San Pedro Tututepec

Tututepec (“Hill of the Birds” in the Aztec language, pop. 10,000) is a locally important town that perches on the breeze-cooled heights about five miles (eight km) inland from Highway 200.

Few local residents appear aware of their town’s proud tradition as the only Oaxaca kingdom that withstood the 15th-century Aztec invasion and remained independent at the time of the conquest in 1522. Today’s residences are built perfunctorily on the same hilltops where Tututepec’s kings raised their pyramids and temples.

The Tututepec community museum [1] houses several artifacts from the town’s unique history.

Getting There

Get there by turning north (right), westbound, at the signed side road at Santa Rosa de Lima, 45 miles (72 km) west of Puerto Escondido [2] (or 44 miles/71 km east of Pinotepa Nacional [3]). After about two miles (three km) from the highway, turn left at the fork, which leads a few more miles uphill to Tututepec [4] and ends at the town plaza.