Things to do in Tuxtepec: River city of the Papaloapan and the Chinantla jungle
Tuxtepec is Oaxaca's other side: a humid, green river city at just 20 m above sea level, wrapped by the Papaloapan, one of Mexico's biggest rivers.
Plan your trip and book your ADO bus to Tuxtepec below.
Why visit Tuxtepec
Tuxtepec is Oaxaca's other side: a humid, green river city at just 20 m above sea level, wrapped by the Papaloapan, one of Mexico's biggest rivers. It is the capital of the Papaloapan basin and the gateway to the Chinantla, a region of Chinantec and Mazatec villages, rainforest rivers and the hot-stone soup cooked on riverbanks. It is also the hometown of Flor de Piña, the pineapple dance that is often the most applauded act at the Guelaguetza.
Foreign travellers almost never come here, because it is far from the classic Oaxaca circuit and closer in feel to tropical Veracruz. Mexicans know it for river walks, fried fish at the Cerro de Oro dam, pilgrimage to the Black Christ of Otatitlán and easy trips to colourful Tlacotalpan - all reachable by bus or colectivo.
Tuxtepec at a glance
Arrive at
Tuxtepec ADO Bus Station
From Mexico City
From around 7h 00min
ADO connections
About 150 arrivals a day
Best time to visit
February to April
Top things to do in Tuxtepec
The experiences travellers and locals rate most, all easy to reach once you step off the bus.
The central park, with the Tuxtepec letters and a town hall of more than 30 arches, is busiest in the evening. On weekends it often hosts cultural events where you may catch the Flor de Piña dance.
Parque Juárez and the Palacio Municipal
Cross the Papaloapan on the pedestrian suspension bridge to the San Bartolo neighbourhood, then walk El Muro, the flood dyke along the river, where vendors sell coconut water and pineapple juice. The riverside linear park has reconnected the city with its river.
Suspension bridge and El Muro
About 18 km from town, the Miguel de la Madrid (Cerro de Oro) dam holds back the Santo Domingo River, one of the rivers that form the Papaloapan. Families come to picnic, fish, swim and eat fried fish at lakeside stalls, and local boatmen offer rides on the lake; colectivos leave from the Flores Magón market terminal for about 15 MXN.
Cerro de Oro dam
Casa Verde Regional Museum
A free museum (open 10:00-18:00, closed Mondays) on the history of the old Aztec tributary province of Tuxtepec, including a replica of a great gold disc given to Hernán Cortés. It often hosts artisans and cooks from Chinantla communities.
Mercado Central and its river view
Buy mezcal, huipiles and regional products, then eat in the market's dining area overlooking the Papaloapan - the best river view in town according to the local tourism office.
El Castillo ruins
Mounds of the site where Chinantla tribute was collected for the Aztec empire. Looting has left mostly rubble, but the layout is still visible; a taxi from the centre costs about 45-60 MXN or a city bus about 10 MXN.
Do it like a local
What Mexican travellers do in Tuxtepec, from forums, local guides and people who live there.
- Walk El Muro at sunset with a coconut or pineapple juice
- Drive to Cerro de Oro on Sundays for fried fish
- Swim in the rivers around Valle Nacional on hot weekends
- Cross to Otatitlán for the Black Christ pilgrimage
What to eat in Tuxtepec
- Caldo de piedra: A Chinantec fish-and-tomato soup from San Felipe Usila, cooked by dropping red-hot river stones into a gourd bowl, traditionally prepared by men.
- Tesmole: A lunch stew with small corn-dough dumplings and acuyo (hoja santa) leaf.
- Plátano frito con crema y queso: Fried ripe plantain topped with cream and fresh cheese, sold at street stalls and in fondas.
- Cono relleno: A cone-shaped pastry filled with cream, a classic of Tuxtepec bakeries.
When to go and what is on
Tuxtepec is hot and very wet: about 2,200 mm of rain a year, falling mostly from June to September, with July the wettest month. March is the driest month and the best time for river and dam trips, while late June brings the San Juan fiestas.
Festivals worth planning around
- Fiestas de San Juan Bautista (Around 23-24 June (events span several days)): The patron saint festival has daily processions from La Piragua park to Parque Juárez, fandangos and a local Guelaguetza featuring Flor de Piña.
- Cristo Negro de Otatitlán (29 April - 3 May): Pilgrims crowd the riverside town of Otatitlán, across the state line in Veracruz, for the Black Christ, including a re-enactment of the image's arrival on a raft down the Papaloapan.
- Fiesta de la Candelaria in Tlacotalpan (31 January - 2 February): Son jarocho musicians gather in Tlacotalpan and on 2 February the Virgin is carried in procession across the Papaloapan.
How to get to Tuxtepec by ADO bus
ADO and its partner lines (ADO, ADO GL, AU, Cuenca Express) connect Tuxtepec with these cities. Times and fares come from current ADO timetables and change by date and service class.
Tierra Blanca → Tuxtepec
From around 1h 05min · about 39 departures a day · fares from MX$130
Santa Cruz → Tuxtepec
From around 20 min · about 39 departures a day · fares from MX$54
Veracruz → Tuxtepec
From around 3h 00min · about 24 departures a day · fares from MX$316
Córdoba → Tuxtepec
From around 3h 00min · about 13 departures a day · fares from MX$292
Orizaba → Tuxtepec
From around 3h 30min · about 12 departures a day · fares from MX$350
Mexico City → Tuxtepec
From around 7h 00min · about 12 departures a day · fares from MX$826
The bus station: Tuxtepec ADO Bus Station
Address: Mariano Matamoros 383, 68300 San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec
Coordinates: 18.08499, -96.12560
The ADO-AU terminal is at Mariano Matamoros 383 in Colonia La Piragua, close to the city centre and the river. Taxis start at around 40 MXN and charge by zone, so ask the price first; city buses cost about 10 MXN. Colectivos to Cerro de Oro, Valle Nacional and Veracruz-side towns leave from other terminals in town, such as the Flores Magón market.
Day trips from Tuxtepec
Valle Nacional
About 50 km
Old capital of the Chinantla on the Valle Nacional River, with ruins of Porfirian tobacco haciendas notorious as the 'Valley of Death' and nearby ecotourism centres; frequent colectivos from Terminal Transportes Tuxtepec cost about 50 MXN.
Otatitlán (Veracruz)
About 30 km north-east
A riverside town with the green-and-yellow shrine of the Black Christ (finished 1878, free entry), reached by crossing the Papaloapan on a small vehicle ferry, la panga; shared vans run from Tuxtepec.
Tlacotalpan (Veracruz)
About 106 km
A UNESCO-listed river town of colourful colonnaded houses on the Papaloapan; there is no direct bus, so change in Cosamaloapan.
Tuxtepec travel FAQ
More places to experience in Mexico
Lesser-known destinations on the ADO network, each with its own guide.
Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Playa del Carmen
Quintana Roo
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Chiapas
Tampico
Tamaulipas
Tuxpan
Veracruz
José Cardel
Veracruz
Tierra Blanca
Veracruz
Juchitán
Oaxaca
Tehuantepec
Oaxaca
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Photos: Vladimir Herman Miguel / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons; Thayne Tuason / CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Azcarlos2 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.