Oaxaca is Mexico's most culturally layered state — a territory where Zapotec and Mixtec civilisations built Monte Albán before the Roman Empire fell, where Dominican missionaries constructed some of the finest baroque convents in the Americas from the 1530s and where the specific Oaxacan colonial typology — cut green cantera stone, vast church naves, open-air capillas — ages with extraordinary visual drama. The Ex Convento de Santiago Apóstol in Cuilápam de Guerrero, begun in 1535 and never finished, is the finest example: a roofless basilica whose construction was halted in 1570, where Mexico's second president was executed in 1831 and whose murals combine Roman Catholic iconography with Mixtec and Zapotec mythology. Discover the 5 best abandoned places in Oaxaca, selected from our Mexico Urbex Map — 500+ verified GPS locations.
Why Oaxaca Has an Exceptional Derelict Heritage
Oaxaca's abandonment reflects the specific trajectory of a colonial centre whose indigenous population was devastated by 16th-century epidemic disease — construction projects were halted mid-completion, entire towns were emptied, and the architectural ambition of the Dominican order was permanently interrupted. The result is a state whose finest buildings were never finished, creating a specific and unrepeatable aesthetic of colonial incompletion.
1. Hacienda Abandonada – Valles Centrales, Oaxaca — Post-Revolution Estate, Stone Construction, Green Cantera Detail, Zapotec Valley Setting (Known Location)
In the Valles Centrales south of Oaxaca city, several post-Revolution haciendas abandoned after the 1910–1920 agrarian reforms stand fully derelict — stone-built colonial estates with green cantera architectural detail, interior courtyards consumed by vegetation and the Zapotec valley visible through collapsed walls. The specific Oaxacan light and the valley setting create a hacienda dereliction experience unique to the region.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Mexico →
2. Abandoned Mezcal Palenque – Oaxacan Sierra, Near Matatlán — 19th-Century Stone Distillery, Tahona Press In Place, Clay Fermentation Vats, Agave Terracing (Known Location)
The mezcal-producing villages of the Oaxacan sierra — Matatlán, Miahuatlán, the Sierra Sur — hold abandoned 19th and early 20th-century palenques: stone-built distilleries with the original tahona millstone press on its circular track, clay fermentation vats intact and agave terracing returning to the landscape. A derelict agricultural processing experience available nowhere else in the world.
🔗 Sources: Atlas Obscura – Oaxacan Haciendas | Mexicolore – Hacienda Life in Southern Mexico
3. Derelict Cortés Hacienda Wall – Cuilápam de Guerrero, Oaxaca — L-Shaped Wall Remnant of Hernán Cortés 16th-Century Agricultural Estate, Adjacent to Convento
After Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire in 1525, he was granted the title Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca. During his visits to Oaxaca, such as in 1535, he oversaw agricultural projects in San Sebastian Etla, introducing wheat, sugar cane and mills. Ruins believed to be one of his haciendas still stand nearby, marked by an L-shaped wall, bearing his enduring link to Cuilápam. The specific combination of the most historically significant conquistador and one of the finest colonial convents in Mexico creates a derelict heritage pairing of extraordinary depth — all within walking distance in a single Cuilápam visit. All GPS coordinates in our Mexico Urbex Map.
4. Roofless 16th-Century Dominican Chapel – Oaxacan Valley Interior — Construction Halted by Epidemic Depopulation, Green Cantera Stone, Mixtec-Zapotec Carved Details, Village Adjacent (Our Map Only)
In the valleys radiating from Oaxaca city — the Cañada, the Mixteca Alta, the Sierra Juárez — Dominican missionaries built dozens of smaller chapels and visitas (mission outposts) in the 16th century. When epidemic disease devastated the indigenous population between the 1520s and 1590s, many of these smaller structures were abandoned mid-construction or fell out of use: roofless stone shells with the carved green cantera portals typical of Oaxacan Dominican construction, open to the sky in the valley landscape. These peripheral chapels are entirely off the tourist circuit and largely unknown internationally. GPS in our Mexico Urbex Map. GPS in our Mexico Urbex Map.
5. Abandoned Mezcal Distillery – Oaxacan Sierra or Valleys — 19th or Early 20th-Century Palenque, Stone Tahona Press Still In Place, Agave Terracing Surrounding (Hidden on Our Map)
The mezcal-producing villages of the Oaxacan sierra and valleys — Matatlán, Miahuatlán, the Sierra Sur — hold numerous abandoned 19th and early 20th-century palenques (traditional mezcal distilleries): stone-built production rooms with the original tahona (millstone) press still in place on its circular track, the clay fermentation vats intact and the surrounding agave terracing returning to the landscape. The combination of the specific Oaxacan mezcal production heritage, the stone construction and the extraordinary sierra or valley landscape creates a derelict agricultural processing experience available nowhere else. Find them on our Mexico Urbex Map. Find them on our Mexico Urbex Map.
Safety Tips
- INAH sites: Cuilápam and Monte Albán are INAH-protected — always stay within designated access areas and never remove any archaeological material
- Oaxacan roads: sierra roads can be rough and narrow; check road conditions before attempting dirt tracks in standard vehicles
- Valley heat: Oaxaca's central valleys can be very hot in the dry season — carry sufficient water for any site visit
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and share your location
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned place in Oaxaca?
The Ex Convento de Santiago Apóstol in Cuilápam de Guerrero — begun in 1535, never completed, roofless since the 1570s, the site of Mexico's second president's execution in 1831 and described by Atlas Obscura as "a haunting symbol of a grandeur that never fully came to be." 30 minutes from Oaxaca city by bus, freely accessible.
Is Monte Albán abandoned?
Monte Albán was abandoned by the Zapotec civilisation around 700 CE — one of the most significant urban abandonments in pre-Columbian Americas. The main plaza is a managed INAH archaeological site; peripheral structures beyond the tourist circuit exist in various states of unexcavated dereliction in the wider archaeological zone.
How do I get to Cuilápam from Oaxaca?
Take any bus marked "Zaachila" from the Central de Abastos (7 pesos, approximately 30 minutes). Tell the driver you want Cuilápam — the monastery is visible from the main road through the village. Combine with the Thursday market at Zaachila for a full-day valley circuit.
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