Atzompa

Tickets and tours: which to book

Nothing for Atzompa alone is sold online. Entry works the same way as at most sites run by INAH, the national institute of anthropology and history: you pay a small fee in pesos at the ticket booth by the entrance, and there is no timed slot or quota. Bring cash, as card machines are not reliable at small zones. Some INAH sites are free for Mexican residents on Sundays, but foreign visitors normally pay.

Most visitors come independently by taxi from Oaxaca city, often combining the ruins with the pottery workshops and the craft market of Santa Maria Atzompa at the foot of the hill. Very few organised tours include the site, because the standard day trips from Oaxaca go to Monte Alban or to Mitla, Hierve el Agua and the Tule tree. A few private guides and drivers in Oaxaca will add Atzompa to a Monte Alban morning if you ask, which is the easiest way to see both with context.

Signs on the site are brief and mainly in Spanish, so a little reading beforehand helps: Atzompa makes most sense once you have seen the main plaza of Monte Alban and understand that this was one of its residential and ceremonial outliers. The sensible plan is a taxi with waiting time, booked through your hotel.

A short history

Atzompa was built by the Zapotecs on a ridge about five kilometres north of Monte Alban, then the capital of the Oaxaca valley. It was founded as a satellite of the capital and grew in the Late Classic period, roughly between AD 650 and 850, when Monte Alban was at its largest and probably housed part of its elite here. Its builders levelled the hilltop into terraces for plazas, temples, houses and three ball courts. The city declined with Monte Alban itself, whose political power faded after about AD 850. Systematic excavation and restoration by INAH took place in the early 21st century, and the zone opened to the public in 2012. It is a protected archaeological monument of Mexico.

Getting there

Atzompa lies about 9 km north-west of the centre of Oaxaca city, above the town of Santa Maria Atzompa. The simplest way up is a taxi, which takes about 30 minutes; agree the fare and a waiting time of about two hours, because taxis rarely pass at the top. Colectivo shared taxis and local buses run from Oaxaca to the town of Santa Maria Atzompa, but from the town it is a long and steep climb on a road with no pavement, so take a local taxi for the last part. Oaxaca airport is about 40 minutes away by car. Drivers will find a small car park at the entrance.

Rules and what to bring

As at all INAH zones, climbing on fragile structures, walking on restored walls and flying drones without permission are forbidden, and you should keep to the marked paths. The hilltop is exposed to strong sun at an altitude of well over 1,500 metres, so bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water. There is no cafe at the site and only basic toilets, if any, so buy food in Oaxaca or in the town below.

When to go

Atzompa is a short visit, and its main attraction besides the ruins is the quiet: you may share the ridge with only a handful of other people even when Monte Alban is busy. The dry season from November to April gives clear skies and the best views over the valley. Mornings are cool at this altitude, and the sun becomes strong by midday.

The rainy season from about June to September usually brings afternoon storms, so go in the morning and expect muddy paths. The most crowded time in Oaxaca is the Guelaguetza festival in July and the Day of the Dead at the end of October, when hotels fill and taxis are in demand, though the site itself stays calm. Allow one to two hours on the ridge, plus time for the craft market in the town on the way down.