Monte Alban, Arrazola, Cuilapam, San Barcelo, Coyotepec

Monte Albán is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. The site is located on a low mountainous range rising above the plain in the central section of the Valley of Oaxaca where the latter's northern Etla, eastern Tlacolula, and southern Zimatlán/Ocotlán (or Valle Grande) branches meet. The present-day state capital Oaxaca City is located approximately 9 km (5.8 mi) east of Monte Albán.The civic-ceremonial center of the Monte Albán site is situated atop an artificially-levelled ridge, which with an elevation of about 1940 m (6368 ft) above mean sea level rises some 400 m (1312 ft) from the valley floor. In addition to the aforementioned monumental core, the site is characterized by several hundred artificial terraces and a dozen clusters of mounded architecture covering the entire ridgeline and surrounding flanks (Blanton 1978). The archaeological ruins on the nearby Atzompa and El Gallo hills to the north are traditionally considered to be an integral part of the ancient city as well.Besides being one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica, Monte Albán's importance stems also from its role as the pre-eminent Zapotec socio-political and economic center for close to a thousand years. Founded toward the end of the Middle Formative period at around 500 BC, by the Terminal Formative (ca.100 BC-AD 200) Monte Albán had become the capital of a large-scale expansionist polity that dominated much of the Oaxacan highlands and interacted with other Mesoamerican regional states such as Teotihuacan to the north (Paddock 1983; Marcus 1983). The city had lost its political pre-eminence by the end of the Late Classic (ca. AD 500-750) and soon thereafter was largely abandoned. Small-scale reoccupation, opportunistic reutilization of earlier structures and tombs, and ritual visitations marked the archaeological history of the site into the Colonial period.The etymology of the site's present-day name is unclear, and tentative suggestions regarding its origin range from a presumed corruption of a native Zapotec name such as Danibaan (Sacred Hill) to a colonial-era reference to a Spanish soldier by the name Montalbán or to the Alban Hills of Italy. The ancient Zapotec name of the city is not known, as abandonment occurred centuries before the writing of the earliest available ethnohistorical sources.

Address or meeting point

At the hotel lobbys.

Hours & minutes

8 hours.

kilometers

60 km.

Start or opening time

10:00 h.

End or closing time

18:00 h.

Participants

Maximum number 14.

Minimum number 2.

Position

Is it possible to get there by public transport? No.

Guides & companions

Is it done with a guide, a driver and/or an instructor? The activity is done with a tour guide.

Which languages do guide/instructors speak? English and spanish.

Are audio guides or brochures available? if so, in which languages? Yes, brochures in english and spanish.

Which is the guide/guest ratio? 1 Tour guide for 14 passengers.

Shopping information

Is there a shop? How much time is spent on shopping? Yes, there are stores, we provide 40-50 minutes of shopping.

Are credit/debit cards accepted? Which ones? Yes, visa and mastercard.

Are any commercial stops made during the tour? Yes.

Content & Specialized items

Are additional items needed? Which ones are included? No.

List all additional items clients need to bring (towels,...) Comfortable clothes and shoes.

List the specific clothing required Comfortable clothes.

Meals

Is lunch/dinner included on this tour? No.

Is coffee / tea included at the end of each meal? No.

Can specials requests be accommodated? (vegetarian,...) Yes.

Are there smoking / non smoking areas? Yes.

Are there restrooms available? Yes.

Snacks

Is there a snack included? No.

Drinks

Is there any place to get a drink? No.

Restroom Information

List all venues where restrooms are available Archeological zones, museums, handicrafts markets.

Physical condition

What is the fitness level required? Good.

Would people with limited mobility have accessibility problems? (to the vehicle, to the restaurant,...) Yes.

Advisories

Is there any fee or limitation for photo/video camera usage? Video cameras only.

List the venues were credti/debit cards are NOT accepted At villas, handicrafts markets and restaurants.

Which currencies are accepted? Mexican pesos and american dollars.

Which is the minimum/maximum age to participate? (for all or each one of the activities) Minimum:7 Years, Maximum:70 years.

Product price detail

Shared.

Age of child

Appropriate age for child ticket from 2 to 10 years

For cancellation up to 3 days, a full refund will be given. For cancellation up to 1 days, 50% refund will be given.