Apoala-Paseo hasta Desayuno y Cañon Rio Zatacahua Hike – 01/18/2026

Another year visiting Oaxaca, again this year making a trip on our own that is special to us – Santiago Apoala. We spent two nights .. 3 days of enjoying the quiet valley, scenery, short hikes, and wonderful food at “Comedor” ~Rosi~, the outdoor restaurant adjacent to the Cabañas de Santiago Apoala.

The Drive In

Transportation for our visit this year closely followed our visit tw0 years ago: The “Drive In” is described in the post for the first hike, Santiago Apoala – La Cascada Trail Hike – 01/09/2024. Our experience was much like then, including stepping out of the market in Nochixtlán to find a taxi seemingly waiting for us, and staying two nights in La Casa de mi Abuelita.

The Hike

Apoala-Paseo hasta Desayuno y Cañon Rio Zatacahua Hike.Pat.2026-01-18 … Notes about the Google Earth screenshot: the graph at the bottom shows elevation of the track (pink area) and speed (the blue line). Click on the image for Full-Screen view.

After checking at La Casa, we went down the street to El Centauro for a mid-day snack, then walked down the street to the Cabañas just to bring back memories, which included the field where we met a fellow who invited me to do some plowing – behind a pair of oxen. By then it was late afternoon so we had dinner at “Comedor” ~Rosi~, cooked on the wood-fired comal ubiquitous in the villages and markets.

After a good night sleep, we started the day with breakfast at “Comedor” ~Rosi~, then continued following the river and entering Cañon Rio Zatacahua towards the Peñsa Gemelas. Our hike this year was similar to ’24, ‘tho shortened because at a point the trail becomes just rock and my coordination and balance isn’t up to that kind of trail surface.

Highlight

Special this year was the warmth exhibited by the people in Apoala. Our host at the Casa de mi Abuelita was most gracious .. when we returned from a day’s outing he invited us to join him and friends with a drink of mezcal (and it was -good- mezcal). Taking their openness and hospitality, the mother and daughter at Comedor Rosi took warmth to another level .. it was chilly in the morning for breakfast, so they invited us to come close to the fire for warmth. Then they served us another good breakfast – juevos con tortillas. And as we were leaving, the grandmother returned from the kitchen and presented Pat with a woven basket, followed by hugs all around and our comment “hasta el año proximo” (until next year).

Statistics

Total Distance: 2.42 miles
Elevation: start 6,515 ft, maximum 7,040 ft, minimum 6,499 ft
Gross gain: 541 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,387 ft, descending 1,394 ft
Maximum slope: 78% ascending, 77% descending, 20.9% average
Duration: 4:05, Average Speed: 0.6 mph, Shade: 40%

Apoala-Paseo hasta Desayuno y Canon Rio Zatacahua Hike.Pat.2026-01-18 (KML)	1 Download
GPS Track Files for Download
Apoala-Paseo hasta Desayuno y Canon Rio Zatacahua Hike.Pat.2026-01-18 (GPX)	1 Download
Link to GAIA GPS: “Apoala-Paseo hasta Desayuno y Cańon Rio Zatacahua Hike.Pat.2026-01-18”
If you haven’t explored these hiking tracks with Google Earth, give it a try. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get good idea of the hike and the terrain. For some ideas, check out Using Google Earth Track Files.