xxxxImage caption Church of San Mateo
C A P U L Á L PA M DE MÉNDEZ T H I S B E A U T I F U L O A X A C A N TO W N I S L I N E D W I T H T R E E S A N D M I S T Y F O R E S T S T H AT A R E H O M E TO E XOT I C B I R D S, W I L D B O A R S A N D J A G UA R S. Around 6500 feet (2000 metres) above sea level, in a valley of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, lies one of Mexico’s most treasured yet largely undiscovered gems: the “Magical Town” of Capulálpam de Méndez. Setting foot in this tiny town, whose permanent population is only around 1,200 people, it immediately feels as if you’ve been let in on a highly prized secret. It is a breathtakingly beautiful spot, surrounded by dense forests spread across the mountainside,
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which are packed with wondrous creatures and opportunities to explore. Capulálpam de Méndez, which was founded in 1200, also remains a place where centuries-old traditions live and thrive. It is the home to the Zapotec people, one of numerous ethnic groups found in the country’s most diverse state, Oaxaca. “Downtown” Capulálpam de Méndez, such as it is, is more reminiscent of a rustic village than an urban centre. A handful of streets
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surround the 16th-century parish church of San Mateo, whose simple limestone façade conceals a lavishly decorated interior. The ceiling of the church is original, while several devotional altarpieces, known as “retablos”, are dotted around, displaying the very best of Mexican baroque art from the 17th and 18th centuries. They vary in style from the most sombre to the most lush and reward a visitor’s patience in paying close examination. Besides the church, the architec-
