4 hours
Guided in Spanish
Instant confirmation
Mobile ticket

Highlights

We will go to the hotel where you are staying in the city of Oaxaca. We begin this wonderful experience heading to the land of the alebrijes, San Martín Tilcajete, where you will learn about the process of carving, drying and painting the figures. The elaboration of these ranges from small animals to the unimaginable pegasus, and mythological figures, all products of the imagination. After knowing the process, you will be able to paint your own alebrije! You will be provided with a small figure, brush, paint and with the support of the artisans, you will let your imagination fly to decorate your chosen piece. The activity lasts around 90 minutes, but don't worry, if you can't finish it, you can take it home and continue painting. The artisans of this community will share with you the tradition inherited by their ancestors.

Inclusions

What's included

All Fees and Taxes
Air-conditioned vehicle
Figure and painting

What's not

Tips to guides or drivers
Food and drinks

Itinerary

More than craftsmanship, some consider these pieces as true works of art. The knowledge for the elaboration of wood carvings is a process that is acquired from generation to generation. The inhabitants of Tilcajete are born and grow up closely linked to the elaboration of figures as part of the family environment; they live among the piles of copal trunks, with the tools, the painting or the process itself: the carving, the painting and the exhibition of pieces for commercialization within their homes. The grandparents made the pieces for family domestic use; before, few were prepared and it is said that they were objects for play or utilitarian: toys for children, spoons, resting benches, yuntas, carts, nativity scenes, saints, little angels and animals of the region, cats, dogs, donkeys or horses, although elephants, lions or giraffes were also made. In the same way, tiger masks were made to sell or as carnival characters.
3 h

Cancellation

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Know before you go

Pickup: Pickup is included for everyone.
Ticket type: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group size: Up to 10 travellers

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

How it compares in Oaxaca City

Its from-price is 13% below the median of the 545 experiences we list in Oaxaca City.
It is shorter than most of them.

About Oaxaca City

Oaxaca City is the colonial capital of Oaxaca state, a stone-built highland city of markets, mole, mezcal and Zapotec ruins nearby.

Oaxaca de Juárez sits in a high valley at about 1,500 metres, its centre built of pale green stone around a shaded zócalo. The baroque church of Santo Domingo, with its gilded interior, and the attached former convent, now a cultural museum, are the grandest sights. Streets run with market stalls, painted walls and courtyard cafés, and the historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See all 545 experiences in Oaxaca City