Bike to the 2,000-Year-Old El Arbol del Tule
Hop on a rented bike and go for a joy ride direct to Santa Maria del Tule, to the foot of the world’s widest tree. The easy and flat 45-minute bike ride to El Tule is a must-do adventure full of sights, bites, and surprises from start to finish.
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El Arbol del Tule is considered the widest tree in the world at 138 feet (42 meters) in height and 190 feet (58 meters) in circumference. They say its shadow can shelter 500 people and that it would take 30 people holding hands to successfully surround its perimeter.
For 2,000 years, it’s been rooting into the earth of what is today Santa Maria del Tule, a picturesque pueblo just a 45-minute bike ride along tree-shaded paths from Oaxaca’s Centro. Legend has it that it was a Zapotec priest who put it there. Fiction or truth, this tree is older than the Spanish Conquest. Its earliest days coincide with the flourishing Zapotec mountaintop metropolis of Monte Alban. Try and wrap your mind around all of the history this majestic Montezuma Cypress has witnessed in its day.
The Trail to El Tule
Avenida Ferrocaril, just east of the historic center of Oaxaca, offers a straight shot to the Tule Tree. This designated walk/bike lane is located in the middle of a major Oaxacan thoroughfare, lined with flowering trees and tempting spots to pull over and grab a bite to eat en route. There are no turns or confusing forks in the road. Just follow the trail all the way to Santa Maria del Tule and the record-breaking trunk of Mexico’s largest tree.
I will caution families with young children to be aware that there are traffic crossings at certain points on the trail, even if the trail itself is a safe distance from traffic the rest of the time. You might consider booking a guided tour for additional support or forgo the bike option altogether and hop on a bus, taxi, or colectivo to Tule instead (instructions at the bottom of this post). I’d also recommend timing this particular adventure for an early Sunday morning to minimize the noise and fumes of the traffic on the roads that parallel the trail as you ride. Otherwise, the guaranteed quietest and most scenic bits are the last 2 kilometers into Tule, a rewarding finish!
Tips and Tidbits for Your Visit to El Tule
El Arbol del Tule is a Montezuma Cypress, one of several dotting the promenades and plazas of Santa Maria del Tule. It towers over the temple of Santa María de la Asunción where it’s been growing long before the Spanish ever set foot in Mexico. The fee to step inside the now gated grounds and to gaze upon its natural figurines of animals, fruit, and other creative characters the locals have put to the twisting and turning of the Cypress’ trunk is a humble 10 pesos, all of which goes toward maintaining and protecting this ancient tree. Every second Monday of October, the residents of Santa Maria del Tule celebrate the Tule tree, adorning it with garlands of grapefruit, beer, and soda.
If you find your stomach grumbling after the ride, visit the Mercado Gastronomico del Tule and dig into the town favorites, barbacoa and empanadas del Camarillo, or step across the street to Restaurante El Milenario (location), a spot that rivals any of Oaxaca City’s best restaurants. Follow up lunch with a nieve of tuna (the cactus fruit) or leche quemada (burnt milk) at any one of the copious nieve stands throughout town.
How To Bike to the World’s Widest Tree
The Tour Option
TOUR DETAILS
Recommended Local Tour Operator: Continental Istmo Tours
Price: $65 USD per person
Duration: 5 to 6 hours starting at 8am
How Often? See calendar for latest availability
What's Included?:
- Certified guide
- Bike with gears
- Helmet
- Visits to Tule Tree (admission included) + Santo Domingo Tomaltepec (its reservoir and traditional bread and saddlery workshops)
Additional Options:
Combine your visit to El Tule with a visit to Teotitlan del Valle, Mitla, and the recently reopened Hierve el Agua all in one incredible day. While you wouldn’t be biking to Tule, this full day tour option includes Tule plus visits to a mezcal distillery to learn about and sample Oaxaca’s infamous agave spirit, as well as stops at Hierve el Agua and the textile town of Teotitlan del Valle. It’s great value at $45 USD and works out to be cheaper and with fewer headaches than if you tried to squeeze all of that in on your own via public transportation or a private taxi.
Follow your bike ride to Tule up with another bicycle-based activity by booking this street art bike tour and learn a bit more about the talking walls of Oaxaca City. Bikes, helmets, snacks, and drinks are included, as are visits to a few artist workshops around town. This is a half-day tour on mainly flat ground across three different street art-splashed neighborhoods in Oaxaca. Prices start at $57 USD per person.
The DIY Option
By Bike (Recommended)
Rent a bike from either Bicibella or Mundo Ceiba in Centro. Then pedal your way from the bike shop to the bike lane that follows Avenida Ferrocaril out of town towards Santa Maria del Tule. It’s about a 45-minute bike ride (about 6 miles / 10 km) from downtown Oaxaca to the ancient tree. The trail follows a mostly shaded and entirely flat path, albeit be aware that it is flanked by two busy roads. The tree is located inside of a gated churchyard once you arrive in town. There is an entrance fee of 10 pesos if you’d like to get up close to the tree.
By Taxi
Given Santa Maria del Tule is so close to Oaxaca, the taxi fare is quite cheap at around 100 pesos. You can hail a taxi from anywhere in Centro and be at the tree in less than 30 minutes. The tree is located inside of a gated churchyard just across the town plaza. There is an entrance fee of 10 pesos if you’d like to get up close to the tree.
By Bus or Colectivo
Head one block east past the Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos (the baseball stadium) on Niños Heroes (map) and catch either a bus or colectivo (the maroon-colored shared taxis) headed in the direction of El Tule. You’ll see “TULE” listed as one of the stops on the bus’ windshield or written on the door of the colectivo. You can also catch a bus from the 2nd Class bus station. The cost at the time of writing this is 7 pesos for the bus and 15 pesos per person for the colectivo. The tree is located inside of a gated churchyard once you arrive in town. There is an entrance fee of 10 pesos if you’d like to get up close to the tree or can just view it through the iron fence. The bus or colectivo will drop you off at the entrance to the plaza where the tree is located. To get back to Oaxaca, find your way back to the main street where you were dropped off and look for a bus or colectivo that has a “OAXACA” or “CENTRAL” sign on it and just let them know that you’d like to be dropped off at “estadio de beisbol”.
Travel Resources
Accommodations: When I’m not booking directly with the accommodation (which is sometimes cheaper), I often use Booking.com, Trivago, and Hostelworld.com. Agoda is also a great tool when searching for longer stay options at discounted rates that include hotels and private homes.
Tours: While I personally prefer do-it-yourself travel most of the time, sometimes it’s just better with a guide. In those cases, I typically use Viator, GetYourGuide, EatWith, and Airbnb Experiences. For self-guided audio tours, I recommend WeGoTrip.
Flights: My favorite flight aggregator tool is WayAway and my favorite tool for finding out about the best flight deals is FareDrop.
Shuttle Services: My go-to is Bookaway. They operate in more than 90 countries and work with only the top, traveler-reviewed suppliers in each country.
Rental Cars: While I more often take public transport when I travel, there have been destinations that are better explored by renting a car (like Costa Rica and Europe/UK for example). In these instances, I recommend starting your car rental search on Discover Cars. They compare car rental deals across more than 500 suppliers, including Hertz, Enterprise, Avis, and more.
Travel Insurance: If you’re a full-time nomad like me, I recommend SafetyWing. Look into their Nomad Travel Medical Insurance and Nomad Health Insurance (a full-fledged health insurance that covers your emergency and non-emergency medical needs worldwide, including in your country of residence). If you’re not a full-time traveler, I’d recommend Squaremouth. It aggregates your insurance options across more than 22 providers and offers what I’ve found to be the best rates.
Travel ATM & Credit Cards: If you travel often and like perks like airport lounge access and annual travel credit, I recommend the Capital One Venture X credit card that includes Priority Pass, a $300 annual travel credit, and covers your Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee. For a fee-free ATM card that reimburses you at the end of every month for any incurred ATM fees, I recommend opening a Schwab Bank Investor Checking Account.
VPN: I recommend Surfshark. It’s one of the best and most budget-friendly VPN services out there.
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