About 40 km southeast of Oaxaca City lies Mitla, whose name comes from the Nahuatl Mictlán — “place of the dead.” While Monte Albán was the political capital, Mitla became the Zapotec world’s most important religious centre.
Mosaics like nowhere else
Mitla is renowned for geometric mosaics (grecas) assembled from over 100,000 finely cut stones fitted together without mortar — a technique found at no other site in Mexico. Read more on the INAH Mitla page or this overview of the site.
What to see
- The Column Group and its Hall of the Columns
- Underground cruciform tombs
- Remnants of red-painted lintels and frescoes
Plan your visit
Mitla pairs beautifully with Hierve el Agua and a mezcal village on a single loop — exactly what our Hierve el Agua, Mitla & Mezcal tour covers.
