Located about 40 minutes outside of Oaxaca, this 2,000-year-old Cypress tree (yes, it really is 2,000-plus years old) is listed on a tentative list to be a UNESCO World Heritage site. Last measured, the tree stood 116 feet tall, 46 feet in diameter and weighed more than 630 tons. The tree now sits on grounds of a church, but the ground was once a swamp and it is believed the swampy waters is what kept the tree healthy. Today, it takes between 1,000-1,500 liters of water a day from a hydraulic pumping system to keep the tree healthy. It is nicknamed the Tree of Life and several animals or spirits can be depicted in the knots and twists of the trunk.

On the weekends, be sure to grab a young school-aged tour guide who is happy to take visitors around the tree and show off its special points for a small tip. As part of a school project, the children learn about the tree and are permitted to give the short tours.

Hours
Daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.