San Jose Mogote and San Agustin Etla

Remains from the mogotes (mounds) dotting the town of San Jose Mogote reveal that the area was inhabited around 1500 B.C., prior to the founding of Monte Alban. At the first stop on this tour, students visit the Hacienda del Cacique, a museum dedicated to housing archaeological treasures of the area; finds which are unique to the Valley of Oaxaca.

The second stop on this tour is the Iglesia de Etla, a modest 16th century church (various parts of the church have been restored in recent years). There the guide discusses the Dominican evangelization that took place in Etla and extended throughout the Valley of Oaxaca.

Students also visit the Iglesia de las Peñas, built on an archaeological site that was never excavated. The location is considered a sacred place because of the huella de Cristo, or the footprint of Christ, who supposedly walked on that ground at one time.

This tour ends with a stop at the Taller de Arte Papel Oaxaca, a workshop overlooking the beautiful Etla Valley. The building served as a textile factory in the early 20th century but is now dedicated to the production of handmade papers from natural and recycled fibers and dyes. Some of the paper is bound into notebooks; many sheets are left unbound to be used for drawing and printmaking purposes. Much of the paper is then transported to Oaxaca City where it is sold at a few shops and galleries.