How to visit Monte Albán in Oaxaca (Mexico): schedules, prices

Oaxaca It is one of the main tourist destinations in a trip to Mexico, especially for those interested in traditional culture, artistic heritage, gastronomy and crafts.

Its historic center was one of the first in the country to be declared Heritage awarded by the Unesco and it is one of the most attractive for the traveler.

But when it comes to organizing the trip to Oaxaca, it is advisable to reserve two more days for visit the surroundings of the city, one of the most recommended regions in all of Mexico due to the variety and number of interesting places.

These include archaeological sites, towns dedicated to the most varied crafts, and even what is considered the largest tree in the world.

The area is known as Central Valleys o Oaxaca Valley.

Monte Albán, archaeological zone near Oaxaca

Due to its importance and ease of access, the first visit should be Monte Albán.

It is so close to the city, in fact, it is archaeological zone is registered with the historic center of Oaxaca as a single place on the list of world Heritage.

Monte Albán It is located at the top of an artificially flattened hill that dominates the aforementioned Oaxaca Valley, about 400 meters above the city.

The path, about eight kilometers long, can be easily done by bus or taxi, and once there, most visitors spend about two hours visiting.

Probably Monte Albán not be him Mexican archaeological zone more spectacular at first sight, but it is one of the most notable for its cultural and historical importance.

The site is impressive due to the grandeur of the complex and the hypnotic force it creates by reproducing the contours of the hills and valleys with the pyramids and patios.

History of Monte Albán

Besides. here has been found one of the largest treasures coming from the prehispanic cultures.

The place was occupied around the year 500 BC by groups that can now be defined as zapotecs.

This culture continues alive today and is one of the most important in the world. Oaxaca state.

At a historical level, it is worth remembering that Monte Albán It was probably the first place where any true writing system was used in Mexico.

The city reached its maximum splendor between the years 300 and 700 AD, when it had about 25.000 inhabitants.

At that time the top of the main hill was flattened to organize plazas and build the most important buildings, including pyramids, palaces, ball courts and temples.

The city was then built on a system of terraces and artificial slopes.

From here an infinite number of settlements distributed throughout the Central Valleys and dedicated to agriculture.

The place was abandoned between the years 700 and 950 and was barely inhabited until 1521 (date of arrival of the Spanish), with some exceptions that are behind one of the largest archaeological finds in all of America.

What to see when visiting Monte Albán

Upon arriving at the venue, next to the ticket office, there is a small but interesting museum, with several samples of reliefs, as well as a cafeteria, a bookstore and a souvenir shop.

Once inside, the first thing you encounter is the call North Platform.

It stands on a rocky hill and there are steps, stelae, burial chambers and temples.

The fundamental part is the call Sunken Courtyard, with an altar and several buildings in the center; the VGE Wake 2 He seems to be standing watching the horizon.

Next you reach the Large square, which was the center of Monte Albán.

It is a large area 300 meters long by 200 meters wide, and all the buildings that surround it date from the city's period of splendor, and are religious and residential structures.

The eastern side of the square is defined by a series of interesting buildings such as the Ball game, the largest of the five in Monte Albán, built in the 1st century BC.

Other important elements are the piramid, which is actually a large stepped plinth on which there must have been a temple, and the palace, which is entered through a narrow hallway that implies restricted access.

The southern side is closed by the South Mound.

It is an imposing artificial mass of about 140 meters on a side, and its large size reflects the importance given to this cardinal point.

It shows a stele in each corner and a large staircase gives access to the place.

On the western side appears, among several structures, a set of stelae at the bottom of the building called Dancers.

This name refers to the characters represented on the stelae who, due to the postures they have, were taken precisely as danzantes.

Today we tend to think that they are actually the leaders of conquered peoples, and the postures mean humiliated or mutilated bodies.

The hieroglyphs who accompany them are the older examples real acquaintances writing in Mexico.

In addition to those of the dancers, throughout the premises there are several stelae more than representing warriors, priests, ambassadors and prisoners, as well as numeral and symbolic glyphs.

An important aspect of Monte Albán They are the tombs, but they are usually closed and not accessible.

The one that has revealed the most interesting pieces is, without a doubt, the Tomb 7, which is located right next to the parking lot.

There, in 1932, one of the most important archaeological finds of the entire XNUMXth century was produced; was the tomb of a Mixtec dignitary buried in the 14th or 15th century.

In total, more than 600 objects were recovered, weighing 3,5 kilos of pure gold.

The curious thing is that the tomb is a structure of the Zapotec culture built around the year 800, and what it means is that it was used six centuries later by the culture who at that time dominated the Central Valleys.

Zapotecs y Mixtecs They are, still today, the predominant indigenous groups in the Oaxaca state, and their languages ​​continue to be used as mother tongue by a significant portion of the local population.

The treasure can be admired in a special room in the Museum of the Cultures of Oaxaca.

Monte Albán archaeological zone schedules

El Monte Albán visiting hours It is, every day of the year, from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon.

Monte Albán ticket prices

El entrance price to visit Monte Albán It is 80 pesos (3,70 euros).

How to get to Monte Albán

The archaeological zone of Monte Albán is located on the outskirts of the city of Oaxaca, 10 kilometers and 20 minutes by car from the center of this Mexican city.