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Tehuantepec: the moped's town

Historical capital of the Isthmuth Region, South East of Oaxaca, the town of Tehuantepec was once a strategic gateway city, awkwardly located between the expansionist Aztec empires in Central Mexico, and the wealthy Mayan cities of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Nowadays, it is most famous for its original form of public transportation consisting of carts pulled by motorcycles, buzzing and clanking throughout town.

The main plaza has a Florence feel, thanks to its bronze statutes of local heroes, guarding the four entrances to its small park. But the layout of the plaza is characteristically Mexican, with on one side the house of the governor sporting the traditional independence bell, and on the other side the catholic church, with a French-style kiosk throning right in the center of the plaza.

An original setting for a restaurant, but the food is worth it.

The market of Tehuantepec is worth visiting if you enjoy cultural immersions. Located in and around a rectangular building, it looks more like an Arabian souk than the well-organized market of the state capitol. It is also the best place to enjoy traditional dishes, if you don’t mind eating squeezed between shelves of pants and a stack of shoes.

Worth visiting also is the aging Santo Domingo temple. It was the first Christian church financed by a native, namely King Cosijopi, last monarch of the Zapotec.

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Continued...	Handicrafts > >
Based on video "Journey to the Heart of Mexico"	Practical Information of Oaxaca > >
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