Sierra Norte Day 1: Capulalpam to Amatlán

The activity that originally made me want to come to Oaxaca was the multiday hiking through the Sierra Norte. The Sierra Norte is a forested mountainous region that is home to eight Indigenous villages, all connected by a web of hiking trails.

The villages have a joint community initiative called Pueblos Mancomunados, which promotes sustainable eco-tourism through hiking, mountain biking, and other activities throughout the trail network. I signed up for their Camino Reales hike: a guided trek through three villages over the course of three days.

We had a small group consisting of myself, our translator Michael, and two other hikers: Cheyanne and Felix from Berlin. Each day, the four of us would meet up with local guides who would lead us from one village to the next. We also enjoyed meals at the villages, together with another hiker who was completing the same route.

The first day was the most challenging of the three. We first had to be transported from Oaxaca City to the village of Capulalpam, so the sun was already high in the sky when we embarked on the 12km hike to Amatlán. I was also new to carrying a pack, which weighed me down more than I expected. But, the beautiful plants and vistas made this hike well worth the effort.

It was about 3pm when we reached the village of Amatlán. We were shown to our beautiful cabins that overlooked the valley. They had hammocks!! Let’s just say I was not mad about it.

As I wandered around the property a bit, I came across a guy who had reached the ecolodge by motorbike. He had fashioned a saddlebag out of two backpacks and had attached a suitcase to the passenger seat with twine. #goals

After a nourishing dinner and a beautiful sunset, we were all off for an early night. Hiking + mountain air = excellent sleep.