Teotitlán del Valle
A Zapotec wool-weaving village where family workshops dye yarn with natural pigments such as cochineal and indigo, letting you watch the whole process and buy directly.
Teotitlán del Valle lies at the foot of the mountains about 30 km east of Oaxaca city. Almost every household in the village makes wool rugs, and the patterns follow Zapotec geometric fret designs, which share their origins with the stone carvings at Mitla, as well as modern motifs. Inside the family workshops, hosts demonstrate carding and spinning, dyeing from pink to deep red with crushed cochineal insects, and blue and yellow with indigo and marigold, before weaving on wooden foot-pedal looms. A medium-sized rug often takes several weeks to several months to make. Prices are negotiated directly with the weavers and are lower than in the city, and larger pieces can be shipped internationally. The village also has a 17th-century church, built on the site of a Zapotec temple, and a community museum. Visitors usually come on an Eastern Valleys day tour or by shared taxi from Oaxaca. Respect bargaining etiquette when shopping, and ask permission before taking photos.
Opening hours
Family workshops typically 09:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Dainzú
- Tlacolula Sunday Market
- Yagul
- Árbol del Tule
- Mitla
- Barrio de Jalatlaco
- San Bartolo Coyotepec
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca