Photos of Mt. Alban – An Easy & Awesome Day Trip from Oaxaca, Mexico.

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If you want to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico, this winter for the city’s Christmas festivities, which run from Dec. 16 to Jan. 6, a cheap way to see the surrounding valley is a day trip to Monte Alban.

Five hundred years before Christ, the Zapotecs—of Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley—began their creation of Monte Alban by constructing pyramids, dams and terraces directly from the mountain itself.

Set on an artificially flattened ridge 1,300 feet above the Oaxaca Valley, Monte Alban, once the holy city of the Zapotec people, thrived for more than 1,500 years until its demise in the 15^th century after the Aztecs invaded the valley.  Monte Alban is now one of Mexico’s most revered archaeological sites.

Archaeologists have broken Monte Alban’s vibrant history into five periods, all of which are represented by the multitude of stone buildings, including an observatory and ball courts, which dot the expansive mountaintop ruins.

If you are looking to escape the bustle of Oaxaca City (check out our photo essay: Street Photos–Oaxaca, Mexico), Mount Alban, located six miles from Oaxaca’s city center, is a great budget travel option for visitors to the colonial city. Tour shuttles run regularly from Oaxaca City and cost $38 pesos (appx $3) for a round trip; the journey is approximately 30 minutes each way.  Expect to spend at least two hours exploring the ruins.

An entrance fee of $55 pesos (Appx. $4.40 USD) is also charged at the site. Monte Alban, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

If you are heading to Oaxaca for the holiday or just interested in finding out more about the city, check out these previous posts: A Visit to the 20 Noviembre Market; The Wonderful, Beautiful Food of Oaxaca; Pretty Places–Oaxaca; Review of Hostal Del Mercado.

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