Arrowhead-shaped Building J, constructed about 100 BC and riddled with tunnels and staircases (unfortunately you can’t go inside), stands at an angle of 45 degrees to the other Gran Plaza structures and was an observatory. Astronomical observation enabled the ancients to track the seasons, calculate agricultural cycles and make prophesies. Figures and hieroglyphs carved on the building's walls record Monte Albán’s military conquests.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
3.41 MILES
Got two hours? You'll need it for the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures, housed in the beautiful monastery buildings adjoining the Templo de Santo Domingo. This…
0.35 MILES
The former capital of the Zapotec people is today an illustrious ruin, but for over a thousand years it served as the second-largest ceremonial site in…
3.4 MILES
Gorgeous Santo Domingo is the most splendid of Oaxaca’s churches, with a finely carved baroque facade and nearly every square centimeter inside decorated…
28.19 MILES
Second only to Monte Albán in their importance, though not as old, the ruins of ancient Mitla date from the final two or three centuries before the…
2.68 MILES
If you like your pre-Hispanic Mexican ruins suitably ‘ruined’ and crowd-free without compromising on authenticity or spectacular setting, opt for Atzompa…
Centro de las Artes de San Agustín
10.67 MILES
Pretty San Agustín's large, early-20th-century textile mill has been superbly restored as the Centro de las Artes de San Agustín (CaSa), a spectacular…
8.74 MILES
Visitors flock to the village of El Tule to behold El Árbol del Tule, which is, by some counts, the fattest tree in the world. California's General…
3.1 MILES
Traffic-free, shaded by tall trees and surrounded by elegant portales (arcades), the Zócalo is the perfect place to start soaking up the Oaxaca atmosphere…
Nearby attractions
0.07 MILES
The 40m-high South Platform, with its wide staircase, is the tallest in Monte Albán and is great for a panorama of the plaza and the surrounding mountains…
0.07 MILES
Building P was topped by a small pillared temple and was probably an observatory of some sort. The sun shines directly down into a small opening near the…
0.08 MILES
This structure combines an early (Monte Albán I) building, which contained famous carvings known as Danzantes (Dancers), with a later structure that was…
0.1 MILES
About 300m long and 200m wide, the Gran Plaza is the heart of Monte Albán. Some of its structures were temples; others were elite residential quarters…
0.14 MILES
The stone terraces of the deep Ball Court, constructed about 100 BC, were probably part of the playing area, not seats for spectators. It’s thought they…
0.18 MILES
The North Platform is almost as big as the Gran Plaza, and affords the best views. It was rebuilt several times over the centuries. The 12 column bases at…
0.35 MILES
The former capital of the Zapotec people is today an illustrious ruin, but for over a thousand years it served as the second-largest ceremonial site in…
2.68 MILES
If you like your pre-Hispanic Mexican ruins suitably ‘ruined’ and crowd-free without compromising on authenticity or spectacular setting, opt for Atzompa…