Our Tours

Murex, Silk, and Threaded Flowers
March 5-13, 2014

The last Murex dyers, five centuries of silk, a village of 5,000 tapestry weavers. From the Oaxacan Coast  to the Sierra Madre , this is a truely remarkable and diverse journey.

From the Oaxacan Coast  to the Sierra Madre , this remarkable and diverse journey takes us to one of the last sericulture villages in Mexico, a village of 5,000 tapestry weavers, into the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to visit of village of Zapotec embroiders and Huave backstrap weavers, into the home of the last and great Chontal weavers and onto a remote beach with one of the last ancestral murex dyers on the planet.

The state of Oaxaca is home to a luxurious diversity of textiles. This journey compliments our Fiber Arts of the Oaxacan Coast tour in exploring some of the fabulous indigenous textile regions of the state. We travel into the Sierra Madre to visit one of the last areas where sericulture is practiced in Mesoamerica. We visit weavers and natural dyers in Teotitlan, a village of over 4,000 tapestry weavers. And then we travel through stunning mountains and valleys to the land of the Isthmus Zapotecs and Huaves. Here well go to a village of embroiders who create the elegant and much sought  after festival regalia worn by the women in this region. We’ll visit the home of one of the last weavers of Yautepec, who is also one of the finest backstrap brocade artists in Oaxaca, using a needle for her shuttle. We’ll travel to a remote village on a wide sand spit where backstrap weaving is making a tenuous comeback and crown our journey with a boat trip to a remote Pacific beach to witness murex dyeing from the hands of an old-school master. We also visit a grand market, ruined palaces, stay in villages, lunch with families, eat catch of the day on a quiet Pacific beach and explore old Oaxaca city, a UNESCO world heritage site. And more.

If you like weaving, traditional culture, travel in small groups that allows you access to places you’d likely never get to otherwise, join us. Our past customers say you’ll be in good hands- almost 60% of our bookings are returnees, we must be doing something right!

Day 1, (D) Plan to arrive at our hotel in Huatulco by no later than 6pm. We will meet, have a trip orientation and head out to dinner.   Our trip starts on the coast in Huatulco and ends in Oaxaca city. You might choose to fly round trip to Mexico City and add a one way flight to Huatulco and a one way flight from Oaxaca to Mexico City.

Day 2, (BL)  Today we climb aboard a small boat with a Mixtec man whose family has been dyeing cotton with purpura panza (murex) for uncounted generations. We head up the rocky coastline to a white sand beach with sky-blue waters where the little shells live that produce the regal purple dye. We will stand witness to this rare and ancient process (bring water proof shoes for rock hopping) as the dyer harvests the shells to dye a skein of wool and explains to us how it is that, after thousands of years of harvesting shells on this coast, there are still shells to dye with. We’ll have a picnic on the beach and a swim and a snorkel (bring your mask if you have one). In the afternoon we boat back to the big bay and you’ll have free time in the afternoon and evening to explore the area. Evening in Huatulco.

 Day 3, (LD) We’ll travel down the Pacific coast today and travel out to the long sand spit between the Pacific and a large lagoon called the Calm Sea and into the lands of the indigenous group called the Huaves.  In San Mateo del Mar we will meet with the family of Justina Oviedo, featured in The Great Masters of Mexican Folkart, and see how these backstrap weavers incorporate images from their surroundings, like crabs and cranes, into their beautiful weavings. Then to the bustling Zapotec town of where we’ll spend the next two nights. 

Day 4, (BLD) If you are familiar with the famous Mexican artist and cultural icon, Frida Kahlo, then you will know that she favored hand-embroidered floral blouses and skirts, often times of velvet. (If you aren’t familiar with Frida, take a moment to do so- look on the internet, see the movie Frida). Ornate, hand embroidered blouses and skirts are the dress-up, show off clothing of the Isthmus woman. Frida fell in love with the costume and made it her own. This morning we visit embroiders in the towns of San Blas and Santa Rosa where for many people embroidery is their trade. We’ll also see how hammocks are made, visit the Tehuantepec market and learn about the totopo, a baked tortilla unique to this region. Evening in Tehuantepec.

Day 5, (BLD) Onward! We bid Tehuantepec and the lowlands and head to the hills, following the old trade path turned Pan-American Highway to the legendary Oaxacan valley. En route we’ll make a small detour to visit one of the last weavers in a village that once did some of the finest cotton weaving in Oaxaca. In fact, in the hands of this weaver, this town still creates some of the finest weaving, not only in Oaxaca, but in all of Mexico. . The village is San Bartolo Yautepec and the weaver  is Nicolasa Pascual, recently featured in the “Great Masters of Oaxacan Folkart”. . After marveling over her fine work we head to the small Zapotec town of Teotitlan del Valle, a small, family run hotel and a place that is at the heart of Oaxacan weaving!  Evening in Teotitlan.

Day 6, (BLD)  Teotitlan, a phenomenal Zapotec town of over 4,000 weavers and the focus of today’s exploration. We’ll start right at home, because as it turns out the owner of our hotel is also one of the most accomplished natural dyers in Teotitlan. He’ll show us how it’s done. Then, given that we don’t have the time nor the income to visit all 4,000 weavers, we’ll visit a couple instead. In one household we’ll see a loom 15 feet wide and meet weavers who are working with contemporary artists to create some very unusual designs. In another household we’ll have lunch! A good meal of home cooked Zapotec cuisine with freshly made tortillas (you’ll get a chance to try making a couple if you dare) of home grown corn, fresh fruit water, home made salsa and a tasty main course with a sip of mescal as an aperitif. We’ll also visit this town’s simple and lovely church adorned with bouquets of flowers kept fresh 365 days of the year by the 13 men who tend the saints as well as ornate wax candles. Time allowing we’ll even meet on of the village’s candle makers and see how they ply their art.  Evening in Teotitlan.

Day 7, (BLD) Today is silk. The pine covered peaks that rise high above our hotel are part of the Eastern Sierra Madre. Into them we travel today to visit one of the last surviving sericulture areas in Mexico. 450 years ago silk was booming throughout Oaxaca, but a century of disease, corruption and competition from the Orient turned that boom into a bust. Oaxaca, remote, hidden and deeply rooted, hasn’t paid much attention to the wider world’s cycles of boom and bust. What you no longer find anywhere else you still find in Oaxaca. A village of silk artisans carrying on a trade introduced by the Spanish almost 500 years ago is one of those things. Today we go to meet some of those people and hear some stories about the past and present. Evening in Teotitlan.

Day 8, (BLD) We conclude out travels in the colonial city of Oaxaca. We’ll enjoy a private tour of one of Oaxaca’s gems, the Textile Museum of Oaxaca, as well as a walking tour of old town Oaxaca. We might even peek into a shop that has the finest Oaxacan textiles in the world and we’ll most certainly sit down to a lunch of good Oaxacan food. You’ll have the afternoon free to explore as you wish, but we’ll meet up again in the evening for a final meal together. Evening in Oaxaca. 

Day 9, You my plan your departure for any time today or choose to stay on and join us for two more days of optional tour extensions. See below for details.

All itineraries are subject to change without notice.

OPTIONAL EXTENTIONS. These day trips are not included in the expedition tour itinerary, but offered as independent day tours. Cost of each day tour is US$75. This includes guide, transport and lunch. Lodging NOT included. If you want to stay on for these let us know and we can reserve your room for the extra nights. You can pay the hotel when you arrive.

March 14th.  Potters, Pyramids and Paper. One of the grand fallen cities of Mesoamerica is the Zapotec ceremonial center of Monte Alban. We’ll tour the forgotten palaces and temples of this silent metropolis. Then a visit with potters in the village of Atzompa whose ancestors where the potters of Monte Alban. In particular we’ll visit Angelica Vazquez, one of the countries most recognized and creative traditional potters. Then it’s on to the co-operative hand-made paper workshop of San Agustin as well as a visit to the 120 year old, spectacularly restored Vista Hermosa textile factory that has become a school of art.

March 15th. One of the most interesting markets in Oaxaca is the traditional Friday Ocotlan market, and that is our destination today. But en route we’ll also visit a family that does fine backstrap weaving on rigid heddle looms in Santo Tomas Jalietza, as well as stopping in to see a basket maker plait his wares.