Travel & Stay

Accommodations

We do not have a hotel block but anywhere near the Centro (downtown) will be ideal, Oaxaca is a very walkable town. AirBnB’s, VRBO’s, and hotels within this area allow walkability throughout the entire city, and a ton of fun stuff to do. We recommend staying at Grana B&B, Boulenc Bed and Bread, Hotel Sin Nombre, Casa Oaxaca (ball out!), NaNa Vida Hotel, but anywhere is great! Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

 

Transportation

You can fly into Oaxaca City from a few hubs in the US – most flights will go through Mexico City (if you have an extra day, definitely stay in CDMX and check out all the history, FOOD, art, history, etc). The airport is a short 20 minutes from downtown Oaxaca, grab a taxi or arrange a shuttle with your hotel prior to arrival. Renting a car is not usually necessary, the city is very walkable and taxis are very affordable, safe, and reliable.

Airlines

We love Aeromexico, they have a direct flight to Mexico City daily from Denver. Domestic airlines within Mexico are cheap and reliable (Aeromar, Viva Aerobus). Check domestic connections from Mexico City to Oaxaca for the best deals.

Things to do

  • Botanical Gardens: These gardens are amazing and showcase a lot of the diverse vegetation within the state of Oaxaca, tours are available in English and Spanish.

  • Hierve El Agua: A calcified waterfall with hiking trails, swimming, and amazing views of the Southern Sierra Madre mountains, it is about an hour from the city.

  • Teotitlan del Valle: Once the biggest city of Zapotec peoples, this is a step back into old Mexico, famous for weaving artisan rugs and using mezcal in ceremonies thousands of years ago, we love it here and can’t wait to go back. Go visit Eric at Taller Heulla Carmin, he and his family are so welcoming and amazing artists.

  • Visit a Palenque: If you are interested in or like mezcal, a visit to a Palenque is a must. You can see how agave is processed from full plant to liquid gold. Don’t be alarmed if the spirit is served from a 2-liter plastic bottle, that is how you know it will be awesome. We recommend using rambling spirits (ramblingspirits.net)  for transportation, tours, etc they know their stuff and speak English. A taxi driver will also happily take you around if you ask!

  • Coyote Adventures: Mountain Biking, climbing, hiking, city bike tours, and more, we haven’t used them but know a ton of people who have used the to do mountain biking tours and have been blown away at the terrain, the guides themselves, and the overall experience.  Coyoteaventuras.com

  • Monte Alban: The ancient Zapotec ruins are worth a half-day tour, so much history!

  • Mercado de Artsanias de Santa Maria Atzompa: 30 minutes outside town, and home to the work of over 100 Atzompa potters. Located in a great area to also check out outside vendors as well.

  • Walk around El Centro: Take in the sights and smells in El Centro. There is so much history here, check out a church tour, one of the many small museums, or a market or two to get to know Oaxaca.

Food & Drink

  • Mercado 20 de Noviembre: If you are up for a market experience, go here to get juices, tejate, breakfast, mole, tlayudas, and anything your heart desires. Be sure to get some mole paste, coffee, hibiscus, salsas, etc to take home from one of the vendors.

  • Don Juanito: Sit down family-style Oaxacan food. We love this place- awesome tacos, pozole, mole, and drinks. Go next door to Fati’s Cantina for an awesome dive bar spot (tiny and you can smoke inside)

  • Casa Oaxaca: World famous fancier spot for Oaxacan fare with a modern spin.

  • Criollo: Another upscale place with super cool ambiance.

  • Street Food: When in Oaxaca, you must eat on the street. It is what the locals do and is often where you will find the best food. From Esquites (Mexican corn with mayo, lime, and chile) to Tlayudas (huge crispy tortillas filled with everything good in this world), all the tacos you can fathom, ice cream, fresh fruits, juices…. Just do it. Usually, cash only.

  • Marito y Moglie: Awesome café just east of Centro, the owners are awesome, and the coffee is superbly roasted and from Oaxaca, go! The food is also amazing. A place we wish we could go every day.

  • Casa Convite: Hip outdoor mezcal bar. Great for a cocktail, cool ambiance, and a great selection of their mezcals.

  • Rooftops near El Zocalo: There are a bunch of restaurants/bars near El Zocalo, the main square of the city with the church at its center. Find a rooftop bar to take in a sunset, hard to beat.

You come to Oaxaca City to eat and drink. Or at least that’s what we do. The food is some of the best in the world, we hope you get to experience some new flavors, dishes, mezcals, whatever your heart desires. We are getting excited just writing this. For drinks, there is everything from hip cocktail bars, wine bars, dive mezcalerias, and everything in between. Here are a few places we recommend, but the best way to see the city is to explore!