After a restful night in the very nice cabańa in Cuajimoloyas and a good breakfast with José, we headed into the pueblo to meet Efilio, our guide for the day. Then we walked to the edge of Cuajimoloyas and into the forest.
The Hike
Cuajimoloyas-Benito Juarez Hike.PatJoseEfilio.2020-02-05
We enjoyed an easy and pleasant hike on a smooth trail with a few climbs and descents. Along the way we had nice views across small valleys. Of particular interest were fields, many recently tilled, on very steep slopes. One wonders how even the cows used by the villagers for plowing could stay on the hillside and not slide or tumble down.
Nearing the end of the hike we came upon cement tanks filled with running water. Efilio explained that these were used for raising trout for food. As short distance further we encountered signs welcoming us to Benito Juarez and another sign identifying the boundary of the territory of Teotitlan de Valle, José’s home village.
At the Ecotourism office in Benito Juarez we were invited to visit Punta el Mirador, promising a high elevation (and tower) with a superb view into the valley of Oaxaca. We took a moto taxi from the village to this very popular site (especially for the locals, it seemed). After a climb up a steep trail (stairsteps in some places), we were not disappointed; we could see down into the valley and make out the city. To cap it off, after a few moments of hesitation, we walked across a long suspension bridge looking down into a deep canyon. Just more adventure.
Returning to Benito Juarez, again by moto taxi, we enjoyed another good meal, then met the taxi which would return us to Oaxaca City.
Statistics
Total Distance: 4.37 miles
Elevation: start 10,448 ft, maximum 10,448 ft, minimum 9,423 ft
Gross gain: -1,250 ft. Aggregate ascending 1,012 ft, descending 1,791 ft
Maximum slope: 27% ascending, 34% descending, 10.8% average
Duration: 3:36
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I urge you to explore our hiking tracks with Google Earth. With the virtual 3-dimensional presentation, achieved by panning and tilting the view, you can get a much better idea of the hikes and terrain than you can get from the 2-dimensional screenshot above. For assistance: Using Google Earth Track Files.
References and Resources
Two Wandering Soles: Hiking in Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte Indigenous Villages
