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Major city · Mexico

Ciudad Ixtepec

Give Ixtepec one night as a rail or Zapotec-market stop between Oaxaca and the coast, not a base: two nights if the Interoceanico train is your reason.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
MXN
Best months
Nov–Mar (dry, cooler)
avoid Apr–May (hottest, driest), Sep–Oct (rain)
Airport
IZT
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • Mexico ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) or your nearest Mexican consulate; keep proof of your entry (stamp or digital record) until you leave.
  • Mexico ↗Security advice differs by state: some governments advise against travel to parts of several states. Check your own government's advice for each region on your route.
  • Mexico ↗Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water and ice from reliable places.
  • Mexico ↗Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Holbox) pay the state VISITAX online at visitax.gob.mx only; lookalike sites add fees.

Ciudad Ixtepec is a small Zapotec city of about 25,000 on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, 55 km inland from Salina Cruz. It is a working town, not a resort: the draws are the morning market, mole negro and chepil tamales, the historic Interoceanico station, and a spring-fed bathing spot 14 km west. Most travellers pass through on the train or the bus to the Oaxaca coast.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Ciudad Ixtepec, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Street or quick mealMarket breakfast or tamales de chepilM$40–90 (≈ US$3–5)
  • BeerBeer or michelada at a local barM$40–100 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmMototaxi across townAgree first.M$30–60 (≈ US$2–4)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekM$200–400 (≈ US$11–25)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personMX$250 (≈ US$14)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per roomMX$1,100 (≈ US$60)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per roomMX$1,800 (≈ US$100)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget MX$700 (≈ US$40) · Mid MX$1,200 (≈ US$65) · High MX$2,200 (≈ US$120)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Zapotec market and regional foodInteroceanico railway stationMole negro and tamales de chepilOjo de Agua springs at Magdalena Tlacotepec
Airports
IZT Aeropuerto Ciudad Ixtepec (Small military-side airport; Mexicana regional flights from Mexico City (AIFA) a few times a week, about 1 h; no food service in the terminal, one small shop. Seasonal Aerotucan flights from Oaxaca or the beach resorts may run — check.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Ciudad Ixtepec: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

30°C

21°C

1 rd

Feb

31°C

21°C

1 rd

Mar

33°C

23°C

1 rd

Apr

35°C

24°C

2 rd

May

35°C

25°C

6 rd

Jun

33°C

24°C

12 rd

Jul

33°C

24°C

11 rd

Aug

33°C

24°C

12 rd

Sep

32°C

24°C

14 rd

Oct

32°C

23°C

8 rd

Nov

31°C

22°C

3 rd

Dec

30°C

21°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town is small enough to walk between the market, the station and the Moderna hotel strip. Mototaxis (tuk-tuks) and taxis cover longer hops; taxi sitios wait near the train station and at García Vigil and Iturbide, and cars meet arriving buses. Agree the fare before you get in.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Ojo de Agua, Magdalena Tlacotepec

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min each way

Taxi or mototaxi west, about 14 km

Spring-fed clear pools, shallow and good for soaking; M$20 entry, vendors sell food, chairs and umbrellas. Go in the morning.

Salina Cruz

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus or taxi on MEX-185D/MEX-200

Pacific port town; useful if you are connecting onward along the coast.

Tehuantepec

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min

Fypsa bus toward Salina Cruz

Bigger market town next door; the Fypsa route stops here.

Oaxaca Cityovernight

Door to door: About 5–6 h

ADO first-class bus

Too far for a day return; this is a transfer, not a day trip.

San José del Pacífico

overnight

Door to door: Several hours

Bus or car via the Oaxaca road

Mountain stop between Oaxaca and the coast; plan it as its own night.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Moderna / La Estación (around 16 de Septiembre)

Where the hotels, the ADO terminal and the train station sit; walkable to the market and most restaurants.

Centro / Primera

Market, Casa de la Cultura and the seafood places; quieter at night, few beds.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
M$500–900 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
M$900–1,600 (≈ US$50–90) excl. bed
High
M$1,600 (≈ US$90)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × MX$1,100MX$1,100
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × MX$1,200MX$2,400
Ojo de Agua entry, one day2 × MX$20MX$40
Fypsa bus Salina Cruz–Ixtepec, one way2 × MX$150 · checkMX$300
eSIM, about a week of data2 × MX$250MX$500
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeMX$434
Trip total≈ MX$2,387 per person per day, bed includedMX$4,774≈ US$300

Hotel Express Inn is quoted around M$1,800 — check.

2026 estimate in pesos; long-distance buses and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Market breakfast or tamales de chepilM$40–90 (≈ US$3–5)
Comida corrida or tlayudaM$120–250 (≈ US$7–14)
Seafood plate at a marisqueríaM$200–300 (≈ US$11–17)
Beer or michelada at a local barM$40–100 (≈ US$3–6)
Mototaxi across townAgree first.M$30–60 (≈ US$2–4)
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekM$200–400 (≈ US$11–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Ixtepec is a small working town and the usual advice applies: use taxis or mototaxis after dark, keep valuables out of sight in the market, and expect a heavy military and police presence around the airport and station. The bigger practical risks are heat, dehydration and the odd stray dog.
  • The Interoceanico train runs every other day and usually leaves around 13:00 — confirm the date and time before you build a plan on it.
  • ADO and Fypsa keep separate bus terminals in different parts of town; check which one your ticket uses.
  • Casa de la Cultura opens sporadically and is often closed — treat it as a bonus, not a plan.
  • The airport has almost no services: no food, one small shop. Bring what you need.
  • Heat and humidity on the isthmus are serious Apr–May; carry water and shade.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Tourist assistance (SECTUR)
078
Green Angels roadside help
078

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Ciudad IxtepecCiudad Ixtepec

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Tourist assistance078
  • Green Angels roadside help078

Embassy

No embassies in Ixtepec; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consulates in Oaxaca City for some countries — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Fypsa bus Salina Cruz → Ixtepec: about M$150 (≈ US$9), about 2 h with the Tehuantepec stop (check)
  • Mexicana flight Mexico City (AIFA) → Ixtepec: about M$2,000 (≈ US$110) one way, about 1 h, a few days a week (check)
  • Mototaxi in town: M$30–60 (≈ US$2–4)

Say or show

  • Buenos días — Hello / Good day (BWEH-nos DEE-as)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syas)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-to KWES-ta)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la KWEN-ta por fa-VOR)
  • ¿Dónde está el mercado? — Where is the market? (DON-de es-TA el mer-KA-do)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (PWEH-do pa-GAR kon tar-HEH-ta)

Zapotec is spoken by about half the town; Spanish is the working language for visitors.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Ciudad Ixtepec. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Mar (dry, cooler) · avoid Apr–May (hottest, driest), Sep–Oct (rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for IZT: confirm which days Mexicana flies, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: market and centro, Moderna hotel strip, train station.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (market, Casa de la Cultura, Ojo de Agua) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Train-day fixtures so the Interoceanico timetable can go green or red.

Meanwhile

Back to Mexico

Sources