Up until this point we had only visited cities, so we were reaalllyy excited to make our way to San Jose Del Pacifico, a town in the mountains of Oaxaca State known for its magic mushrooms. San Jose Del Pacifico is located halfway between Oaxaca City and the popular beaches on the coast such as Puerto Escondido, so it’s a great place to stop and split up the drive.

The drive from Oaxaca City to San Jose Del Pacifico was only 87 miles long, but took a little over three hours because it was through the windiest roads along the tallest mountains. The drive was breathtaking and although we didn’t cover a lot of distance I wouldn’t recommend driving more than 3 hours through such winding mountainous roads. It takes a lot out of you constantly going uphill and down. You’re basically driving in a zig zag! I also definitely wouldn’t do a drive like this at night.

Once you start approaching San Jose Del Pacifico you really start to understand what a beautiful and remote place you’re in. The town sits at 8,000 ft elevation and the stands and structures on the sides of the road are very minimal and open. Many of them are built out onto the sides of cliffs and it is very impressive. Also kind of scary!

We were in San Jose Del Pacifico for one night and we stayed at a vegan yoga retreat called Refugio Terraza De La Tierra, which also has an organic farm on it and a restaurant that serves plant based foods.  Everything the restaurant serves comes directly from the farm and is so fresh and tasty. The property also has a bunch of hikes on it to waterfalls, trees, natural pools and some other fun outdoor activities. You can also meditate throughout the property in these lovely little huts they’ve built along the farm. It’s a very spiritual place. The entire property sits on the side of a mountain and you can see straight for miles and miles through the mountains. 

When you arrive at Terraza De La Tierra you turn off the road onto a steeeeep bumpy driveway that goes down to a little parking area. You get out of your car and approach a walkway that has a bell you’re instructed to ring to let Mother Nature know you’ve arrived. As you’re walking down the path you start to see the farm and meditation huts and then the most spectacular view of the mountains appears in front of you and you’re in complete awe that a place so beautiful exists.

Refugio Terrraza De La Tierra has an Instagram & website, but they do not take reservations up front from what we’ve found, so your best bet is to just show up and hope there is availability! You can however fill out a request form to inquire about a reservation. We checked in and were lucky enough to find out that there was a cabin available for us. Had there not been a cabin I believe you are also welcome to camp on the property! We were given a quick tour of the land and escorted to our private cabin that had the cutest wood burning stove and no electricity. We loved it. It felt so off grid and so peaceful.

We left our bags in the room and decided to go on one of the many hikes that are available on the property. We decided to do one that led to a waterfall. Unfortunately, about an hour into the hike dark storm clouds started coming in and we decided it would be best to turn around. It was getting close to nightfall and we didn’t want to risk getting stuck on a dark trail and possibly lost. So, we made our way back and found another trail that led to the most epic views and the most gorgeous tree called “Arbol De La Luna” (Tree Of The Moon). The tree was huge and looked like it was covered in snow. I obsessed over it for a bit and then we made our way to the restaurant on the property for a candle lit dinner. The dinner featured an appetizer, tea, an entree and dessert using all natural ingredients grown on the property. The meals served are fully vegan and offer a Whole Foods plant based approach. It was so satisfying and similar to the way I cook at home, so I was really happy.

After dinner we walked back to our cabin and found that a fire had been started for us. We cozied up in bed under the warm hand-knit wool blankets provided and fell fast asleep after a long day of exploring. The temperature dropped significantly at night because of the elevation, but the fire and blankets kept us warm all night.

The next morning we woke up and I made my way to one of the daily yoga classes offered on the property. I was really looking forward to it, but when I arrived I realized it was held indoors and I didn’t feel comfortable practicing since it was February 2021 and didn’t want to risk catching COVID. Instead, Keith and I made our way to breakfast which featured more delicious plant goodness from the farm featuring fruits, salads, seed breads and spreads, hot tea and lots of other goodies. 

We were sooo happy to spend time at Terraza De La Tierra and I really wish we were able to stay there longer, but we had booked an Airbnb the night before on the beach in Estacahuite, so we made our way! Throughout this trip we try to plan about 3-5 days in advance at most in case something like this happens and we really like a place so we can stay longer, but we knew we weren’t going to have access to internet since Terraza De La Tierra is off grid and Airbnb properties on the beach book up quickly this time of year!

I really hope I’m able to come back here one day for a longer visit. It’s the perfect place to relax, reset and get in touch with nature. Super spiritual.

Miles driven : 3,016 (4,883 kilometers)

Days on the road : 17 & 18

Next Stop: Estacahuite, Oaxaca, Mexico