Mountain biking in Oaxaca, the culinary heart of Mexico
Spectacular food, culture and trails on our mountain biking holiday in Mexico
This mountain biking holiday in Mexico gives you the chance to explore the stunning Sierra Norte mountains, and soak up the culture and cuisine of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca.
Read the inspiring Wall Street Journal feature on our mountain biking holiday in Mexico.
We’ll be mountain biking throughout the Sierra Norte’s 70,000 acres which are criss-crossed by ancient Zapotec foot trails and dirt tracks. These trails have been used by the local people for generations as the main route of communication between their isolated mountain villages in the heart of southern Mexico.
Our home in Oaxaca will be in one of eight Zapotec villages that have come together to form an eco-tourism partnership, benefiting every community equally. You will feel right at home, with traditional home-cooked Mexican food and locally brewed Mezcal: a well-deserved reward after our fantastic days on the bike.
On your mountain biking holiday in Mexico you’ll spend a morning at Monte Albàn, the most important archaeological site in the Zapotec world, and enjoy the splendours of the world-famous Oaxacan cuisine.
Our mountain biking holiday in Mexico is for novice/intermediate riders with level 3 fitness, and to find out what this means read the explanation of our skill and fitness levels.
Note on safety: There are no US Government travel warnings or advisories for the state of Oaxaca.
Tour dates 2013
- 30 March – 6 April 2013
- 12 – 19 October 2013
Please contact our expert tour team if you have different dates in mind for a mountain biking holiday in Mexico and we will do our best to accommodate your requirements.
Want to know more? Ask us a question about our mountain biking holiday in Mexico, and read more about why you should choose H&I Adventures for your next adventure.
Mountain biking holiday in Mexico itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival day
You’ll be welcomed by our guide at Mexico City airport and, after some food, you will spend your first night in Mexico at an airport hotel to recover from your travelling.
Day 2 – Oaxaca City
On the first day of your mountain biking holiday in Mexico our guides will meet you bright and early at your hotel in Mexico City and we will drive (five hours) to Oaxaca City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival at Oaxaca we will check in to our traditional Oaxacan hotel and get settled in, then build and tune bikes. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city, and have dinner in one of the many excellent local restaurants, before your adventure tour begins!
Day 3 – Monte Albàn
Today we will spend the morning exploring the most important Zapotec archaeological site at Monte Albàn, a hilltop town a few miles west of Oaxaca.
We will have lunch in Teotitlan de Valle and then continue for another hour or so to the gateway of the Sierra Norte and enjoy our first day mountain biking in Mexico riding to the picturesque Zapotec village of Llano Grande, where we will make our home in the sustainable mountain ‘cabanas’.
Distance ridden: 10km
Day 4 – Llano Grande
We start the day very early with a head-lamp ride to El Mirador, where we’ll have a fantastic view of the sun rising over the mist-covered valleys, before heading back for a well-deserved local breakfast.
We will then head out for a 20km mountain bike ride to admire the majestic rock formations of Cueva Iglesia, then back to base at Llano Grande.
Distance: 35km
Day 5 – Llano Grande to Lachatao
This is our first big day in the saddle, approximately five hours of riding, on this mountain biking holiday in Mexico. You’ll tackle some technical downhills to beautiful waterfalls, and long, tricky climbs to the ancient village of Lachatao, where we will have a delicious meal and meet our transport back to our cabanas in Llano Grande.
Distance: 40km
Day 6 – Llano Grande to Latuvi
Another long ride ahead of us today, but all the climbing and pedalling will be rewarded with one of the best singletrack descents in the whole of Mexico! When we arrive in the village of Latuvi we’ll enjoy a late lunch and spectacular views across the Sierra. Our shuttle will take us back to Llano Grande, and our final night in this amazing Zapotec community.
Distance: 40km
Day 7 – Downhill out of the Sierra
We have the choice this morning of taking a shuttle or mountain biking to the village of Neveria to start an exhilarating downhill trail back to Oaxaca. We’ll finish our ride at the El Tule tree, the widest tree in the world, around which a shrine and a village have developed over the course of centuries. We’ll also enjoy some of the best ice-cream south of the Rio Grande!
Your accommodation will once again be a traditional hotel in Oaxaca City.
Distance: 25km
Day 8 – Transfer to Mexico City and departure
Depending on your flight schedule, you may have time to do some last-minute souvenir shopping in Oaxaca before we transfer back to Mexico City to say our farewells.
£1,460 / $2,336 USD per person (ex. flights, based on two people sharing a room)
A single supplement of £220 / $352 will be applicable should a single room be requested
Price includes:
- All meals (except dinner on travel days and day two)
- All accommodation during the trip
- The services of fully qualified and experienced mountain bike guides for the duration of the trip
- All ground costs
- All group safety equipment
- Back-up vehicles for the duration of the trip
- Ground transportation between Mexico City and Oaxaca
Price excludes:
- Flights to and from Mexico, and any internal flights in Mexico
- Bike hire – we can arrange hire of a full suspension bike at a cost of £240/$375 USD for the duration of the trip
- Travel and activity insurance
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal safety and cycling equipment
- Supplement for single room
- Any other items not mentioned as included
Arrival and departure details
Your mountain biking holiday in Mexico will start and end in Mexico City. Your guide and/or driver will meet you in the arrivals area of Mexico City airport and he/she will be holding an H&I Adventures sign. You will spend your first night in Mexico at a comfortable airport hotel to recover from your travelling and ensure you’re ready for the start of your mountain biking adventure the next day.
Most flights arrive at Mexico City in the late afternoon and evening, however if your flight arrives outside of these times, please advise us so that we can plan your pick-up accordingly.
We will be making our way back to Mexico City on the penultimate day of the tour, and spending another night in an airport hotel, ready to make your connections home the following day.
Travelling to Mexico
Mexico City is well-served by many major airlines from all over the world. For up-to-date timetables and booking visit: www.ba.com; www.aa.com; www.continental.com; and www.klm.com.
You must book your bike on to your flight in advance, otherwise you could face a heavy charge at the airport. Here are some handy hints and tips on travelling by air with your bike.
Preparing yourself and your bike for your mountain biking holiday in Mexico
Please read the full kit list before you start packing for your mountain biking holiday in Mexico, so that you have everything you need!
Our mountain biking holiday in Mexico is for novice/intermediate riders with level 3 fitness, and to find out what this means read the explanation of our skill and fitness levels.
The ideal bike for the Oaxacan trails is a good quality hardtail (front suspension only) with around 100mm of travel in the forks, or for the intermediate rider, a full-suspension bike with around 150mm of travel front and rear.
To get the most out of your mountain biking holiday in Mexico you should plan some training in advance of your tour, and it is essential that, if you’re bringing your own bike, you ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.
We can arrange bike hire for you, and have the bike ready for your arrival, at a cost of £240 for a high quality full suspension mountain bike for the duration of your trip.
For more information on our mountain bike tour in Mexico, and travelling in Mexico in general, read the full trip brochure.
Mexico!
This adventure is an great cultural biking experience. Welcoming and friendly local guides, fantastic food, amazing biking, breathtaking views, and fun company made this trip truly memorable!
Mountain bike Mexico
Fantastic trip! If you want to see and experience the proper Mexico whilst riding some world class trails, look no further, thoroughly recommended.
Here is a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for our mountain biking holiday in Mexico
- Q. How many people will be in the group?
A. We only run small group adventures to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will generally be between six and eight people in each group. We can stretch to a maximum of ten if it’s a group of friends. The minimum number of people we require to run a trip is four.
Q. What’s the age range of people who come on this trip?
A. Our mountain bike tour in Mexico caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old, but age is simply a state of mind, as they say, and we welcome anyone over the age of 18! As long as you have a good level of physical fitness you will enjoy this mountain bike tour no matter what your age.
Q. What style of mountain biking holiday is it?
A.This mountain biking holiday in Mexico is a guided mountain bike tour, ideal for beginner to intermediate mountain bikers. The terrain you’ll be riding on consists of double track and singletrack through cloud forests, villages and across mountain passes. You’ll encounter some steep climbs and rooty sections, as well as fabulous, swooping descents. Altitude is a factor in this trip and we have some tips for riding at high altitudes and managing the effects of altitude.
Q. How far will we be mountain biking each day?
A. The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 40km, in accordance with the altitude and height gain/ loss on each stage. We will gain height gradually over the course of the trip to ensure that your body becomes accustomed to the increased altitude. Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.
Q. Do we have to carry all our gear with us?
A. No, you only need to carry a day pack with you whilst riding. We have a support vehicle and driver who will transfer your luggage to your next accommodation each day, and have it ready and waiting for your arrival.
Q. What if I come across a section of trail that I can’t ride?
A. Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills training during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your Nepal mountain bike adventure. If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!
Q. Who will be guiding us?
A. Your mountain bike guides are local to Oaxaca and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Mexico. Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of the tour. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip. You can meet your mountain bike guides on our ‘Why H&I Adventures page?’.
Q. What sort of accommodation will we be staying in?
A. On this mountain bike tour in the beautiful Oaxaca region of Mexico you will be staying in a traditional hotel in Oaxaca city at the start and end of the trip, and the rest of the week you will be staying in rustic mountain cabins (cabanas). These cabanas are part of a ground-breaking eco-tourism venture involving the eight communities in the Sierra Norte around Llano Grande. Each community benefits equally from the tourism income generated in any one village, and the locals spend two months per year volunteering in community projects.
Q. Which will the weather be like for mountain biking in Mexico?
A. In the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca the weather is quite changeable during our mountain bike tours. You’ll experience lovely sunny mornings, and then some showers in the afternoon, so it’s important that you bring lots of layers and a waterproof jacket for riding. Temperatures can range from 0C/32F at night, to 25C/77F during the day.
Q. Which meals are included in the tour?
A. All meals except on travel days and on day two. Oaxaca is renowned for its world-class cuisine, and you’ll have the chance to experience delicious home cooking in the Sierra Norte, as well as more contemporary Oaxacan cooking in the city.
Q. What type of mountain bike is best for this trip?
A. A good quality hardtail mountain bike with 120mm travel forks, or a full suspension with 150mm front and rear would be ideal for this mountain bike tour. It depends on your style of riding because this mountain bike tour in Oaxaca is fairly unique in that riders of differing abilties and experience can enjoy the trails equally; the more confident bikers can just ride faster!
Q. What clothes and kit should I bring?
A. The daytime and nighttime temperatures vary greatly in this part of Mexico, so you must make sure that you have plenty of layers of breathable clothing to ensure that you are always warm enough and can remove a layer if you get too hot, and you should bring a down jacket for the evenings. It is likely that you will experience some rain in the afternoons in Oaxaca, so you must remember to bring a waterproof jacket too. You should bring cycling shorts/trousers, gloves, padded undershorts, specific shoes for cycling, sun cream, insect spray, and Advil or Ibuprofen. Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your mountain bike tour in Mexico.
Mexico!
This adventure is an great cultural biking experience. Welcoming and friendly local guides, ...
read more