In the gardens of the temple of Santa María de la Asunción is the legendary El Tule or Tule tree. The botanists have classified it with an age that exceeds 2000 years old. Its height is 40 meters, and its trunk has a perimeter of 42 meters and is considered one of the largest and oldest in the world.
El Tule has an approximate weight of more than 509 tons. The trunk and branches of this old Cyprus resemble figures of animals, fruits and characters, which the local people have baptized with names such as: “The Elephant”, “The Lion”, “The Three Wise Men”, “The Deer”, “La Piña” and “El Pez”, among others.
Its shadow can shelter more than 500 people and 30 individuals holding hands have difficulty covering its perimeter.
Taxi: A taxi from downtown Oaxaca City will cost about $100 pesos, ask before taking a taxi. You can take a collectivo taxi (shared taxi) for about $15 pesos per person. You can find the collectivo to El Tule at Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos (map).
If you speak Spanish, ask around. Depending on where you are staying in the city there could be better options for you. If you don’t speak Spanish, taking the normal city taxis (yellow) and paying the extra cost might save you the stress. Also, if you are staying in a hotel, ask your front desk. They might be able to help arrange transportation for you. There is also a tourist kiosk located in front of the church in the Zócalo downtown, they can also help you and they speak English.
Bus: City buses are available for $7 pesos from Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos (map) to El Tule.
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