The Tourist Yú'ù are each small inns, closely connected to the environment and situated to bring visitors into contact with local Zapotec people. Their surroundings range from high mountains covered by dense forest to open land and even include a location near the center of a town known for it's hand-woven rugs.

The Tourist Yú'ù at San Bartolomé Quilana

Tonny Zwollo first came to Mexico in 1964 working on a project to build schools in remote Indian villages. An American friend invited her to take a trip Oaxaca. Tonny remembers, "The dry landscape seemed strange at first but I remember at one point, my friend stopped and gathered a bouquet of yellow flowers. At that point, I really felt the beauty of the natural surroundings. I fell in love with Oaxaca and asked for a transfer."

"Traveling through the mountains to reach the Oaxaca villages was a challenging adventure. Sometimes we could only go part of the way by jeep, then the rest of the way on horseback or on foot. In all the towns where I worked, I was able to collaborate closely with the villagers to determine the site of the school. The contact with the Indians was direct. I felt really fortunate to have this kind work."

In 1992 Tonny Zwollo started a project for the Indian villages along the highway outside Tlacolula. Inspired by the beauty of the area and the need for work by the residents, she conceived of the idea of a set of tourist houses.

In 1992 Tonny started a project for the Indian villages alongside the Pan-American highway outside Tlacolula. Inspired by the beauty of the area and the need for work by the residents, she conceived of the idea of a set of tourist houses. She proposed a plan for the tourist houses to Martin Ruiz Camino, Secretary for Tourist Development in Oaxaca. Fitting with the priorities of the Governor of Oaxaca at that time, Diodoro Carrasco Altamirano, to create jobs, approval was give to create "Tourist Yú'ù" in several Indian villages. Yú'ù means house in the Zapotec language. Today, the Tourist Yú'ù are visited by people who want to get closer to the local culture of Oaxaca.

Mist drifts through the forest surrounding Benito Juárez

The harmony of the architecture comes from low, well proportioned rectangular buildings surrounding broad open plazas. While nearby Monte Albán impresses by its size and commanding location, Mitla impresses by its form and geometric detail. Some see feathered serpents in the grecas, but surely their elegant repeating geometry alone would have been enough to inspire the appropriate amount of awe in visitors to the site--especially when set off by the deep red colors that remain as traces on a few of the walls. The designs continue in use today in the rugs of many of the Zapotec weavers living nearby.

The Tourist Yú'ù are each small inns, closely connected to the environment and situated to bring visitors into contact with local Zapotec people. Generally, all of the inns have private rooms, small kitchens, bathrooms, camping areas, parking space and a shop which sells locally produced arts and crafts. Even though they are all within about 50 kilometers of each other, their surroundings range from high mountains surrounded by dense forest to dry, open land and even include a location near the center of a town known for it's hand-woven rugs. All are east of Oaxaca City, in the Tlacolula Valley, accessible from the Highway 190 and can be reached within one or two hours.

Clay pottery in San Marcos Tlapazola

San Sebastian Abasolo

Just 23 kilometers outside of Oaxaca City is San Sebastian Abasolo. Named in honor of Saint Sebastian and to honor the memory of José Mariano Abasolo, who fought with Hidalgo and Allende during the 1810 Mexican Independence Movement, this is a picturesque town of approximately 1,700 inhabitants. Its principal occupation is agricultural. Abasolo is filled with large trees and peaceful paths which invite you to walk along fields of corn, beans, chilies, tomatoes, onions and flowers. This is a tranquil town with basic services such as a market, telephones, medical services, small shops, a bakery and tortilla vendors. The administrators of the Tourist Yú'ú offer walking tours of the town.

Santa Cruz Papalutla

Just eight kilometers south of San Sebastian Abasolo is Santa Cruz Papalutla. Papalutla means "Place of Many Butterflies". Almost identical in number to Abasolo, the residents of Santa Cruz Papalutla are farmers and artisans who earn a living in ancestral activities, which include basket-making, reed handicrafts, and raising small animals and domesticated fowl. In the town, a seventeenth-century church stands out for its elegant stonework. Administrators of the Tourist Yú'ú organize tours to the center of town and through the fields and roads of the community.

Teotitlán del Valle

Inside the Tourist Yú'ú at Benito Juárez

Farther east and to the north of Highway 190 is Teotitlán del Valle. In Nahuatl, Teotitlán, means "Place of the Gods". With approximately 5,000 inhabitants, this town is known for its weaving. It is said that history is woven into the wool rugs, many of which are naturally dyed by substances such as cochineal and indigo. Designs range from Zapotec themes to reproductions of famous paintings originally done by Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo. Every Monday, starting at seven o'clock in the morning, people arrive at the market. Here, visitors can find food, locally produced arts and crafts and overhear many conversations in the Zapotec language. The administrators of the Tourist Yú'ù organize trips to various places, including the Museo Balaa Xtee Guech Gulal which includes both archeological and textile exhibits.

Benito Juárez

Fifteen kilometers north of Teotitlán, by dirt road is Benito Juárez. Located in strikingly different surroundings from those lower in the valley, the village is in a mist-filled forest of pines and thirty-meter tall oyamel trees punctuated by small meadows. A two kilometer walk takes you to a lookout point, which at 3,000 meters of elevation offers spectacular views of the Tlacolula Valley to the south and the forests extending northward toward Ixtlán de Juárez. In the village there is a 16th century chapel, Capilla del Rosario and a 17th century Church, Templo de la Asunción.

Tlacolula de Matamoros

The Sunday market in Tlacolula

Tlacolula is located right on Highway 190, thirty kilometers from Oaxaca City. It has approximately 10,000 inhabitants, but on Sundays, residents from outlying towns swell the population when they come together in a street market that has existed since Pre-Hispanic times. The women of nearby Quialana contribute to the atmosphere with their multicolored headdresses. Walking through the market, you encounter stalls which sell textiles, as well as products made of clay, reed, stone, palm leaf and leather. Foods include barbecued meats, breads, and stews as well as beverages made from chocolate and corn. Inside the 17th Century Templo de la Asuncion is a side chapel where the our Lord of Tlacolula is worshipped. Maguey grown in the fields around Tlacolula is used to produce Mezcal, similar to Tequila, but with a deeper, smokier flavor. Local producers encourage visitors and offer tastings. The administrator of the Tourist Yú'ù organizes tours to the downtown area, the cemetery and the Hacienda de Alferes as well as to the Lambityeco ruins, Yagul and Caballito Blanco.

San Bartolome Quialana

Just six kilometers south of Tlacolula is San Bartolomé Quialana. Quialana, a word which means "black stone", is a community of approximately 2,500 inhabitants, known for the brightly colored head dresses worn by the woman from infancy. The administrator of the Quilana Tourist Yú'ú organizes trips to Calvario, a nearby dam, and to Picacho, a large mountain adjacent to the village.

San Marcos Tlapazola

Mezcal varieties on display in Tlacolula

Fourteen kilometers south of Tlacolula is San Marcos Tlapazola. Tlapazola, the "place of the quail", is a community of approximately 1,500 inhabitants. From the Tourist Yú'ú here, it is possible to meet village woman, who after preparing meals and helping with agricultural tasks, gracefully mold red clay into pots, jars, pitchers, griddles, plates, cups and other objects.

Santa Ana del Valle

Four kilometers north of Tlacolula is Santa Ana del Valle, a town of approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Like Teotitlán del Valle, this is a village where its textile traditions can be clearly seen. Colored rugs made of naturally dyed wool in traditional designs are still made. Prices in the Mercado de Artesanías tend to be lower than in Oaxaca or Teotitlán del Valle. The administrators of the Tourist Yú'ù organize trips downtown, horseback rides and trips to a nearby dam and to a ranch. There is also a local museum, Museo Shan-Dany, which is located in the center of town.

San Lorenzo Albarradas

The most distant Tourist Yú'ù from Oaxaca City is San Lorenzo Albarradas. Nearby is the tiny village of Hierve el Agua, a place which takes its name from the warm bubbling springs that flow from the ground. Hierve el Agua means Boiling Water and the site is said to have been sacred to early Zapotec inhabitants. A complex irrigation system, including canals and terraces, was built up sometime during AD 300-1300 by Zapotec residents of the area. The mineral salts in the water have turned the canals to hard travertine and preserved over a square kilometer of the complex. Because of the high mineral content of the water, Archeologists debate whether this was an irrigation system or a bathing spa, but they note that the Zapotec managers of the system employed techniques to remove plant-unfriendly boron from the water and used weep holes to prevent sodium buildup in the soil which strongly suggest they used the water for agriculture.

The most impressive site at Hierve el Agua are the two white stone waterfalls. The flow of water, rich in calcium carbonate has over the years left a 30-meter high white deposit that seems to flow as if it were still liquid. The smaller fall, twelve-meters tall, is still bathed by water from a warm pool at the top, large enough to swim in.

The Tourist Yú'ù are managed by Sedetur, the Oaxaca state tourism agency. They can be booked ahead at either of the two tourist offices in Oaxaca City. One is located at Independencia 607, phone 4-77-88 or 6-01-23. The other is at 5 de Mayo 200, phone 6-48-28. Both are open daily from 9 am to 8 pm and usually have someone available who speaks English.

All photos are from Oaxaca, In the Heart of Mexico

Most of the text for this article is taken from the CD Oaxaca, In the Heart of Mexico. We gratefully acknowledge the time spent by Tonny Zwollo to help with this article. We also greatly appreciate the permission to use written materials and photos from the CD, produced by Juan Antonio Ruiz Zwollo. This CD, has a wealth of information and photos about Oaxaca and covers many locations not reviewed in most guide books.