Claudia at the Ex-hacienda 5 Señores/Pueblos Mancomunados

Pueblos Mancomunados / Sierra Norte

More Than a Hiking Destination

There are places you visit once, and there are places that slowly become part of your life.

For us the Pueblos Mancomunados of the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca are one of those places.

Hidden within the cloud forests, eight Zapotec communities have created one of the most inspiring examples of community-based tourism I have ever experienced. Long before sustainability became a global conversation, these communities chose to protect the forests that had sustained them for generations. In the 1950s, they united to regain control over their communal lands and develop their own forestry industry—one based on responsible management and respect for the natural world.

Their collaboration did not stop there.

In 1998, six of these communities joined forces to create an ecotourism network that allows visitors to walk from village to village through forests, mountain meadows, and ancient trails. Each community built its own cabins, and visitor facilities, creating an experience that is entirely rooted in the people who live there.

What makes this project so remarkable is not only the landscape but the way it is governed.

The communities continue to organize themselves through the Zapotec system of usos y costumbres—their traditional form of self-governance. Decisions are made collectively in community assemblies, and leadership is understood as a service rather than a position of power. Responsibilities rotate every one, two, or three years, depending on the community. The people coordinating the ecotourism project today may be farming, teaching, or serving in another community role a few years from now.

This way of organizing life has taught me a great deal about community, responsibility, and trust.

When Tierraventura began working with the Pueblos Mancomunados in 1999, we were simply partners in a new tourism project. More than twenty-five years later, those relationships have become something much deeper.

Because the community positions rotate, we have had the privilege of working alongside many different people over the years. We have watched young guides become community leaders, shared countless meals around family tables, celebrated festivals together, and accompanied one another through important moments in life.

Today, many people in the communities call us padrino and madrina. We have godchildren there, compadres, and friendships that have grown across generations. What began as professional collaboration has become an extended family.

Every hike through the Sierra Norte tells two stories. One is written by nature: towering pine and oak forests, orchids, mushrooms after the summer rains, crystal-clear streams, and breathtaking mountain views. The other is written by the people who have protected these mountains for centuries and who continue to welcome visitors with generosity and pride.

For us the Pueblos Mancomunados are much more than a hiking destination. They are living proof that tourism can strengthen communities rather than transform them beyond recognition. They show that conservation and economic opportunity can grow hand in hand when local people remain the guardians of their own territory.

After more than twenty-five years of walking these trails, I still feel the same excitement every time we return. Not only because of the beauty of the forests, but because we know that at the end of the day’s walk there will always be familiar faces waiting, stories to share, and another reminder that some of the greatest journeys are measured not in kilometers, but in relationships.

Join us on a day tour, or spend multiple days with us in the region.
We can promise you this will be one of the highlights of your journey….