THE COYOTE TEAM

We coordinate socially and ecologically responsible travel experiences to the most culturally rich destination in México.  With 16 different ethnic groups inhabiting Oaxaca’s expansive territory, Coyote Aventuras is a bridge to connect you with the many hidden gems of this extraordinary place.  We work hand in hand with communally managed ecotourism services and local families to ensure your visit generates meaningful economic resources that directly benefit community members.

We have developed experiences that introduce you to Oaxaca’s historic city center as well.  Our city tours illuminate the 17th century colonial architecture that adorns the picturesque cobblestoned streets that make Oaxaca a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although our tours do not only paint a romanticized picture of Oaxaca.  We believe regenerative travel is based on also shedding light on the current social movements, street art, and environmental struggles that continue to shape Oaxacan society.

Last but not least, our adventures emphasize introducing you to the traditional cuisine that has made Oaxaca a popular destination amongst foodies around the world.  There is nothing quite like working up a sweat to then biting into some fresh tlayudas or some memelas while you sip an agua natural made with seasonal fruit!  Join us and immerse yourself in Oaxaca’s magic! 

OUR FAMILY

Carlos

Carlos

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Co-Founder / MTB, Hiking, Sailing & Expeditions

Passionate about alternative perspectives, anything outdoors, and prioritizing lasting relationships within small and indigenous communities through tourism

Carlos is the key ingredient to all things Coyote. Originally from Jalapa, Veracruz, he was first drawn to Oaxaca for its dynamic cultural and biodiverse landscape. After getting his MBA in Mexico City and becoming an official tourism guide, he dreamed of exposing travelers and locals alike to the beauty and complexities of the state of Oaxaca. In his work and his personal ethics, Carlos incorporates a strong sense of social responsibility to protect and preserve the culture and landscapes he brings travelers to. He lives in a constant state of gratitude to get to do the work he loves in the great outdoors and for the opportunity it gives him to introduce people to alternative perspectives in Oaxaca’s stunning backyard playground.

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Marlene

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Guide / Knowledge Facilitator at Coyote Edu, Art & Culture, Hiking

Marlene is a proud Oaxacan native, a nature and animal lover who prides herself in the richness of her culture

Having studied in the United States for 10 years, allows her to connect with people of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. She’s been guiding for eight years now, her experience includes guiding numerous universities and college groups which she says “has enriched her knowledge base and interests”. Her federal certification as a General tour guide includes knowledge in archeology, history, culture, ecotourism and tangible and intangible world heritage sites. Her favorite part of guiding is witnessing the shift in perspective as people are immersed in Oaxaca’s diverse cultures. It doesn’t matter if it’s an archaeological site or an 8km hike, she is always up for a new adventure!
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Armando

ARMANDO

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Rock climbing guide, hiking guide

Armando was born and raised in Oaxaca City. He has always been passionate about science and mathematics, leading him to study mechatronics engineering and pursue a master's degree in solid-state physics. At the age of 14 he discovered rock climbing, and since then, this sport and outdoor activities have become an essential part of his life. Armando spends his time giving adventure tours, climbing, reading, listening to heavy metal, and writing code. He recently married his best friend and the love of his life, with whom he has a beautiful wolf-dog, Nilam.

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Melanie

Melanie

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Mel is originally from Colombia, but grew up in Spain and currently lives in México.  She graduated as a Social Worker in 2015 in Lleida, Spain and completed her thesis at UNAM, México. Following her academic career, Mel later became certified as a Yoga teacher in Rishikesh, India in 2019. She traveled through various parts of the world with a backpack on her shoulder and then continued her trip in a van with her beautiful dog, Nilam. Mel is a lover of nature, textiles, hiking and climbing. She now facilitates Coyote Aventuras journeys such as hiking and rock climbing tours.

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Tarek

TAREK

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GUIDE / Mountain Biking

Tarek has been a bike lover for his whole life, passionate about sharing the culture of his community and always looking for the best and most epic adventures.

Tarek is originally from the Oaxaca valley. He is the youngest guide on our team.  Although he's only 21 years old, don’t be fooled by his age, with over 8 years of experience in MTB riding, he is very focused on his goal of becoming a professional Enduro Rider.  Tarek is very passionate about outdoor sports, especially the extreme ones.  He also rescues animals!  Right now, Tarek has 13 dogs and 1 cat!

His favorite part of guiding is sharing all of the passion he has for the mountains and how the communities work around these beautiful lands. He hopes that you have the opportunity to form a part of our amazing Coyote Aventuras family.

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Pao Mati

PAO & MATI

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Guide / Hiking

Commonly heard phrases: "Paola, I simply cannot picture you without Matilda”...“As soon as the river was in sight Paola was already in it

Paola was born in Guadalajara and partially raised in Florida where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Ecological Engineering from University of Florida. Since then, she has pursued the magic of distinct ecosystems working on ecological research projects spanning from Puerto Rico’s tropical Yunque to Maine’s spruce-fir and maritime forests, to Florida’s unique Everglades. She arrived in Oaxaca in 2022 and became entranced by the incredible ecological diversity, by the locals’ deeply intentional involvement with their natural surroundings—a living, radical, ancestral cultural legacy that has adapted and transformed, yet maintained its essence and today is central to indigenous communities throughout Oaxaca.Having grown up in the rural setting of her grandmother’s maize farm, Paola has nurtured a lifelong love of nature and outdoor life, which she acknowledges as central to the human experience and is keen to share in it with her companions. Aside from spending as much time as possible outdoors, she enjoys training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, gardening, and photography. She is inseparable from her four-legged companion, Mati, who is on a parallel mission to push the bounds of the sniffable domain..

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Dylan

DYLAN

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Coyote Aventuras Edu / Co-Founder

Rock Climbing Guide, Hiking Guide + Knowledge Facilitator Coyote Edu

Dylan was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from the University of Oregon in 2014 and a Masters of Arts in Latin American Studies in June of 2023. He has spent his adult life living and learning in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Nicaragua and México. He is a nature lover with a curious mind and outgoing attitude who has worked as an ESL teacher, social worker and outdoor adventure guide. He is also a proud father of a beautiful Oaxacan pup, Pacha. Two years ago, he co-founded the educational immersion company, Coyote Aventuras Edu, along with his colleague and longtime friend, Carlos Hernandez.

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Shai

SHAI

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Guide / Art & Culture, Hiking, Rock Climbing

Passionate about protecting the land and her cultural heritage, being in the outdoors, and introducing travelers to the dynamic cultural and natural landscapes of Oaxaca.

Raised in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca in Santiago Xiacui, Shai brings a strength of spirit to the Coyote team. Her immense pride for her roots translates to a strong connection to the natural environment and the communal Zapotec values she was raised with. Her childhood was often spent running through the forest alongside her brothers and sister to care for her family’s cows and chickens. This sense of freedom, adventure, and connection to nature of her youth has transformed her into an exceptional guide, one that brings the unexpected to every tour she leads. Whether she’s explaining the nuances of a street art mural and its relevance to the Mixtec region or explaining the subtleties of the classic Oaxacan orchestral music heard playing in a small town, Shai is always sure to share her passion for protecting Oaxaca’s communal roots, land, and spiritual well-being.

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Yesi

YESI

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Guide / Art & Culture, Hiking

Passionate about community building, preserving Oaxaca’s rich traditions, and sharing the wonders of her hometown with travelers

Yesi embodies the spirit of her hometown Santiago Minas, Oaxaca, a natural paradise in the Southern Sierra full of friendly people who are always ready to celebrate. She remains connected with her roots and family even after spending 8 years of her childhood in the United States. She looks at every trip she guides as a distinct opportunity to grow and learn, whether it’s witnessing a client’s determination to reach Iztaccíhuatl’s volcanic summit or a local sharing their customs. Her vision for Oaxaca is to see it become a state whose diverse communities fight for one another and work together to preserve its collective traditions, indigenous languages and surreal landscapes. She knows that as Coyote Aventuras grows, the team will be a part of that vision coming true.

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Diego

DIEGO ESPINOZA

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Guide / Hiking, Art & Culture, Rock Climbing

I grew up in Oaxaca and despite living my entire life here, I continue to learn more about Oaxaca everyday. I love learning about living cultures: people and being in nature. I am a Sustainable Development Engineer by training. I seek to generate positive social and environmental impacts through my work with Coyote. It is essential that my work is transcendent and generates positive change that benefits humanity and the environment. During the week I work at Café Brújula, a specialty Oaxacan coffee roaster. On weekends, I am an adventure guide. Guiding helps me disconnect and relax when doing hikes. I really enjoy sharing Oaxaca and its magic with conscious and interested visitors. Through my work I have specialized in the cultural, gastronomic, hospitality and community work fields. I have experience in social entrepreneurship and tourism. I enjoy extreme sports, mountain biking, surfing and rock climbing.

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Angel

ANGEL

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Guide / Art & Culture

Angel is originally from Oaxaca, from a small town on the outskirts of the city. He was born into a mezcal and coffee producing family, who taught him to appreciate nature and everything that it has to offer. After moving to California he studied Aviation Maintenance and Repair. When he lived there he was able to meet new people, learn about new cultures and appreciate how vastly different we all are. Upon returning to Oaxaca he decided to study a Bachelor's Degree in Language Teaching. He now spends his time visiting new towns to meet new people, which has shown him how each community can offer completely new experiences. He is honored to share these experiences with others, especially how indigenous communities have maintained their language and culture over the centuries..

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Rafa

RAFAEL MORALES

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GUIDE / Mountain Biking, Hiking

Passionate, friendly, and a lover of nature and the greenery that surrounds it. Rafa, or you can also call him Raflow.

Rafa is originally from Oaxaca’s Central Valley. Oaxacan at heart, he went to Puebla to study Marketing and Statistics, and then mountain biking made him return to the city. Mountain Biking and Enduro are his true passions, as he has been practicing these sports for over 10 years, but he is also a lover of all outdoor activities. He loves to talk about nature and the qualities of the mountain. Nowadays, he spends most of his time with Coyote Aventuras, leading adventurers on unique experiences alongside Bagheera (his little dog). His favorite part of guiding is learning even more about Oaxaca, meeting people, and creating incredible experiences, whether on hikes or mountain biking.

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santiago

SANTIAGO

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Guide / Hiking

Santiago, a Guadalajara native raised in Oaxaca, followed his passion for Industrial Design studying at UAM Xochimilco in Mexico City. He has been skateboarding since the age of 8, experimenting with all different kinds of boards and styles. At 19, he began his journey, teaching skateboarding and crafting ramps and skateboard decks. His love for hiking, biking, and extreme sports shaped his pursuits. Now, as the founder of Skate 'O' Ramps and Mano Pianta, Santiago blends creativity in wood and ceramics to produce ramps, skateboard decks, furniture, design pieces and more in his workshop. He also works building free DIY concrete skateparks for the skateboarding community in Oaxaca.

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XIMENA

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Customer Service

Hello, I am Ximena and I was born in Juchitán de Zaragoza in the Isthmus region, but grew up in Oaxaca City. My training in Public Accounting and my Master's degrees in Communication and Development have greatly shaped my professional perspective and inspired the work I do at Coyote Aventuras. These areas have not only enriched my knowledge, but have also strengthened my ability to build effective and meaningful networks, both professionally and personally. My international experience in Belgium was a crucial learning period. Living abroad taught me the importance of travel and the priceless memories it can create, a lesson I apply to my daily work at Coyote Aventuras. Here, I am dedicated to supporting the creation of deep and lasting experiences with our team, local communities and each traveler who joins our tours. This dedication not only improves our services, but also supports the growth of the communities where we collaborate.Committed to constant learning, I see each new challenge as an opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge, always with the goal of achieving excellence. My job is more than ensuring the quality of our adventures; it is to create memorable and meaningful experiences that resonate with our travelers and benefit the communities we visit.

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DIEGO

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Guide / Art & Culture, Hiking, Rock Climbing

I am Diego Jacob, I grew up between Mexico City and a small town on the outskirts of it. There I developed my passion for nature, animals, plants and tradition. I completed my Master's Degrees at various Universities in Paris, where I focused my studies on the progressive social and political movements of Latin America. I have traveled a lot and have dedicated myself to doing many things, mainly participating in environmental management projects, preparing vegetarian cuisine and constantly increasing my knowledge. I love to share with others..

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ANA PAULA

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Guide / Art & Culture, Hiking

I am Ana Paula Castro Garcés, originally from Tenancingo. I studied at the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Engraving "La Esmeralda". I am a visual artist, tattoo artist and teacher. In my work, I explore the relationship between power, nature and radical tenderness. I like to do paste-ups in the streets because I believe that art should be accessible to all people. Additionally, I enjoy painting, working with ceramics and, above all, drawing.I am the creator of the Reacia Ediciones Project, a platform to capture the reality that concerns me, criticize it and share my knowledge through workshops. I love nature and criticize the harmful practices of man through art.

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¡VAMOS!