Copalita Eco-Archaeological Park

A walk more than a ruin visit. The park sits where the Copalita River meets the sea, east of Tangolunda, and the trails run flat through dry forest and wetland, with signs in Spanish and English, between three excavated areas: a ball court, the Main Temple on a natural hill, and the Temple of the Serpent. The buildings are odd for Mexico, set on foundations of round river stones because the ground here floods. People lived on this spot from around 600 BC, centuries before Monte Albán, and only part of the site has been dug.

The climb worth making is 100 steps up to the clifftop lookout. One side looks down on the river mouth, the other on La Bocana beach and its heavy surf, and the flat stone up there is called both the sacrificial stone and the lighthouse. Start at the museum by the entrance, which holds pieces found here alongside some from elsewhere in Oaxaca. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 to 16:00. Wear proper shoes, and come early for the birds.