Monte Alban ruins is the best of them all?

You can call them the Big Three: Teotihuacan, Palenque and Chichen Itza are the three world famous archaelogical sites in Mexico. But isn’t it every traveller’s dream to find another unexpected highlight on your journey, one that might actually trump the other ones?

You can’t even see the Monte Alban structures from Oaxaca city, the cultural and culinary heart of Mexico. From down in the valley, in the bustling city at a height of 1,500 metres already, you only see hills everywhere. But once you take a cranky tourist bus for fifteen minutes, through the hilly and poor favelas in the southwestern corner of Oaxaca, you will find the first signs that something special can be found here.

Not top of the list

It would be an exaggeration to say that Monte Alban is a hidden gem. Every year between 400,000 and 500,000 tourists make their way up the hills. But it is not exactly top of the list for many foreign visitors, if they even know of its existence. Teotihuacan and Chichen Itza have their pyramids, Palenque its stunning jungle location.

But Monte Alban has its authenticity going for it. Once you climb the first stone steps, you already see one or two altars in front of you. What these are hiding? An almost entirely conserved city behind it.

Detail of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Tourists on the northern temple of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Panorama of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico. View from the northern side

Western temples of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Stairs towards the northern temples of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Holy tree at the site of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Their version of a clock

Just like Teotihuacan, the level of sophistication is stunning. In the heart of the plaza is a rectangular stone, around five metres high. That doesn’t make sense, until you find out the inhabitants used it because the sun cast an exact 180 degree shadow daily at noon: It was their version of a clock.
Discoveries like that make Monte Anban feel like a true exploration. There is crazy artwork everywhere. On the western side, near building L, there are the insane ‘Danzantes’. These dancers are sometimes genitally mutated, which makes them even more bizarre.
Near the center of the plaza are large carved slabs that are probably ‘victory badges’ or ‘conquest badges’. Because, as the settlement was growing in the centuries after 500BC, Monte Alban became one of the most important Mesoamerican cities. There were even contacts to other highly developed civilizations such as Teotihuacan.

Distinct civilization

It is this feeling of a distinct civiliation that slowly takes hold of you when slowly making your way on the site. The scientific advancements were stunning. The construction mastery is as impressive: The South Platform is maybe not as high as the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan, but with one distinct advantage: This one is on top of a mountain, and gives you breathtaking views for miles and miles into the Oaxaca valley.

By that time, if you had to climb those stairs in dry season, you’ll be begging for some shade and some liquids. A bit of shade can be found near the ballcourts in the northeastern exit. Because, yes, these Zapotec people had their own version of tennis / jai alai. It’s a great spot as well to study the layout of Oaxaca city below.

Once past the impressive tree you can visit the small museum, mainly displaying carved stones from the site. And if you’re still up for some more exploring… skip the tourist bus and just walk back along the side of the road down to the valley. Not entirely safe and definitely not recommended, but it’s a nice ninety minute walk (if you take the shortest road, which I ibviously failed miserably at…) and gives you a nice feeling of the living circumstances for the locals.

Panorama of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico. View from the southern side

Temple on the southwestern side of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Sun clock of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Temple on the northern side of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Main platform of the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Ball court in the Monte Alban archaelogical ruins near Oaxaca in Mexico

Good to know

Monte Alban is on an artificial plain on top of a mountain, at a height of almost 2,000 metres. This means it can get blisteringly hot in summer, so be prepared (hat, sunscreen, liquids)
Getting there:

Go to the Hotel Rivera de Angel
Opposite, at the corner of Diaz Ordaz and Franciso Javier Mina streets, are small autobuses for around 15 persons
Buy a ticket in a small office (employees will show you the way, no worries). You can also define at what time you want to go back (you need at least 2-3 hours on site)
Buses go every 30 minutes