Oaxaca de Juarez (or simply Oaxaca) is the capital city of the state of Oaxaca. Best known for its rich culture, world heritage sites, mezcal, textiles, and of course their food. Even though it is increasingly becoming a popular destination- we still get a lof of questions from family and friends about visiting Oaxaca.
If you yourself have been considering traveling to Oaxaca - do it! It is so worth it and you will have an amazing time in this beautiful colonial city. We've been incredibly lucky to experience Oaxaca and we can't wait to go back!
We have compiled a list of our favorite places to stay, eat/drink, and recommendations on fun activities for your trip.
Transportation
From the Airport to the city you have a couple of transportation options. After clearing customs, you will see a kiosk that sells tickets for the collectivo (shared). You can also opt for a private taxi. On our first time to Oaxaca, we had pre-booked a driver through TripAdvisor, that was slighlty more costly than the shared taxi.
- Shared Taxi/Shuttle
- Private Taxi
Where to Stay
When visiting Oaxaca, we love to stay near the city center as it is close to plenty of shopping and dining.
Reforma 402, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro 68000, Oaxaca de Juarez
Located in the heart of the city center, this intimate bed & breakfast was previously the family home of the current owners. Across from the Ethnobotanical Garden and a block away from the Santo Domingo Cathedral, within walking distance to the Andador Turistico makes this an ideal place to stay for first-time visitors. Each room is brightly colored and named after a flower...Iris, Magnolias, Cempasuchil...
Services:
- Tours/cooking class that you sign up through hotel.
- Restaurant adjoining - La Olla
- Rooftop bar for an evening cocktail.
- Two-course breakfast included.
- Staff onsite at night.
- Mezcal in dining area for tasting.
- Free Wifi
- Friendly staff!!
Manuel Cabrera Carrasquedo 102, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Luis Jimenez Figueroa, 68070, Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca
If you are looking for a serene accommodation this charming B&B is just the place you are looking for. Perfectly tucked away on a peaceful street, this B&B offers plenty for a relaxing stay in Oaxaca. Within walking distance to the Santo Domingo Cathedral, we really enjoyed discovering different shops, restaurants, and bars as we made our way to the Zocalo.
While there was no front office person at night during our stay-- we were provided with two of their staff phone numbers should a need arise. We felt pretty safe at night and in the morning we did greet the front office staff at breakfast who were able to help us arrange a taxi for our day out of the city. Staff was usually on site from morning to sometime in the evening.
Services:
- Full breakfast included
- Staff can assist with taxi arrangements
- Tours - they offer Day of Dead/Culinary tours!
- Free wifi
- Friendly staff!!
Where to Eat & Drink
Mezcal & mole are a must when in Oaxaca! Also, you will see street vendors selling traditional Oaxacan street food and of course street tacos. These are also our favorite places to eat, asides from the sit-down restaurants.
Wherever you end up at-- try a Mezcalita. It's a signature cocktail using mezcal and fresh fruit juices. Andrea's favorite is the tamarind mezcalita and Aida's go to is the hibiscus mezcalita.
Macedonio Alcala #403 int.4 Col. Centro, Oaxaca de Juarez
Gorgeous restaurant that has a sophisticated outdoor look. Menu offerings include seasonal Oaxacan dishes and cocktails. Must try the Hoja Santa (artisan Oaxacan cheese with a green tomatillo sauce), mole sampler and of course leave room for dessert.
Keep in mind, during busy seasons (like Day of Dead) they do not take reservations.
Francisco I. Madero 129, Santa Maria del Marquesado , Centro 68000 Oaxaca de Juarez
Open courtyard dining room serving a pre-fix seven-course tasting menu with or without drink pairings. Menu can change daily as they focus on local and seasonal Oaxacan produce.
Reforma 411, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juarez
Enjoy a relaxing dinner at this rooftop terrace restaurant serving Mixteca cuisine. Dishes consist of local ingredients such as native maiz, beans, chiles, cacao, and quelites (wild greens).
Don't miss the atoleria in the downstairs area that sells a variety of atoles. Atole is a Mexican hot beverage made out of masa, water, spices and comes in a variety of flavors.
20 de Noviembre 512, Oax RE Benito Juarez, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juarez
You can't go wrong with stopping in for lunch at any of the many food counters inside this market. Some people even like to choose their fresh meat and have it grilled right there. You can also find Oaxacan breads and hot chocoloate.
Macedonio Alcala 407, Plaza Santo Domingo, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juarez.
Local Oaxacan coffee shop to get your caffeine fix. We like going to the one across from the Santo Domingo Cathedral.
Jesus Carranza 100, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro, 68000 Oaxaca de Juarez
Kick back and enjoy a refreshing cocktail at this rooftop bar. Take in the gorgeous views of the city centre as you unwind. Good vibes only!
La Cocina de Frida (about 1 hour from Oaxaca)
Mercado Ocotlan de Morelos: 751510, C. Pueblo Unidos 104, Centro, 71510 Ocotlan de Morelos, Oaxaca
Inside this market, you will find Beatriz who dresses up to resemble Frida. She serves up local Oaxacan dishes at her food counter, all the while graciously stopping to take photos with those coming all the way from many parts of the world to meet her.
If you happen to be there on a Friday, then you are in a for a treat as that is market day for the town. You will see stalls set-up outside with all kinds of goods for sale.
Must See & Do
We spent an afternoon of eating and drinking with Omar (some call him the unofficial Mayor of Oaxaca) and it did not disappoint. We tasted variety of food and drinks from upscale dining, to street food, to grilled meat at one of the markets, to mezcal popsicles, to rooptop snacking, and everything in betwen to finally ending at Criollo for cocktails. If you are doing an afternoon food tour, have a light breakfast so you can room for all the deliciousness you are about to eat.
Cooking Class with Reyna: El Sabor Zapoteco
Participate in a hands-on cooking class with Chef Reyna Mendoza in Teotitlan del Valle (outside of Oaxaca city). You may recognize her from Gordon Ramsay's Uncharted- Season 3-- she shows him how to grind up the ingredients for Oaxacan hot chocolate. And Rick Bayless has also taken his staff down to Reyna's place.
Cooking class include transportation,- a shuttled picked us up from a meeting point in Oaxaca city, and drove us to Teotitlan. Reyna greeted us warmly and we all made our way to the town's market to get the ingredients for our meal. You may notice Zapotec being spoken in place of Spanish. Upon our return back to her open-air kitchen, she had some homemade (like from scratch) Oaxacan hot chocoloate ready for us to drink before we go to work. We learned so much not only about the food we were about to eat, but just local customs and culture. At the end, the group sat down together to enjoy our lovely meal (mezcal and dessert included). It was a wonderful experience that we for sure want to do again and again.
Cooking Class with Casa Crespo
Learn, cook, eat, and drink with Chef Oscar Carrizosa in Oaxaca City. There is no set menu, as you get to decide what your group wants to cook. You will then get to visit a local market to shop for the needed ingredients. Back at the kitchen, everyone has the opportunity to help prepare the various dishes. Fun learning experience that should not be missed!
During our cooking class, we were welcomed with some coffee. Once everyone arrived, we all walked to the local market with Chef Carrizosa. Once we had all the necessary ingredients, we went back to Casa Crespo to start cooking. There were several of us from different places. We all got to know more about each other as we sipped on some beer and got ready to make some food. We all worked together as a team to prepare the salsa, tortillas, cream of avocado soup, mole, seafood mixiotes, chiles rellenos, and sweet corn ice cream. Once everything was made to the satisfaction of the chef, we all sat down together and ate our family-style meal. It was a fantastic experience. We highly recommend it.
Visit Mercado de Tlacolula
A large mainly outdoor market held on Sundays in Tlacolula (about 45 minutes outside of Oaxaca city) where you can find all kinds of goods from fresh produce to textiles and pottery, to delicious food. You will be amazed by the endless aromas, colors, and exquisite flavors of this incredible market!
Sample Oaxacan Mezcal
Like we said, you can't go to Oaxaca and not have any mezcal! You can easily find Mezcal bars in the city center or you can opt for a tour. Oaxacking offers a Mezcal tour, however we have yet to go on that one. Our driver took us to a local mezcal tasting site right outside of the city-- where we got to have lunch and learn about & sample mezcal.
Visit Surrounding Historical Sites and Artisans
Oaxaca is so culturally rich that there is so much to do outside of the city. We would recommend you visit nearby towns to meet pottery and textile artisans. Visit the aerchelogical sites like Monte Alban, Mital, Tule, and Hierve el Agua. Your hotel can help you arrange transportation to any of these sites or you can also take a tour.
We hope you have an amazing trip to Oaxaca-- we know you will fall in love with it just as we have. If you have any questions or need other recommendations please feel free to reach out to us at vivaesperanzashop@gmail.com
¡Viva Oaxaca!
💕 Aida & Andrea