Ojos de Cuicatlan (TCBR, Sur)

Originally published in March, 2020; updated January 2022

This route can now be reached via La Vuelta de Santiago Apoala, as an alternative to catching a bus out there.

Covering some 490,186 hectares, including protected core zones and more general buffer rings, the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve is a vast but overlooked area that straddles both the southeastern portion of the state of Puebla and the northeast patch of Oaxaca – hence our two distinctive loops within this UNESCO heritage site.

This is rugged mountain country, bound by the Sierra Zongolica, the Mazatec Sierra, the Sierra de Juarez. Cut by deep canyons and set across a range of elevations, the area is laced with dirt roads that vary between 500m and 2,500m in altitude. Expect tropical deciduous forests, pine forest, cloud forest, pine-oak, and remote desert, making this swathe of land remarkably biodiverse. Be sure to read the North Loop for a more thorough background on the reserve and its cultural heritage.

Given its fluctuations in altitude, the South Loop is especially biodiverse. It shares much of the desert flora that can be seen in the North Loop – including the reserve’s ionic columnar cacti, albeit in a less dense setting – as well as oak forests, whose crooked branches are heavy with bromeliads, providing perfect respite from the dry season sun. Bignonias and bougainvillaeas add splashes of colour along the way, even if they are invasive…

The ride starts with a stunning climb out of Santiago Apoala, impressively backed by rocky outcrops and set amongst caves and waterfalls. Then, a long descent sees riders drop substantially in altitude, spiralling down into the searing heat of the valley floor, a land of abundant limes, mangos, and chicozapotas – a sweet and malty fruit that’s particularly delicious. The route traces a disused railway line in places – built in 1892, it ran between Puebla and Oaxaca – using it as an unconventional shortcut into the busy settlement of San Juan Bautista Cuicatlán. There, food is plentiful – ask for a jara of seasonal fruit juice to help temper the low elevation heat.

A handy connector, closed to vehicular traffic much of the time, showcases classic Sierra de Juarez topography and biodiversity. The multi-armed organ pipe cacti are especially impressive here – their flowers open at night to be pollinated by bats and moths – along with paddle-like nopales, plump pata de elefantes, and spiky-trunked silk cotton trees that fringe the dirt road as it traces the old railway line above the Rio Grande – itself lined by unexpectedly verdant forests where cantankerous green macaws gather during the daytime. If you time your visit right, you can visit the Sanctuario de las Guacamayas Verdes, where hundreds of these impressive birds – close to a metre in length – can be seen leaving their limestone rookeries come dawn, or returning in the evening. But even if you can’t, you’ll likely see a few dozen on your return to Santa María Ixcatlán.

As the route climbs back from whence it began, the iconic and endemic viejitos – tall and skinny Torch Caci, a type of Cephalocereus Hoppenstedtii that sport white and fluffy tops – poke out from the earth in every which direction. The views become even more impressive with every metre of altitude gained, revealing rock walls that are green-tinged from volcanic ash, the same distinctive stone that can be seen so prominently in the centre of nearby Oaxaca city – check out the walls around Templo Santa Domingo for examples. Climb further still and arid desert flora gives way once more to crooked oak trees, their branches heavy with flowering bromeliads. The stint into Santa Maria Ixtaclan is especially enjoyable. Steeper, rockier switchbacks soften to mellower grades, with a sweeping descent into the village itself.

Returning to Santiago Apoala, a series of lofty ridge ride offers sweeping, often hazy views in the distant valleys below; climbing is mellow in grade and the temperatures up at 2000m feel very agreeable, even in the summer.

Unfortunately, a project to financially integrate local communities into the maintenance of the reserve – info panels can be seen throughout the area, under the acronym PSA, or Pago Por Servicios Ambientes – has met with mixed success. The reserve’s nuclei zones are fenced off and very well kept. Much of the South Loop is well-tended, the obvious blight being on the climb up to Santa María Ixcatlán, where there’s a surprising amount of roadside trash that blights the roadside. We’d love to see bikepackers help to fuel positive change in the biosphere Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, so as ever, be sure to leave no trace and shop mindfully.

Difficulty 7: Compared to the northern loop, this route has considerably more climbing and given the range of altitutes, high temperatures can be energy sapping. Surfaces are also rougher in places. Resupply options are still good, even if they’re not quite as prevalent as in the North Loop. A stout climb on the return leg, perhaps best split in two depending on the heat of the day, provides the ride’s main challenge. As a route, the southern loop offers a relatively challenging introduction to bikepacking for those living in Mexico City, Puebla, or Oaxaca, as well as visitors to Mexico from abroad who are basing themselves in Oaxaca de Juárez.

Route Development: With thanks to Nicolas Legoretta for the initial inspiration to visit this region. Together, we drew out and recced the route, based on local information and on-the-ground exploration.

Oaxaca Bikepacking Routes Network

Find our comprehensive Bikepacking Routes Network guide for Oaxaca, Mexico here, featuring an extensive routes map, detailed information about the arts, crafts, food, and daily life in this enchanting state, plus everything you need to know about experiencing this expansive network of dirt roads and trails by bike, linking mountain ranges, pueblos, and rolling landscapes from the old capital…

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