It is located 1,840 meters above sea level and 146 kilometers from the state capital, Oaxaca de Juárez.

In the local dialect of Mixe the town is called Anyukojm, meaning "place of thunder."

Totontepec is home to an unusual landrace of maize, locally known as "olotón", but more commonly described in the English-speaking world as "Sierra Mixe".

This corn grows aerial roots secreting sugary mucus to feed nitrogen-fixing bacteria, fertilizing itself to thrive in the poor local soil in exchange.

[1] According to the 2010 Census, the municipality had a total population of 5,598, with 98.3% of the inhabitants older than five years of age speaking an indigenous language.