Árbol del Tule Photos
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Came here via DiDi Rider, a taxi app, on a Wednesday afternoon in early July 2023. The tree was beautiful and was part of the church property which was fenced off. You need to buy tickets to get up close to it where there was another smaller fence preventing people from touching or climbing it. The tickets were MX$20 per person. The tree is over 2,000 years old and there is another younger tree that is about 1,000 years old on the south side of the church. Great place to visit if you have some time to kill. You can even hire a tour guide, which we didn't do. We were staying in the center of Oaxaca and it was surprisingly difficult to hail a cab back. Most taxi drivers wouldn't take us to the center. The taxis were all red and white and are based in Tule. Thankfully, we eventually found someone willing to take us. Make sure you negotiate the cost before getting into the cab. Ours came out to MX$150.
Árbol de Tule or "La Gigante" is mustn't miss. Located in pueblo Santa María del Tule, not far from Oaxaca, it is said to been of the world's widest (200 ft) & perhaps oldest tree. With sun somehow streaming through its ancient branches, El Tule is simply magnificent. Botanically it is a bald cypress, tho it's known popularly as Montezuma's Cypress. Apt! Alexander von Humboldt, the great 18th-19th century polymath & geographer, thought El Tule was 4,000 years old although botanists today say 2,000-3,000 years. In his marvelous "Oaxaca Journal" Oliver Sacks muses, "What has El Gigante seen? The rise and fall of a half a dozen civilizations, the coming of the Spaniards, the whole human history of Oaxaca." It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003.
It is NOT necessary to pay to see the tree - and the best views and photos are actually usually from outside the church's fenced off area. And there are also OTHER large interesting trees - similar in size and age - in the same plaza and other areas of this small (now tourist) town, so unless you want to enter the church (grounds), you can access and photograph "trees without fees" and also possibly many other things that might interest you. Besides the famous tree(s), and adjacent church, much of this town seems devoted to restaurants and tourist shops, but there is also a bicycle path (that people walk). A colectivo taxi to or from downtown Oaxaca is only 15 Pesos. Bus service is even cheaper.
Being from the east coast of Canada, my version of "big trees" is way off base. Some of our oldest trees are a few hundred years old, and are typically not as impressive as you would think. Those on the west coast have a better sense of the term, but still non of those trees compare to this. The Tule Tree is the widest tree in the world. It's spectacular. It's located in the middle of the town next to the church. There is a fence around the tree, but it's iron, so you can see through. There is an "admission" fee for those who want to walk the church grounds to get closer. I'd make the trip out of town again to see this tree - it's one of a kind. Want to see this video? Check out the adventure here! https://youtu.be/w6pSeJn3LZ8
One of my favorite stops around Oaxaca! I wasn't expecting to be so impressed but I was! We hired a driver for the day, so it was super easy for us to get here in about a 20 minute drive from Oaxaca. It was a 10 peso entrance fee and then we just spent about 15-20 minutes gawking at the tree while circling it and taking photos. It's really amazing and weirdly serene to look at. Drop by if you have the chance!
So glad we came here!! It cost 20 pesos to enter and see the Tree up close. El Árbol del Tule, also known as The Tree of Tule, is a Montezuma cypress located in Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico. It is renowned for having the stoutest trunk in the world, with a circumference of over 42 meters (137.8 feet) and a diameter of 14.05 meters (46.1 feet). The tree is believed to be over 2,000 years old, with some suggesting it could be as old as 3,000 years. It is a significant cultural landmark for the Zapotec people, symbolizing their connection to nature and history. read more
5 months ago
You can't go to Oaxaca and miss this tree. It is SO cool, and even more expansive in person than in photos. It's the widest known tree in the world. Located in Santa Maria del Tule, it's very close to Oaxaca City. I visited as part of a tour group, so it was nice to obtain some history and explore the town some as well. read more
We visited el Árbol del Tule on our last full day in Oaxaca last week, and I'm so glad we didn't miss it. What is it? It's the tree with widest known trunk in the world! 46.1 feet in diameter!!! It's hard to make sense of this; you just have to see it! Its age is technically unknown, but estimates range between 1,200 and 3,000 years old. (Local Zapotec legend holds that it was planted about 1,400 years ago by Pechocha, a priest of the Aztec god Ehecatl.) The name of the tree (Tule) refers to a different plant that grows in the area, the tree is actually a Montezuma Cypress (English), Sabino (Spanish), or Ahuehuete (Nahuatl). It's a little bit out of the city. You can get to Santa María del Tule (the town/village where the tree is located) by car or bus or you can do what we did. We booked an Airbnb experience and road bikes to the Árbol del Tule (about 5 miles each way) with a guide who shared a lot of information about the tree and the community. There's a small entrance fee, but I thought visiting the tree was totally worth it (we were in Oaxaca for 6 nights, which might be a little longer than some tourists). Santa María del Tule is also really charming and beautiful, so you can grab some food, walk around, take in the views, go to the mercado, and spend a couple of hours there. The tree was just majestic and amazing. Awesome, truly. read more
Yes the widest tree according to Guinness! A sight to see in person. Charming, beautiful, clean town not far from Oaxaca city. Definitely worth checking out if time allows. The street was delicious and affordable as well. read more
Came here via DiDi Rider, a taxi app, on a Wednesday afternoon in early July 2023. The tree was beautiful and was part of the church property which was fenced off. You need to buy tickets to get up close to it where there was another smaller fence preventing people from touching or climbing it. The tickets were MX$20 per person. The tree is over 2,000 years old and there is another younger tree that is about 1,000 years old on the south side of the church. Great place to visit if you have some time to kill. You can even hire a tour guide, which we didn't do. We were staying in the center of Oaxaca and it was surprisingly difficult to hail a cab back. Most taxi drivers wouldn't take us to the center. The taxis were all red and white and are based in Tule. Thankfully, we eventually found someone willing to take us. Make sure you negotiate the cost before getting into the cab. Ours came out to MX$150. read more
If you have a few hrs to kill this is cool little Pueblo they have the oldest tree in mexico it massive the garden surrounded it is nice the shops have all kinda of finds seems to have some nice restaurants all around definitely will go back read more
Árbol de Tule or "La Gigante" is mustn't miss. Located in pueblo Santa María del Tule, not far from Oaxaca, it is said to been of the world's widest (200 ft) & perhaps oldest tree. With sun somehow streaming through its ancient branches, El Tule is simply magnificent. Botanically it is a bald cypress, tho it's known popularly as Montezuma's Cypress. Apt! Alexander von Humboldt, the great 18th-19th century polymath & geographer, thought El Tule was 4,000 years old although botanists today say 2,000-3,000 years. In his marvelous "Oaxaca Journal" Oliver Sacks muses, "What has El Gigante seen? The rise and fall of a half a dozen civilizations, the coming of the Spaniards, the whole human history of Oaxaca." It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. read more
It is NOT necessary to pay to see the tree - and the best views and photos are actually usually from outside the church's fenced off area. And there are also OTHER large interesting trees - similar in size and age - in the same plaza and other areas of this small (now tourist) town, so unless you want to enter the church (grounds), you can access and photograph "trees without fees" and also possibly many other things that might interest you. Besides the famous tree(s), and adjacent church, much of this town seems devoted to restaurants and tourist shops, but there is also a bicycle path (that people walk). A colectivo taxi to or from downtown Oaxaca is only 15 Pesos. Bus service is even cheaper. read more
4 years ago
If you find yourself in Oaxaca City, The Árbol de Tule is a must see. Located in pueblo Santa Maria del Tule, this is the largest and one of the largest trees in the world. There's a lively market and mercado de comedor (food market) within walking distance. read more
Being from the east coast of Canada, my version of "big trees" is way off base. Some of our oldest trees are a few hundred years old, and are typically not as impressive as you would think. Those on the west coast have a better sense of the term, but still non of those trees compare to this. The Tule Tree is the widest tree in the world. It's spectacular. It's located in the middle of the town next to the church. There is a fence around the tree, but it's iron, so you can see through. There is an "admission" fee for those who want to walk the church grounds to get closer. I'd make the trip out of town again to see this tree - it's one of a kind. Want to see this video? Check out the adventure here! https://youtu.be/w6pSeJn3LZ8 read more
7 years ago
One of my favorite stops around Oaxaca! I wasn't expecting to be so impressed but I was! We hired a driver for the day, so it was super easy for us to get here in about a 20 minute drive from Oaxaca. It was a 10 peso entrance fee and then we just spent about 15-20 minutes gawking at the tree while circling it and taking photos. It's really amazing and weirdly serene to look at. Drop by if you have the chance! read more
4 years ago
This was one of my favorite things to see during my trip to Oaxaca, this tree is the widest tree in the world! And so beautiful!!! We got help from one of the kid tour guides hanging out around the tree, they are able to point out the different animal faces on the tree with a little mirror and they accept donations for their services. read more
11 years ago
