Sierra Norte Trails, 5 Hours

Overview

This five-hour hike takes you out of the Oaxaca valley and up into the Sierra Norte. Bike and Road Trips Oaxaca runs it with a maximum of four travellers. The day starts at a meeting point on C. de Mariano Abasolo in the Centro, a short walk from the Ethnobotanical Garden, where the driver and guide meet you beside a yellow house with a blue door.

The main hike is around Santa Catarina Ixtepeji, high-elevation forest trails with mountain views, and reviewers describe walking with no others on the trail. Reviewers repeatedly describe the final stretch of the ascent as the toughest part, largely because of the altitude, with an easier descent on the way back. Coffee or tea is included, and more than one reviewer mentions the guide brewing coffee at the turnaround point.

It suits reasonably fit travellers who want a half-day escape from the city without organising transport into the mountains themselves. Private transport in an air-conditioned vehicle is included, along with the entrance fee. Meals and breakfast are not included, so bring money for the market if you want to eat beforehand.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet in the CentroMeet at C. de Mariano Abasolo 315, a yellow house with a blue door and a large tree outside, about a 3-minute walk from the Ethnobotanical Garden. The guide waits under the tree.
2. Mercado Sanchez PascuasThe first stop is the market, listed at 1 hour with free admission. One reviewer describes picking up breakfast here before the hike, at their own cost.
3. Hike at Santa Catarina IxtepejiThe core of the tour, 3 hours with free admission. High-elevation forest trails with mountain views; reviewers describe the last stretch of the ascent as the hardest because of the altitude, and the descent as easier.
4. Rest at Restaurante ColibríAn hour at Restaurante Colibrí in the Sierra Norte, listed with free admission. Food here is not included in the tour price.
5. Return to the CentroTransport back to the same meeting point where the tour began.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you decide whether this hike fits your trip and your fitness.

• Altitude fitness. Several reviewers single out the last stretch of the ascent as hard going because of the elevation, while calling the descent easy. One reviewer clocked the route at about 10km and described it as a good trek but not a difficult one.
• Breakfast stop. Breakfast and meals are not included. One group skipped the stop and went straight to the trail, and the guide accommodated that.
• Coffee on the trail. Coffee and tea are included. More than one reviewer mentions the guide making coffee at the turnaround point.
• What to bring. Water and sunglasses are worth packing; one reviewer called them essential.
• Group feel. The tour caps at four travellers. Reviewers describe empty trails, hummingbirds, cows, mushrooms and local plants, and say the guide taught them about Oaxaca and the mountains.

Common issues. The tour is not wheelchair accessible and the listing advises against it for travellers with back problems, pregnant travellers, or anyone with serious heart conditions, and infants must sit on laps. Infants must sit on laps during the drive. The experience requires good weather and a minimum number of travellers, so it can be cancelled with an offer of a different date or a full refund. Food, breakfast, alcoholic drinks and gratuities are all extra. One reviewer found the altitude made the final section of the climb genuinely tough.

Common Questions