Oaxaca is a food and culture rich city in the south of Mexico. It is full of street food, colorful decorations, and artisanal markets. It is a wonderful place to wander and explore without a defined path because of the beauty that pops up around every corner in this city. The following are some of the top things to do in Oaxaca to explore this wonderful town.
Sitting in public spaces is the perfect way to people-watch and, often, you will see different celebrations and “parades” walking by. These parades include enormous puppets and decorated balls with the event that is being celebrated. The puppets represent the person/people being celebrated. Oaxacans do these parades for birthdays, weddings, conferences, and anything else that can be celebrated!
Oaxaca may be most known for its street food, considered some of the best in the world. This guide will go through some of the best areas of the city to find delicious eats. Getting to explore the city will give you a better understanding of pre-Hispanic Mexican culture and how it continues to live on today.
Where to stay
The different neighborhoods of Oaxaca
Overall, Oaxaca is a very safe place to visit in Mexico. There is minimal crime (but you should always be vigilant of yourself and your things) and people look out for each other. It has a small-town feel with the strong community focus of the city. The city is also quite small and concentrated with the majority of hotels and hostels in the central areas.
The Center of Oaxaca
The center of Oaxaca, the area around the Zocalo (central square) and the street of C. Macedonio Alcalá, is a concentrated area full of markets, restaurants, hotels, hostels, shops, etc. It is the vibrant part of the city and the region with the most activity. If it is your first time in the city, this is where we recommend staying because it will allow you to become familiar with the city and give you the most access to food, drinks, tours, and most tourist activities.
Jalatlaco
The other neighborhood that is very popular with tourists is Jalatlaco. It is further north outside of the center of the city but it is a quick 20 minute walk to the Zocalo. It is full of character, coffee shops, and casual restaurants. This is where you can find beautiful murals, especially about Dia de los Muertos, which has a special significance in this region. The neighborhood has hotels and hostels for a variety of budgets.
Day 1: Exploring the Current Oaxacan Culture
After arriving in Oaxaca, it’s time to know why you’re here and get some information about the city that you are exploring. You will want to know the history of the city that you are visiting and the different places around that city that you may want to revisit and explore further.
Oaxaca Walking Tour
This free walking tour of Oaxaca is run by locals who are knowledgeable of the history and culture of the entire city. The tour itself lasts 2-3 hours and takes you to some of the most famous architectural and cultural destinations within the city. More than that, the tour discusses other destinations to visit, including the different markets, museums, and churches. In addition, the guides discuss the importance of Oaxaca in the greater context of the entire country of Mexico, highlighting the presidents that have come from this city. They also discuss some important current social issues that the entire country is going through. The tour is tip-based and you should compensate the guides in accordance to what you feel the tour is worth.
Highlights to Explore and Visit in Oaxaca
These following locations within the city are some of the top things to do in Oaxaca and spots that you should make sure you visit:
Zocalo: This is the central square of Oaxaca and the location where most activities and celebrations within the city will happen. You will visit this site on your walking tour but it is a great place to go back to throughout your time in Oaxaca to people watch or see different festivals if they are happening.
Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman: The church is located adjacent to the Zocalo. You will walk by this church as you go through the center of Oaxaca. It has a beautiful facade and is one of those places that is great to sit in front of and enjoy the small town environment.
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción: This main cathedral is where many celebrations happen within the city and where you are most likely to see a parade. It is also beautiful inside and out.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad and Plaza de la Danza: This basilica is not on the walking tour but it is a beautiful plaza to visit. While not necessary to explore, if you find yourself walking in this area, it is worth stopping at.
Mercado de Abastos: If you are looking for a less-touristy market (and you are interested in finding the Memelas Doña Vale stand from the TV show, “Street Food” on Netflix – Volume 2: Latin America, Episode 3), then check out this market, in addition to the two other markets mentioned below. There is literally everything that you could want to purchase at this market, and it is overwhelmingly large. If you are looking for a particular stand within the market, you can type it into Google Maps and it accurately places it within the barrage of market stalls and gives you its hours of operation.
Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre: These two popular markets are across the street from one another in the center of Oaxaca. You can read more about them below.
The Two Central Markets
One of the top things to do in Oaxaca is to go to the central markets of Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre for lunch to try the different food offerings of Oaxaca. The markets are full of stalls serving different Mexican dishes and regional specialties. Here are a few rules about how to best pick the street food in Oaxaca:
- If a lot of locals are eating there, then it must be good. Oaxacans know best about where the good food is and you should focus on places that have many locals.
- Be confident in what you may want to eat in the markets. The vendors are very upfront and may be overwhelming. Walk through the market with confidence when looking at your different options and don’t feel bad to just ignore vendors that are aggressively enticing you.
- Try to go with a group of people. That way, you can get one of everything you want to eat and try as much as possible. Don’t be tempted by the upcharge that the vendors will try to push on you.
We recommend going to the “smoke alley” (El Pasillo de Humo) of Mercado 20 de Noviembre to get an authentic experience. This part of the market is full of vendors who are cooking asadas (the Mexican cooking style of barbecue). These meats are paired with tortillas and different salsas/toppings so you can build your own meal. Some of the stalls include both the meat and the salsas. For others, you order the meat and go to the vendors at the end of the alley where they can provide you with the tortillas and toppings. The price at each of the stalls is the same so choose a stall that has many locals eating at. You will get to choose a package with a certain quantity of meat and select the meat that you want to eat.
Day 2: Diving Deeper into the History of Oaxaca
People have been inhabiting the Oaxacan region for over 11,000 years. The archaeology of the city dates back to 500 B.C. and is important to the growth of society in this part of the world. You can read more about the different archaeological destinations within Mexico here. The first half of this day will be spent visiting the Monte Alban archaeological site, one of the most important sites in this part of Mexico and one of the top things to do in Oaxaca. The other half of the day will be spent exploring today’s Oaxaca, doing a fun activity that allows you to dive deeper into your appreciation of this city.
Monte Alban Archeology Site
Start the day by visiting Monte Albán. It is the archaeological site located within the city of Oaxaca and is a short 20 minute drive from the city center. If you can go first thing in the morning, you will avoid the larger groups of tourists that visit the site. This city is one of the earliest in the Mesoamerican region and was inhabited by the Zapotec people. The large Main Plaza is surrounded by pyramid structures, making it an impressive and monumental site to explore. The site also holds a small museum with some of the original stone carvings from Monte Alban. You can read more about this archaeological site here.
To get to the site, you can reserve a shared van from this company (reserve the round trip in person or through Whatsapp) to take you from the city center of Oaxaca to the entrance of the archaeological site. The van leaves hourly from Oaxaca and Monte Albán for reliable transportation. At the entrance, you will purchase a ticket into the site.
You can explore it on your own or hire a guide at the entrance to take you around the site and give you historical explanations and theories regarding the different landmarks that you will see. (This is what we recommend for a more enriching experience). These guides are sitting near the ticket office and can provide tours in Spanish or English. The guide will let you know what their price for the tour is and, if you find others to participate in the tour, you can split the price among the group. While you can reserve a tour that starts in Oaxaca, the tours that happen directly at the entrance of the archaeological site may be a more independent way to take in this interesting destination.
Learning More About the Food/Drinks
Oaxaca is the food capital of Mexico and there is no better way to learn more about the cuisine than by exploring it yourself. Here are a few options for how to get to know the real food of Mexico and Oaxaca better.
Oaxacan Food Cooking Class
Cooking is an intimate way to get familiar with the techniques and styles that are used in any cuisine. And finding a cooking class can help you learn about the varieties of salsas, moles, tacos, tortillas, etc. that the city is known for developing. And they always say that the best food in the city is the home cooked meals. Try and find a tour that takes you to the market to find your ingredients so you can be familiar with the whole process and the different parts of every dish.
Oaxacan Food Crawl - Especially the Markets
If the markets intimidate you or you are interested in getting a more local experience when eating in Oaxaca, one of the top things to do in Oaxaca is to go on a tour that takes you to eat in the markets. Here are a few market and food tours that may interest you:
- The Market Tour by Oaxaca Free Walking Tour (not free)
- A Food Tour by Oaxaca Free Walking Tour – they have three different options for the tour that range in time, budget, and locations visited (not free)
- Classic Downtown Food Tour by Oaxaca Eats Food Tour
- Signature Markets Tour by Oaxaca Street Food Tour
Mezcal Tasting Course (It’s not JUST Tequila)
Mezcal is an important part of Mexican cuisine and culture. It is made from the distillation of the agave plant. Many of these distilleries (palenques) are found along different highways throughout agave-rich regions of Mexico and have been owned and operated by families for generations. (Tequila is specifically the distillation of the blue agave plant). Unlike the mezcal that is exported to the United States and Europe, mezcal in Mexico is not “reposado” or aged in a barrel. This means that the majority of mezcal you try in Mexico will not be as smoky as the liquor that is sold in the United States.
There are a few different places within Oaxaca where you can go through a mezcal tasting course. We recommend Mezcaloteca, a small bar where they serve an enormous variety of mezcals from all over Mexico. They personally go to distilleries to try the alcohol, learn the stories of the distillers, and collect from these small batch producers. (Some distilleries only produce 100 liters of certain batches of mezcal, making it incredibly exclusive.) At Mezcaloteca, you can get a personalized tasting based on your drink preferences. The staff walks you through the process of producing mezcal and helps you identify the different flavors that come out of the mezcal that you are trying. Beyond the tastings at Mezcaloteca, you can always order a glass of a particular mezcal that you enjoy or purchase a few bottles of the mezcals that you enjoy the most. (This is a nice place to get souvenir mezcal!)
Day 3: Going Outside of the City of Oaxaca
Doing a Tour Around the Region
The region around Oaxaca has some unique natural elements and can be interesting to visit in addition to the city. These destinations can each be visited independently but we recommend putting them together in a tour to maximize your time. This tour spends the perfect amount of time at each location to fully take in the experience.
Hierve El Agua
Hierve el Agua is a site of mineral water and pools. (Many tourists swim in the pools but the locals do not because it is stagnant freshwater and could carry diseases. We recommend avoiding swimming in the water.) However, the most impressive feature of this site is the frozen waterfall. This “waterfall” is really the build up of rock formations through the constant drip of calcium and mineral rich water.
There is a loop around this site that will allow you to see the pools from amazing vantage points and see the “waterfall” from different angles. You can hire a guide when you arrive at the location who will take you to the different sites, but you can also walk the loop by yourself. We recommend walking through the area of vendors and going down to the pools to start your walk, especially if you are there in the morning, because you will have the fewest number of crowds at the site. You can also see the “waterfall” from this location. After you take in the beautiful water features and landscape, you can continue on the walk to get to the bottom of the “waterfall”. Continue to follow the loop to complete the hike or take an unmarked shortcut through the paths that will allow you to climb back up to the pools. (Many people take this short cut so it should be easy to find. If you can’t find it, continue on the loop and the trail and walk will be more open and clear.)
Mitla Archeological Site
Mitla is the most important site for the Zapotec (and later Mixtec) culture because of its religious significance. It is unique for its geometric patterns and carvings that beautifully decorate every building within this archaeological site. This site was still occupied when Spanish conquistadors invaded the land, and they destroyed some of the buildings on this site to build their own church and convert the local people to Christianity. With the tour, your guide will explain more and personally tour you around the site. You can read more about the different archaeological sites in Mexico here.
A Mezcal Distillery
While you are outside the city of Oaxaca, you will see many mezcal distilleries (palenques) along the highways that you are taking between destinations. On the tour mentioned above, you will stop at one of these distilleries where the owner will walk you through the process of producing the different mezcal styles and you will get to try the wide variety of flavors that can they produce. You can also purchase mezcal directly from the distillery, guaranteeing that the mezcal you purchase is authentic. (Even if you do not do this particular tour, visiting a mezcal distillery is one of the top things to do in Oaxaca.)
El Arbol de Tule
The final destination on the tour is el Arbol de Tule. This tree is known for its age and size as one of the oldest trees in the world. In fact, the highway used to run just one block away from the tree and, to protect it, the town of Tule got the highway moved to be further from the tree to allow it to continue to thrive.
Beyond the Itinerary
This itinerary was built to give you structure to the top things to do in Oaxaca. However, the best way to really experience the city is to wander through the historic center and the different markets to find the gems that make Oaxaca special.
When to visit Oaxaca
The weather in Oaxaca is relatively temperate and consistent, staying between 85°F and 55°F (30°C and 13°C) throughout the entire year. Oaxaca is the rainiest between June and September with afternoon and evening storms that, with the right scheduling and gear, will not affect your experience within the city too much.
The high season in the city is from November to April because of the cultural celebrations (see below) and the warm and dry weather that make it a great winter escape. If you want to visit when there are fewer people in the city, you should go during the low season in May to June or September to October.
Dia de Los Muertos (November 2):
The famous celebration that originates from Oaxaca is Dia de los Muertos. It happens on November 2 and is a celebration of ancestors. The people of Oaxaca celebrate by decorating the altars of their ancestors and laying out the food and goods that their loved ones enjoyed most. The streets are decorated and a major parade flows through the streets of the city.
Because this is a sacred celebration for the people of Oaxaca, make sure to research the history and traditions of this day to integrate yourself in the most respectable way possible. It is a chance for you to learn from a beautiful and different culture and you should be aware of how best to appreciate the holiday.
Guelaguetza + the Mezcal Fair (Last Two Weeks of July):
The other famous celebration that happens in Oaxaca is Guelaguetza, a yearly celebration and reunion of the indigenous cultures throughout the Oaxaca region. Everyone comes together under a large tent within Oaxaca city to display cultural dance and music traditions. In addition to this, different mezcal distilleries from the region come together to present their mezcals. If you are interested in local culture and tradition, then this is the time to experience everything that Oaxaca has to offer.
Media to Prepare for Your Visit
Here are a few things to look into before going on your trip to Oaxaca:
Movies + TV Shows to Watch
Coco: The Disney/Pixar movie, Coco, is about Dia de los Muertos. It is inspired by the culture of the Oaxaca region, especially the art gallery and workshop of Jacobo & María Ángeles (which you can visit outside of Oaxaca). The movie gives a good overview of the holiday and the spirituality/culture of this area. You can watch the movie on Disney+ or rent it on Youtube.
Street Food – Volume 2: Oaxaca, Mexico: This show highlights the delicious street food of a particular city and is a great way to understand the type of casual food that you will experience on your trip. The episode for Oaxaca highlights a few different street food or market food vendors. You do not need to go to these particular vendors to find delicious food in Oaxaca but it is a good way to understand the culture of the city. You will be able to find this show on Netflix.
Continue planning
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Our Personal Experience in Oaxaca
