Ixtepec is a small city in southern Oaxaca state. It is home to a large number of indigenous Zapotec, about half of whom still speak the Zapotec language.
Understand
[edit]Ciudad Ixtepec is a small city of about 25,000 residents (2020), most of Zapotec heritage. Small farms fill most of the surrounding communities.
Zapotec indigenous heritage thrives with many local women continuing to make and wear attire decorated with colorful patterns. The local market is filled with unusual smells and flavors that mark the regional Oaxacan cuisine which includes rich, flavorful mole negro and a range of subtle herbs that are uncommon in other parts of Mexico. One of these herbs, called chepil, is quite common and lends its name (and flavor) to tamales de chepil. About half the town's population speak the Zapotec language in day-to-day life, but Zapotec has many dialects that are used in a limited area, so the Zapotec you hear in Ixtepec may sound different from that spoken in the city of Oaxaca or the mountain communities in the northern parts of the state. If you're fortunate enough to be in Ixtepec during one of the town festivals, check out the traditional music and dance. A type of song called sones istmeños are peculier to this region of Oaxaca. The songs are usually passed along orally through generations of a family.
Get in
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Ixtepec is about 55 km from Salina Cruz via modern highways MEX-185D and/or MEX-200. The one-way trip will take about 1 hour.
By plane
[edit]Ciudad Ixtepec (IZT IATA) is served by Mexicana flights from Mexico City (AIFA) using Embraer regional jets three times per week. The one-hour flight costs about M$2000 one-way (2026).
- 1 Aeropuerto Ciudad Ixtepec, Carretera Panamericana Juchitan - Tehuantepec Km 264, Base Aerea Militar No. 2. Small airport with very limited services. No restaurants or food service inside the terminal, but there is one small shop where you might be able to buy chips and a bottle of water. Clean waiting area and clean restrooms. Lots of military security presence. It is served by Mexicana. Seasonal regional flights may be available via Aerotucan from Oaxaca or beach resorts such as Huatulco or Puerto Escondido.
By train
[edit]The Ferrocarril Interoceanico stops at Ixtepec on its trips between the Pacific coast city of Salina Cruz and the Atlantic coast city of Coatzacoalcos. From Coatzacoalcos, passengers can transfer to another train with onward service to Palenque.
- 2 Train Station, F.f.c.c. 16. Historic train station built during the Porfirio Diaz presidency in the early 1900s. Now used for passenger trains on the Interoceanico, which run every other day, usually departing at about 13:00 (but check schedules ahead of time).
By bus
[edit]Fypsa buses provide service to Ixtepec from Salina Cruz, with a stop in Tehuantepec. The 2-hour trip costs about M$150. ADO provides comfortable first-class bus service to Oaxaca (city) and other major cities. Fypsa and ADO each maintain their own separate bus stations for maximum passenger inconvenience and confusion.
- 3 ADO Bus Terminal, Av. Lic. Jose Murat 35-15, Moderna (near the train station). Small terminal with clean restrooms but minimal service. Be sure to listen carefully for your bus as announcements are made only in Spanish and the PA system is as good as the ones in U.S. bus terminals (i.e., garbled mispronounced whispers).
- 4 Fypsa Bus Terminal, García Vigil, Moderna. Small terminal with limited number of seats. Restrooms are okay, but cost M$7 (coins only) and don't always have toilet paper.
Get around
[edit]There are tuk-tuks (mototaxis) and regular taxis. Taxi sitios are close to the train station and at the intersection of Garcia Vigil and Iturbide (there's two, fairly close together, one on Garcia Vigil, the other on Iturbide. Taxis are generally waiting at the bus terminals to greet arriving buses.
See
[edit]- Zopiloapam - small archaeological site with cave drawings estimated to be about 1,000 years old
- 1 Casa de la Cultura, 16 de Septiembre 13, 4ta. Sporadic. Small cultural museum with exhibits of contemporary art, photography, and film screenings. Unfortunately, it is frequently closed.
Do
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- 1 Ojo de Agua Magdalena Tlacotepec (14 km west of Ixtepec). Natural springs produce clear waters with shallow pools perfect for bathing and soaking. Local vendors supply drinks, food, chairs and umbrellas. M$20.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Mercado Publico Benito Juarez. Daily 06:00 - 14:00. Abuela always told me, "the early bird gets the guisano," and I wouldn't be surprised to see her shopping here where the hours are definitely early and the foods are very fresh and catering to regional Oaxacan tastes. This market is farrrr off the beaten gringo trail, so you will find herbs and spices you've never heard of, and you'll probably get a chance to snack on some worms, grasshoppers, and animal body parts you never thought were edible. It's all delicious, it's all cheap, so carpe diem and order up seconds.
Eat
[edit]- 1 Marisquería Boca del Río, Hidalgo 25, Primera. Daily 08:00 - 21:00. Family-friendly fresh seafood restaurant with a large outdoor dining area, a kids play area, and a wide range of seafood dishes. Full bar and ice cold beer. The shrimp cocktails are recommended. M$250.
- 2 La Inter, Galeana 14, Estación, ☏ +52 971 713 0107. Daily 08:00 - 22:00. Traditional Mexican restaurant with an indoor air-conditioned dining room and outdoor area that's got tables if you want to eat outside and a childrens play area under the shade of a huge oak tree. M$200.
- 3 La Jungla, Segunda. Casual dining room full of plants, serving traditional Mexican seafood dishes. M$250.
- 4 Sushi Istmo, San Pedro, Av. Venustiano Carranza, ☏ +52 971 187 1132. Tu-Su 11:30 - 17:30, closed M. Japanese sushi restaurant with super fresh fish and tasty eel sauce. Fast, friendly service. Air-conditioned indoor dining area. M$250.
- 5 La Parrilla Suiza, Calle Nicolás Bravo 18, Moderna, ☏ +52 971 350 7053. M-Sa 11:00 - 00:00, closed Su. Despite the name, it's not Swiss and it's not a grill. What it is though is a decent taqueria with reasonable prices and open late for when you get the munchies. The tacos al pastor are a taste of Mexico City. They have several kinds of agua fresca but the passion fruit is the tastiest. M$150.
- 6 Cenaduria Ulvia (Ulvia's dinner club), Cheguigo Juárez. Daily 19:00 - 22:00. Everybody raves about the tlayudas at Ulvia's. Tlayudas are an iconic Oaxacan food. It starts with a huge tortilla that's singed more than toasted, then refried beans are slathered on top, along with a type of lard called asiento, then meat goes on along with some veggies and Oaxacan string cheese and the chef's choice of salsa. M$300.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Manzur, Av. 16 de Septiembre 110, Moderna, ☏ +52 971 688 2931. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Fun hotel with a "golden age of cinema" theme. Rooms are clean and spacious. Service is friendly. On-site restaurant serves good food.
- 2 Hotel Express Inn, Av. 16 de Septiembre 99, La Estacion, Moderna, ☏ +52 971 713 0167. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Rooms are spacious and have air conditioning and WiFi, but maintenance issues are a common complaint of guests who also note the lack of basics, like soap in the bathroom. M$1800.