Tree of Tule - 68297 Santa María del Tule

Tree is indeed very wide. June 2021 immediate area around the tree still closed due to lockdowns. We went 2pm on a Thursday and the whole town was basically empty. The tree trunk is funny looking, on one side it looks like a rhino ran into the tree and its butt is sticking out. Very humbling to see and touch (branches were hanging over the fence) such a giant and ancient organism.

We did it on the way to hierve el agua definitely a must see it’s sort of history and culture and the oldest tree . Beautifully kept and it’s a small village to walk around and enjoy eat and shop :) definitely should be on the list very quiet and serene

From outside it already seems impressive but we couldn’t enter as it is closed because of Covid! Still worth a quick visit while driving around Oaxaca.

Amazing and spectacular tree. Great sight for nature lovers. *Consider covid times because it could be closed for closer views. Still can get some good pictures.

The Tree of Tule or El Árbol del Tule (Spanish) is a tree in Mexico, located in front of the church in the town of Santa María del Tule, State of Oaxaca. It is a Montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum), or ahuehuete (meaning "old man of the water"). It has the stoutest tree trunk in the world. Measured In 2005, its trunk had a circumference of 42.0 m, and a diameter of 14.05 m an increase from a 1982 measurement of 11.42 m. The 2005 height measurement, made by laser, is 35.4 m Older thoughts expected it to be multiple trees, but DNA tests have proven that it is a single tree. The age is rather difficult to estimate but with it ranges between 1,200 and 3,000 years. The best scientific estimate based on growth rates is 1,433-1,600 years. This would confirm a legend that it was planted about 1,400 years ago by a priest of the Aztec wind god Ehecatl. Other documents count the tree 2,000 years.

Could not enter the park to have close look as this place is still closed because of pandemic. Had a view from distance which was okay. Park is beautiful and clean from outside.

Small fee to enter the fenced area. Tree itself is quite impressive. The guide pointed out to us that the tree used to be under stress so the main road was moved over a block and improved deep irrigation system installed. Glad to hear its health is now apparently rebounding.

I must admit that visiting el Árbol del Tule was not super high on my list during my short trip to Oaxaca, but I am so glad I made it! I found a great experience on Airbnb to bike out to the tree and back from Oaxaca City via a great bike path (also highly recommended — shoutout to Daniel!). The tree is truly a sight to behold and really incredible to see in person. It is a cypress and the widest tree in the world and I’ve never seen anything like it, even having visited the Redwoods in California. Have some fun and try to find animals hidden in the knots of the trunk! You might spot a lion, elephant, octopus, deer, dolphin and more. The area around the tree has recently opened and you can pay 20 pesos to go inside the fenced area to view it, or get a decent enough view from outside the fence. The area around the tree is also quite nice to walk around, you could spend several hours here eating, drinking and shopping. I highly recommend enjoying a fresh fruit ice from one of the “nieves” vendors around - the one directly behind the tree is delicious!