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The Sierra Juarez

and the Pueblos Mancomunados

An hour's drive of so northeast of Oaxaca you'll find a cluster of mountain villages nestled in the Sierra Juarez. Known collectively as los pueblos mancomunados, the towns of Benito Juarez, Cuajimoloyas, Llano Grande, San Miguel del Valle, Santa Ana del Valle, Diaz Ordaz, and San Pedro Cajonos stand out because of their independence, traditional and effective form of self government, respect for and protection of their mountains, forests and streams, and the natural beauty of their surroundings. As detailed in Viva Oaxaca, several ecotourism centers can set up guided tours of the region, or you can take a bus to one of the villages, find the town's tourist center, and they will provide you with a local (Spanish-speaking) guide, and, if you want, with simple accommodations. if  It's a great area for learning about the usos and costumbres--uses and customs--around which such villages are organized, plus hiking, bicycling, birding, and eco-tourism in general.

The villages themselves are fascinating. These Zapotec communities maintain a traditional way of life. They continue to grow corn, beans, squash and other traditional crops. Community work is shared, and people earn the right to utilize communal resources, such as the forests, by working for the community. For example, a newlywed couple wanting to build a house will be granted the right to cut a certain number of trees when they have completed a specific amount of community service. The villages maintain a high degree of independence from the state and federal government, and have successfully resisted exploitative uses of their land, such as clearcutting of their forests. As a result, they have trees, water, and a sustainable economy, unlike many other communities in Oaxaca and the rest of Mexico.

Mazorca--ears of native corn--dry on village rooftops

These mountain regions, at 9,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level, are also home to maguey silvestre, a wild maguey that produces towering flowered stalks, and which is used to make a highly prized (and pricey) type of mezcal known as tobala.

Wild maguey being prepared for harvest

The villages maintain many miles of hiking, riding and bicycling trails, many of which provide great views, such as the one below.

The flowering stalk of a wild maguey from a trail high above Benito Juarez

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