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geri

Apr 10, 2010, 3:50 PM

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Trip report - Benito Juarez

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I recently spent two days and two nights in this high mountain village (10,000 feet) known for its ecotourism. It was my third or fourth visit and each time brings a different insight/experience. Benito Juarez is one of 8 villages which form Mancomunados. I don't know when this consortium was formed but it's truly unique in Oaxaca, I think. Apparently, the 8 villages not only own their land, but the mineral rights also. The government is Usos y Costumbres, which, as I understand it, is self-government. Each resident is required to do a year of "cargo." The cabins, restaurant, road work, etc. is done by residents doing cargo. I think there's a fee to even enter these villages, much like you pay to get into a State or National Park in El Norte. If just driving through, you may be waved on by a smiling attendant, but a visit will cost you -- maybe 100 pesos or so.

Cabin prices vary, but are usually less than 100 pesos a night per person. The villages have set up a system of hiking trails, where you can walk from village to village each day. You should hire a guide (about 100 pesos) because the trails are not marked and there are confusing intersections.

Don't expect fantastic gourmet food, but typical, tasty local cooking. The cabins have fireplaces because, even now which is the hottest season, it's pretty cold at night. I slept in a ski jacket with three blankets, since we decided not to start a fire in the fireplace. The cabin was well-built, clean, tile bath, hot water, towels, etc.

It's beautiful, rugged country and well worth a visit if you want a change from city/valley life, even if you don't want to hike. The people are friendly and welcoming. There were horses and bicycles for rent.

The bus to Benito Juarez, which used to serve the village 4 days a week, has an erratic schedule, an indication of growing properity because more and more folks have their own vehicles. We took a colectivo from Oaxaca City to Teotitlan and then hired a taxi (180 pesos) to take us to the village.

Buses from the second class bus station run frequently to Cuajimoloyas, which also has cabins, and you can hike from there to Benito Juarez or the other villages. There's a reservation office in Oaxaca City on Calle M. Bravo, in the same plaza as Becari Spanish school.

PM me if you want more specifics.

Oaxaca is such a magnificent state...from cold alpine forests to hot humid beaches. I love it all !!!

Vichil

Apr 10, 2010, 5:40 PM

Post #2 of 4 (3089 views)

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Re: [geri] Trip report - Benito Juarez

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We had good quails and trouts in Benito Juarez and La Neveria and hiked to the mirador in Benito Juarez only to find out you could drive there... The view is beautiful
On another trip we reserved in Oaxaca to stay in Llano grande and could not find anyone when we go there, it was about 3 PM and freezing cold, the place was dismal with wooden cabins, fog whisking through the place, it looked like some place in Alaska and we had to find another place to stay.
On another trip we stayed in another one of these villages and we were the only guest, the place had no electricity after 9pm and it was pretty spooky until some bus came in late in the middle of the night.
The next morning when we went to the large room to see if there was anything to eat we walked in on a EZLN meeting. We were nicely asked to leave by one of the men. No food that morning.
I love staying in the mountains but Geri you are right some of these villages are freezing at night and some of the cabins are pretty primitive. They do vary widely in comfort but are all pretty rustic.

All of the pueblos are indigenous pueblos and function pretty much the way all the other indigenous pueblos work following Usos and Costumbres , having cargos , their own police etc.. We never paid a fee to enter any of the villages.
We do not know if there is a fee to enter La Neveria or Benito Juarez as we were with friends from Teotitlan and came in via the Teotitlan Benito Juarez dirt road, there was nobody collecting anything there but they could have waived the fee and we would not have known it as they spoke our friends and the villagers all spoke Zapoteco.

geri

Apr 10, 2010, 5:49 PM

Post #3 of 4 (3087 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Trip report - Benito Juarez

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I might drive to the Mirador next time, but there's still a ladder to climb. And a zip line (cost money) I understand. I'm not sure either if you have to pay to get into Benito Juarez because I was visiting friends. However, a few years ago, we had to pay to get into Cuajimoloyas, I believe or maybe we just paid for the guide? Not sure. How long ago did you arrive and find no one around? It seems as if these villages are a bit more organized than 5 years ago. You can make reservations but maybe only at the city office? They don't have telephones and cell phones don't work very well, so I don't know how they would reserve a place for you, let's say in Llano Grande if you were in one of the other villages.

It's definitely a VERY different environment.

A couple of young Australians were there and having a great time. They had an "adventure" just getting to the village There was a middle-age, distinguished man from DF there also and a few others. I was glad to see that there was business, this being the off-season tourist-wise, but the best season to go there, I think.

Vichil

Apr 11, 2010, 6:08 AM

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Re: [geri] Trip report - Benito Juarez

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The Llano Grande trip was two years ago and we had reservations from Oaxaca. We have not made any other reservations since then, just show up and we usually get a cabin, if not we go to the next village and usually get a place.
We go to Oaxaca 3 or 4 times and try to go up to the villages every time we can as we just love it.
I will be there for another wedding on May 1 but this time will not stay for the whole fiesta just the day of the weding and the day after. The pre wedding fiestas can be interesting but frankly I have had more than my share of the helping of the killing of chicken, turkeys and cows.
This time I will stay a couple of days in Teotitlan and stay in Oaxaca with a friend . Hopefully she will feel up to going hiking, there is a maguey plant on the way to Llano Grande that is enormous, as big as a small cabin, I have to take a picture of it. Hopefully it will be foggy again as it makes the woods beautiful and mysterious.

By the way we discovered the pueblos as we were looking for Taleo to check out the coffee. We nver made it there as the map was too simplistic and we ended up on s dirt road late afternoon and turned around and stayed in one of the cabins.
We went past Gueletao and bear right at the intersection, it turns out you cannot get to the place that way ! Typical Zapoteco directins...On another tip we took the road to Llano Grande but never got to Taleo either...
At the time our friends told us about the place they had just gone to dance the Danza de la Pluma over there but we have yet to find the place. We ll try another time ...

You still have to take a short path to the mirador from the end of the road, but it is very short. You have an incredible view of the valley of Oaxaca from there without climbing the ladder . Great view of Benito Juarez , La Neveria and Teotitlan and on and on... just spectacular on a nice day.