Description:

Cuilapam de Guerrero was a bustling trade center when the Spanish arrived in the Valles Centrales in 1523. Dominican monks followed shortly after and embarked on building a grand monastery there. Work commenced in 1555 but was interrupted several times by various epidemics. The project was abandoned in 1596, perhaps because by then the city of Oaxaca (then called Antequra) had eclipsed Cuilapam, and the church and monastery of Santo Domingo had taken preference. The site sat unused until a roof was put on the church in 1905 and it became a parish center. Today the site is a tourist attraction.

The archeological site in Zaachila lay buried until it was partially excavated in the mid-1960’s. Most of the site is still buried beneath centuries of dirt. However, the tomb of Lord Nine Flower is open to the public and is one of the finest examples in the region. A small museum has photos of the many extraordinary artifacts found in Zaachila.

Lunch:

We will dine in the mercado gastronomico on the west side of Zaachila. There are a number of food vendors there eager

to serve you. Barbacoa (either goat or lamb) is a favorite dish. Probable cost of lunch will be about 150 pesos.

Additional Costs:

There is a 65 peso fee to enter the cloister in Cuilapam There is another 65 peso fee to enter the archeological site

in Zaachila..