Arbol Del Tule, 2000 Years Old Tree In The Heart Of Oaxaca

In the heart of Oaxaca, Mexico, stands a natural wonder that has withstood the test of time for nearly 2,000 years. It is a living legend, a symbol of awe-inspiring grandeur, and a testament to the profound connection between nature and culture. Known simply as “El Árbol del Tule [the Tule tree]," this majestic giant commands attention with its colossal presence and storied history.

The Tule tree's claim to fame is not only its remarkable age but also its colossal trunk, which boasts one of the largest circumferences in the world. Imagine 10 midsize cars parked one in front of the other. Well, that’s only the circumference of this royal tree.
El Árbol del Tule, named after the town of Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca, where it is located, is a massive cypress tree, known as ahuehuete in Mexico (Taxodium mucronatum), a word which means "old water" in Nahuatl. While Mexico boasts many large and majestic ahuehuetes, this one has something special that would astonish anyone standing before it. Want to know why? As a must-visit stop in your travels around Oaxaca, let us tell you everything about it, including the beautiful legends that surround its conception.

El Árbol del Tule has the largest trunk diameter of any tree in Mexico, measuring almost 145 feet in circumference. It stands at over 130 feet tall, with a crown circumference of 190 feet, a volume of 28,846,044 cubic feet, and it weighs 636 tons. According to locals, it takes about 30 people holding hands to encircle the tree; talk about inspiring sights!

To this date, there are no studies that verify the age of this tree, but estimates place it between 1,400 and 3,000 years of age, making it one of the oldest living trees in the world.
One of the peculiarities of El Tule is that it we were to stand next to it and pay close attention to its trunk, we would be able to notice various shapes, such as an elephant, the head of a lion, a crocodile, a deer, a fish, a pineapple, the Three Wise Men, and even a gnome's house. Finding the shapes hidden there has become an attraction in an of itself. However, the real reason people visit it is for its spectacular size and the stories that revolve around it.