San Martín Tilcajete, Artisanal municipality in Ocotlán District, Mexico
San Martín Tilcajete occupies 17.31 square kilometers in the Valles Centrales region, situated at an elevation of 1540 meters above sea level.
The municipality evolved from its establishment in 1600, developing into a center of wooden craftsmanship through generations of local artisans.
Local artisans create detailed wooden figures called alebrijes using copal wood, painting them with geometric patterns and bright colors.
The municipality maintains traditional governance through a system where leaders are selected every three years according to local customs.
The production process of alebrijes involves treating wood with gasoline to remove insects before carving and applying multiple paint layers.
Location: Oaxaca
Inception: 1600
Capital city: San Martín Tilcajete
Elevation above the sea: 1,540 m
GPS coordinates: 16.85889,-96.69500
Latest update: March 7, 2025 05:57
Oaxaca brings together pre-Columbian temple complexes, colonial monasteries, and villages where traditional crafts are still made today. At Monte Alban and Mitla, structures stand that were built centuries before Spanish arrival. The region extends from mountain landscapes in the north to coastal areas with lagoons and beaches in the south. Natural variety ranges from waterfalls like La Reforma to the petrified springs of Hierve el Agua. In villages such as Teotitlán del Valle, families weave rugs using techniques passed down through generations. San Martín Tilcajete is known for its wood carvings. Along the coast, places like Mazunte and Puerto Escondido provide access to the Pacific. Colonial churches such as Santo Domingo Yanhuitlán and the chapel at Ocotlán display architecture from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Monte Albán
22 km
Árbol del Tule
21.8 km
Zaachila
11.9 km
Estadio Tecnológico de Oaxaca
25.2 km
Basilica of Our Lady of Solitude
23.1 km
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Oaxaca
22.8 km
Auditorio Guelaguetza
23.7 km
Teatro Macedonio Alcalá
22.8 km
Dainzú
21.8 km
Ex-monastery of Santiago Apóstol
17.3 km
Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca
23.3 km
Lambityeco
25 km
Estadio Benito Juárez
23.5 km
Museo Estatal de Arte Popular de Oaxaca
11.2 km
Eduardo Vasconcelos Stadium
23.6 km
Oaxaca México Temple
20.4 km
Centro Académico y Cultural San Pablo
22.7 km
Church of San Pablo
25.9 km
Museo Textil de Oaxaca
22.7 km
Museo de Filatelia de Oaxaca
23.2 km
Archaeological Zone of Atzompa
26.2 km
Museo Del Ferrocarril Mexicano Del Sur
23.8 km
Library Fray Francisco de Burgoa
23.3 km
Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo
23.2 km
Prehistorické jaskyne Yagul a Mitla v Centrálnom údolí Oaxacy
28.3 km
Museo de Arte Prehispánico de México Rufino Tamayo
23 km
Museo de Sitio Casa Juárez
23.4 km
Templo de San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya
20.5 kmReviews
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