Your mountain biking "trailhead" to Oaxaca, Mexico
Category: Ride Routes
Information on places to ride your bike with route information (typically GPS and map), towns passed through, points of interest along the way, and maybe even photos
There is a lovely, secluded valley situated between the villages of San Antonio Buena Vista and Santa Cecilia Jalieza in the outer reaches of the Teitipac region of the Tlacolula valley to the southeast of Oaxaca city. Well off the beaten path, few people venture this way. The valley is most beautiful in the summer and fall when the hillsides and farm fields are a vibrant green. But the area has an austere aesthetic even in the driest part of the year, when the blue sky contrasts with the various shades of brown and grey vegetation. This loop ride covers 75.2 km (46.7 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 437 meters (1435 feet). Expect to spend five to six hours in the saddle to finish the course, riding at a moderate pace and with a stop in San Juan Teitipac for brunch.
Nine cyclists took part in this March excursion into the countryside.There were just five cyclists on board for the same ride in September. Riding on pavement is fine, but the real fun is had on dirt roads.Happily, there are miles of unpaved country roads in the area.The landscape is dry and brittle deep into the dry season.Contrast that with lush green fields in September.It is a worthy climb over the ridge to Santa Cecilia Jalieza. Reaching the top of the hill reveals a great view of the Tlacolula valley.Time for some refreshments and relaxation in San Juan Teitipac before heading home. Back on the open road on the return to Oaxaca.
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.
Images of Benito Juarez are embedded in the trail in many places along the Camino’s route. The new Camino de Juarez 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 section of the Camino de Juarez in Tlalixtac nearest Oaxaca is still under construction in May 2024.
Sunday, 31 July 2022 was (another) gorgeous day for a mountain bike ride. Our route was one of our favorites – a long loop from Oaxaca to San Felipe Tejalápam to San Andrés Ixtlahuaca and back to Oaxaca. We zig-zagged a bit and wound up crossing the same stream multiple times just past Tejalápam. There are at least three roads that snake over the ridge of hills separating San Felipe and San Andrés. We chose the longest because it was the least steep of the lot, though still a formidable climb. The Ixtalhuaca valley was especially beautiful, with the farm fields and hillsides a vibrant green. All told, we pedaled 50.9 kilometers (31.6 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 493 meters (1618 feet). There were no mechanical problems or flat tires to mar the ride, which ran five hours from 9 am to 2 pm. The weather forecast was for rain in the Valles Centrales sometime after two o’clock, and we saw dark storm clouds developing along the Sierra Norte. Happily, we stayed dry – except for those stream crossings. Sorry, no one in the group took any photos along the way to share with you.
Dhruba volunteered to lead our outing on Sunday, 1 May 2022 and planned a long ride through the Tlacolula valley, going to the village of San Marcos Tlapazola, famous for the red clay pottery many women of the town produce and sell. Ten cyclists gathered in the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo for the 9 am departure. While on the bike path to Tule we encountered a roadie going our way, so he accompanied us as far as Rojas de Cuauhtemoc. Sad to say, the ride was plagued by the failures of the rear derailleurs on three bikes and flat tires suffered by two other members of the group. This was a most unusual – and unwelcome – occurrence, as we rarely have any mechanical problems on our Sunday excursions. These breakdowns slowed the group considerably, as we spent about 90 minutes dealing with the several problems. Two of the riders had to complete the ride on single-speed bikes when their rear derailleurs proved inoperable. Even so, the gang pedaled on and completed the circuit successfully. However, it was 6 pm by the time riders got back to Oaxaca – making for a grueling nine hours in the saddle. That included a most welcome stop for a late lunch at a favorite restaurant in Santa Maria del Tule on the last leg of the journey. It was a tired and sunburned bunch who finally made it home at the end of the day. The stats for the ride: 80.3 kms (49.9 miles) with 553 meters (1815 feet) of elevation gain and loss in the course of the ride.
Lots of open countryside in the Tlacolula valley.
The first of three bikes having a derailleur failure on the ride.
Despite having several competent mechanics in the group, the rear derailleur could not be repaired.
Our leader felt the ride was jinxed because of all the problems and delays.
Once arrived in San Marcos Tlapazola exhausted and behind schedule riders relished a chance to relax with snacks and cold beverages.
Steve was the ride leader today and proposed the group of eight cyclists pedal to the village of La Lobera, situated at the western edge of the Zimatlan valley some 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles) directly west of Zaachila. The moderate out & back ride covered a distance of 50.4 kilometers (31.3 miles), most of it on fairly level terrain. The overall elevation gain and loss of 422 meters (1386 feet) was accomplished mainly in the last 4.1 kilometers (2.5 miles) before reaching the destination. In that segment the first 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) had a very mild gradient of 2.5%, but the final 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) into Lobera averaged a steeper grade of 10%. As has become our custom when going this way, the group stopped at the Sabor A Ti restaurant for cold drinks and some delicious home-cooked Mexican dishes. Even with the lunch stop the group got back to Oaxaca in 4.5 hours, passing through Cuilapam both going and coming. Needless to say, it was a perfect day to be out on a bike, with clear skies and the thermometer hovering around 26ª Celsius (80º Fahrenheit). You just gotta love Oaxaca’s weather!
Two of today’s riders had never seen the monastery ruins in Cuilapam, so of course we had to stop there for a group photo.
