Fodor's Expert Review Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista
Mixteca
About 35 km (22 mi) north of Nochixtlán, Coixtlahuaca merits a stop for this sanctuary, which is perhaps the best preserved of the Dominican churches in the region. Vivid reds, greens, and blues still cling to the ribs on the vaulted ceiling, wind around the windows, and climb up the columns. Just inside the front doors, you'll find a large chapel dedicated to the Virgen de Guadalupe. The church's patron saint stands guard over the intricately carved retablo, and you can get close enough to the altarpiece to appreciate the delicate work. Outside, the bright red paint that once enlivened the now-demure white facade shows through cracks in the plaster. Though there aren't any set hours, the monastery is often open.
