Cuajimoloyas. It is a delightful addition to the simple out-and-back ride on the main road. Including this lollipop loop will boost your total mileage to 23.6 miles (38.0 km). Along the way you will climb 3015 feet (919 meters) and drop 2949 feet (899 meters). A word of caution, though. There are lots of unmarked intersecting logging roads in the area. Exercise caution so that you don’t get lost or wind up far from your intended destination! Give yourself plenty of time and carry lots of water.
The World Wildlife Fund sponsors a forest preserve in the Sierra Norte mountains immediately north of Oaxaca. The preserve is sizeable, extending 15 miles (24 km) from La Cumbre to Santa Catarina Ixtepejic. The area is criss-crossed with old logging trails that are now closed to vehicular traffic, but are terrific for hiking and mountain biking. There is a fee of 50 pesos to gain entrance to the reserve, and guides are available, if desired.
This particular out-and-back ride goes a total of 19.8 miles (32 km) from the entrance station on highway 175 on one of the many interconnecting trails in the woods. The elevation gain going in and coming back out comes to 3742 feet (1140 meters). And don’t forget that you are operating at an altitude of about 9000 feet (274 meters), to begin with. This ride is rated “Moderate.”
There are no grand vistas or archeological ruins to be had here. Just the peace and tranquility to be found in the deep forest. Be aware that the temperature in the cloud forest is usually about 20 degrees Fahrenheit (6.6 degrees Celsius) lower than conditions in Oaxaca. Morning fog and drizzle is commonplace, even in the dry season, so dress accordingly.
