Oaxaca Wellness

From the Mountains of the Sea

Overview

Oaxaca Wellness - From the Mountains of the Sea

The region around Oaxaca in the south of Mexico is one of the most diverse in the country. A hub of indigenous culture, it’s home to the country’s most vibrant arts and craft scene, a unique cuisine accompanied by the famous Mexican mezcal, pre-Columbian archaeological sites, and breathtaking scenery. The beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca is at the centre of the state offering a wide range of cultural activities. The nearby Sierra Norte invites travellers to hike and visit indigenous villages to learn about the region’s medicinal plants and ancient ceremonies or explore the process of how mezcal is manufactured. In the south, across the remote mountain ranges you will find Oaxaca’s tropical coast with its amazing beaches and world-famous surf towns.

You will embark on a trek that will take you from the alpine region of Oaxaca all the way down to the pristine beaches of the Pacific. The trail is a full immersion into the real, often untouched Mexico. Each day you will embark on a hike accompanied by local guides from the indigenous communities. You will eat local and delicious food, with the produce all grown within the areas you are journeying through. Witness nature and man living in harmony. You will camp under the protection of the trees, drink from fresh water springs, and sleep under the stars on clear nights. The reward after the adventure and challenge of the trek will be the vast wide sandy beaches and trendy towns along Oaxaca’s Pacific coast.

Oaxaca Wellness - Adventure Highlights

  • Mexico’s buzzing metropolitan capital Mexico City has a lot to offer- a great culinary scene, impressive colonial architecture and world-class museums. The first full day is spent boating along the canals in the colourful neighbourhood of Xochimilco
  • Become fascinated with the mixture of Colonial Spanish influence and indigenous cultures by visiting colourful markets and tasting world renowned cuisine in the UNESCO world heritage protected city of Oaxaca
  • Learn about the manufacturing process of Mexico’s famous drink of Mezcal in its actual birthplace of where it was created during a distillery tour and tasting
  • Hike up to cool pre-alpine mountain scenery and cloud forest in the Sierra Norte and see numerous microclimates and vegetation zones with a host of native and medicinal plants
  • Temazcal Ceremony – indulge in this sacred, medicinal and spiritual ceremony in a traditional “sweat lodge” to clean the body and lift the spirits
  • From the Highlands to the Pacific -Trek through remote mountain landscape, passing through indigenous lands and supporting the eco-tourism in the region on the Copalita Trail
  • Unwind by the Pacific Ocean and tropical wide sand beaches enjoying fantastic views, margaritas and sunset swims on La Bocana Beach

DURATION

14 Days

TECHNICAL AND FITNESS LEVEL

No special technical skills needed but a good level of fitness is required

RECOMMENDED GROUP SIZE

4-12 People

ACCOMMODATION

• 2 nights boutique hotel in Mexico City
• 4 nights boutique hotel in Oaxaca
• 5 nights camping on the trek
• 2 nights boutique hotel near La Bocana Beach

BEST TIME TO VISIT

March-May and September-November are the best times to experience Oaxaca; If you have a pre-formed group (family, friends or an organisation), we would be delighted to organise an expedition around dates that suit your group.

Brief itinerary

Your itinerary at a glance

Day Destination Accom. (B/L/D) Highlights
1 Mexico City Boutique Hotel in Mexico City (D) A warm welcome by your Expedition Leader
2 Mexico City Boutique Hotel in Mexico City (B/L/D) Xochimilco Boat Trip
3 Oaxaca Boutique Hotel in Oaxaca (B/L/D) Arrival in the fascinating city of Oaxaca
4 Oaxaca Boutique Hotel in Oaxaca (B/L/D) Sierra Norte Traditional Medicine Day
5 Oaxaca Boutique Hotel in Oaxaca (B/L/D) Mezcal Distillery Tour and Tasting
6 Oaxaca Boutique Hotel in Oaxaca (B/L/D) Temazcal “Sweat Lodge” Ceremony
7 San Juan Ozolotepec Community Stay (B/L/D) Start of trek at the agrarian community of San Juan Ozolotepec
8 Copalita Trail Community Stay (B/L/D) Hike through pine forests to the village of San Francisco Ozolotepec
9 Copalita Trail Community Stay (B/L/D) Trek continues through the lands of the Zapotec community
10 Copalita Trail Community Stay (B/L/D) Hiking along the river through mango tree and coffee plantations to the village of Yaviaga
11 Copalita Trail Community Stay (B/L/D) Continue hike through Guanacaste tree forest
12 Arrive at Pacific Ocean Boutique Hotel in La Bocana Beach (B/L/D) Kayaking from La Blas community to La Bocana Beach in Huatulco
13 La Bocana Beach in Huatulco Boutique Hotel in Oaxaca (B/L/D) Rest and Relax
14 Huatulco (B) Return home

*B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Detailed itinerary

Oaxaca Wellness - Your Itinerary in Detail

DAY ONE

Arrive in Mexico City and meet The Adventure Boutique guide. Transfer to overnight accommodation in the city center. Enjoy your first traditional dinner in this buzzing metropolitan capital.

DAY TWO

Today you get to explore the neighbourhood of Xochimilco on a boat ride, famous for its many canals and floating gardens. This World Heritage Site is filled with colourful markets and artificial islands offering Mexican delicacies to the sound of traditional mariachi music.

DAY THREE

Arrive in Oaxaca after your morning flight, the gateway to all cultural and trekking activities in the region. Transfer to overnight accommodation in the city centre. Enjoy your first dinner in this colourful colonial city.

DAY FOUR

Following breakfast in Oaxaca, you will start your traditional medicine day in the close by mountain region of the Sierra Norte. Trekking opportunities here are abundant and after a stunning hike you will have lunch at an indigenous community. The day is spent learning about the natural medicinal plants these communities have been successfully using for centuries.

DAY FIVE

Today you will visit a small family operated distillery (palenques) that has been owned and run through the generations. You will learn about the mezcal producing process today around Oaxaca’s central valley. This is the birthplace of Mezcal. You’ll finish the day understanding the history and importance of this sublime drink, as well as tasting some of the best mezcal the region has to offer.

DAY SIX

Today you will experience a sacred, medicinal and spiritual Temazcal ceremony in a traditional “sweat lodge”, a type of sauna. Smudged with sage and other herbs, the hot steam is not only great for body and mind – this shaman led ancient spiritual ceremony is also meant to align your energies, releasing old and supressed fears, worries, addictions and other demons of the past.

DAY SEVEN

You will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast and transferred deep into the Sierra Madre until we reach San Juan Ozolotepec. This is an agrarian community deep in the mountains, whose economic activities include organic honey, coffee, tomatoes, and avocado production, as well as a fully sustainable community-owned logging company. The village offers breathtaking views of the mountains, and is a great example of a well-organised, progressive community with an above average quality of life. You’ll savour local flavours for dinner within the community forest where the camp is set up for the night.

DAY EIGHT

After breakfast, you will start the trek from one of the highest points in Oaxaca at over 3000m in the mountains, with the goal to reach the Pacific Ocean. It is a wonderful hike across sustainable pine forests with great views from the mountain ledges. You will arrive at the overnight camp in the late afternoon.

DAY NINE

Today will be challenging but also rewarding with a descent of about 2000m. This part of the trek is characterized by a large biological diversity across the lands of the Zapotec community. There will be several simple river crossings along the way giving you the opportunity for a refreshing swim. After a long day of hiking you arrive at the indigenous village of San José in the late afternoon.

DAY TEN

You’ll continue our hike through the river, crossing mango tree, coffee and ceiba plantations. You will arrive to the small village of Yaviaga in the afternoon, a place with fantastic natural springs where you’ll be able to swim and visit ancient cave paintings nearby.

DAY ELEVEN

The trek continues through an impressive Guanacastle tree forest and an abandoned coffee plantation. We are now in coastal vegetation and thus the climate gets more humid. In the morning you will be transferred to the tiny community of Mandimbo, which makes a living from growing coffee and bamboo. You will also learn about the villagers’ medicinal plant project operated by the knowledgeable women of the community.

DAY TWELVE

The last little bit of the trek will be spent on the Copalita River. Arriving by the shore, there will be rafts waiting for us. You will raft for about 3 hours before reaching the community of La Blas, a haven for hundreds of bird species. After lunch and a brief rest, you will paddle for 3 more hours until you will reach La Bocana Beach, located in Huatulco, a huge but relatively secluded beach. This is the end of the trek and we will celebrate our achievements tonight with a special dinner.

DAY THIRTEEN

Relax and soak up the sun on the beach. After 6 long days of trekking, you deserve that sunset cocktail!

DAY FOURTEEN

You will be brought to Huatulco airport for your flight back to Mexico City and your onwards flight back to the UK.

Pricing information

Pricing Information

This adventure will depart with a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 12*.

£10,295.00 per person based on two people sharing (£1,500.00 single supplement).

A non-refundable deposit of £2,495.00 will be required.

Included

  • Expedition Leader from ‘The Adventure Boutique’
  • Local guides, local chefs and porters
  • All scheduled accommodation
  • Scheduled meals
  • All scheduled transfers

Excluded

  • Travel insurance
  • International Flights
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Tips

* We can accommodate private groups less than 4 people

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

ww.hpa.org.uk, www.nathnac.org, your General Practitioner or a travel clinic. For truly specialist travel health we have partnered with The Centre For Health & Human Performance in London where a specialist travel health appointment can be booked.

How large are the groups?

The group size should be a maximum of twelve people. The number of participants is kept to a level where quality can be maintained. We normally have a maximum number so as not to allow the groups to become too large. We believe that by doing this, the Expedition Leaders will be able to look after you more carefully, in turn you will find the group dynamics work better and your success rate and enjoyment level increases immeasurably. If you are a group of friends of more than twelve, then obviously we will work together to accommodate you. If you would like to have a more personalised trip below the recommended group size, we would happy be to facilitate this for you too.

What is the minimum age a person has to be to go on this adventure?

The minimum age is 16 years old accompanied by a legal guardian or 18 years old otherwise. If you do have children and want to bring them, we would be happy to facilitate this. We would be happy to make necessary arrangements to accommodate a young person into a private group.

Is there a maximum age?

There is no maximum age limit, providing you are fit and in good health. The walking safaris could be hot and dusty and will require reasonable stamina, having said that, there will always be vehicle back up for those feeling the heat. The office can advise on your suitability for this trip in terms of fitness level.

Will my mobile work? Can I stay in touch with the office or my family?

You’ll find some phone reception during your trip, for example when in cities. We specially carry a satellite phone in case of emergencies during the trek, but we also realise people may need to keep in touch with their loved ones or have some work commitments to deal with. The satellite phone can be used for a charge.

Can I organise this trip exclusively for myself, my friends and family?

If you have a group of friends or family who want to travel together, a bespoke date can certainly be arranged to suit your party. If you do have your own group and want to discuss any variations in the schedule or particular objectives, feel free to discuss this with The Adventure Boutique team.