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City in Oaxaca, Mexico
Photo: User: (WT-shared) Anyludes at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Oaxaca (officially Oaxaca de Juárez, pronounced Wa-HAH-ka) is the colorful, delicious, and culturally-rich capital of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Its historical city center, along with the archeological ruins of Monte Albán overlooking it, is a .
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Plaza de la Constitución
Catch a street act, watch a clown entertain children, buy a souvenir or just people watch from a sidewalk cafe as time passes by. Dozens of vendors have set up booths around the square. This is also a frequent site for political sit-in protests, particularly by teachers protesting government changes to state education, leading to massive demonstrations in 2006 and 2014. As a result, the square often has tents.
Oaxaca's largest church dates from 1533 and is known for its unique interpretation of baroque style architecture.
A spectacular church built from 1570-1608, with subsequent Baroque renovations. It has been restored. Particularly noteworthy on the south side is the elaborate Capilla de la Virgen del Rosario, as well as the Capilla de la Cruz de Huatulco, which contains the legendary pre-Hispanic cross of Huatulco. The ornate golden interior decoration make this the most popular wedding spot in Oaxaca, so expect to see such celebrations on weekends.
Oaxaca Botanical Garden
A former army base, converted to a large botanical garden in 1993. The garden, designed by Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo who led the project to create it, has the largest collection of living cacti and agave plants in Oaxaca. Paths take visitors though the constantly growing collections that show the rich biodiversity of Oaxacan plant life. Entrance to the garden is through guided tours only, limited to 30 people, and no reservations are accepted. Spanish tours are one hour long, and English tours are two hours.
Historic childhood home of former Mexican President Benito Juarez. It's an unassuming home fitting for a man of humble roots.
MTO
An 18th century mansion (restored in 2007) with exhibits featuring the designs, techniques and creative processes used for the production of Oaxacan textiles. In addition, the museum regularly runs conferences and workshops.
City Museum
Features exhibitions devoted to architectural styles, historical photographs and urban art. Two aerial photographs taken of Oaxaca in 1990 and 2006 are embedded in an underlit floor so that visitors can walk over them and explore the changes in the city that occurred during those 16 years.
Centro Cultural Santo Domingo, Ex Convento de Santo Domingo
This is a museum of regional history and culture, with exhibits on Zapotec, Mixtec, and Olmec civilizations, as well as colonial and revolutionary era history. The highlight is the collection of treasure excavated from Tomb 7 at Monte Albán by archaeologist Alfonso Caso in the 1930s. The Museo occupies most rooms of the Convent of Santo Domingo, so it is huge and impressive: you will need a few hours to visit it! It also offers nice views over the plaza and the botanical garden.
Established by Mexican photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo and housed in a beautifully-restored colonial building, this center hosts changing exhibits of work by Mexican and international photographers.
A smaller venue which hosts rotating exhibits of work by national and international artists.
MACO
Housed in a building known as the Casa de Cortés, this museum hosts exhibits of local and nationally recognized modern artists.
Museum of Oaxacan Painters
This late 17th-century building houses a collection of historic and modern Oaxacan art on two floors.
Palacio de Gobierno / Governor's Palace
This 19th-century building houses a mural by Mexican painter Arturo Garcia Bustos, and hosts rotating exhibits about the history of the city.
Museum about the cochinilla bug and the nopal plant it feeds upon, which is used to create cochineal dye, also known as Red 4.
Astoundingly large collection of pre-Hispanic sculptures and other works collected by Rufino Tamayo. As an artist involved in both early-1900s modernist movements and the celebration of Mexican heritage, Tamayo had an eye for outstanding depictions of faces and human form, and a desire to keep historic art from leaving the country. The pieces are exhibited as works of art rather than as anthropological artifacts.
Estadio del Beisbol
Oaxaca has a popular and successful baseball team, the Guerreros, who play from late March through late August in a modern, well maintained stadium. Good concessions at reasonable prices.
Large natural park with hiking trails, zip lines, and great opportunities for bird watchers.
Organizes regular hikes, both day and the occasional overnight, to various locations around Oaxaca and also into the Sierra Norte.
The Guelaguetza highlights the traditional practices of the various indigeneous cultures from the state of Oaxaca. The main days are the Mondays following July 16 (Feast Day of Saint Carmen). The term Guelaguetza, the most important custom of the Oaxacan people, derives from the Zapotec term "guendalezaa" which means "offering, present, fulfillment" because, during colonial times, the wealthy Spanish elite had the legal right to receive the first and best of the harvest collected by the indigenous people.
Day of the Dead
A Mexican holiday that traditionally takes place in candle-lit city cemeteries, but today takes place in front of almost every church in the historic city center. Involves a lot of partying, festivities, facial make-up, costumes, lights, and possibly a few fireworks. An incredible experience to behold.
Provides small week-long tours during Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca. The tours introduce people to the history of Oaxaca and the Day of the Dead by engaging them in its unique celebrations such as visiting the Panteóns (cemeteries), comprasas and other important events that take place during Dia de los Muertos.
Night of the Radishes
If you happen to be in Oaxaca on December 23, you won't want to miss this unusual festival. Competitors create scenes using carved radishes. It's a long-standing tradition in Oaxaca, and was started as a formal competition in 1897.
This tree has the largest base of any tree in the world. Legend has it that it is over 1400 years old. It is just outside of a church with a lovely garden around it.
A village famous for its weaving. You can book a longer stay here at the Casa Sagrada. Be sure to check out the Vida Nueva women's cooperative in Teotitlan (one block east of the main square) that is striving to use and instill organic methods in its dyes.
A non-profit microfinance organization that runs tours to Teotitlan del Valle every Thursday and Saturday. They are working to fight poverty around Oaxaca and to educate travelers about the power of micro-finance. In Teotitlan, participants get to meet two groups of three women who are applying for their micro-loans. Participants hear about their lives and projects, which could be anything from weaving the beautiful rugs for which the town is famous, to making tortillas, raising chickens, making pinatas, or selling flowers in the market. At the end of the day 100% of the tour fee is given as an interest-free micro-loan to one of the two groups of women. Trips run every Thursday 13:00-19:00 and every Saturday 09:00-16:00.
A large Sunday market, one of the oldest in Mesoamerica, where people from around the region gather to sell their wares. Offers a wide selection of local cuisine.
Although frequently overlooked in favor of more extensive ruins at Mitla and Monte Albán, the ruins at Yagul are more pastoral (and therefore more similar to its original setting) and much less overrun with tourists.
The self-proclaimed "World Capital of Mezcal". Many fábricas de mezcal you can visit. Especially recommended if you like mezcal, have also visited Tequila, Jalisco, and have access to a vehicle. The best known producer here is Rancho Zapata, which also has a restaurant. It is owned by a man that goes only by the name of Tío (uncle) Pablo, who won first prize for his mezcal in Chicago in 2003.
An important Zapotec city and religious center, built between 1 AD and 200 AD, famous for its Mesoamerican buildings intermingled with the modern town. The Zapotecs called it Lyobaam, "Place of the Dead". Inside Tomb 1 there is the famous "Column of Life" that you can embrace to find out how many years you have left to live. Spanish is helpful here as the ruins officials can explain how to use the column correctly.
One of eight mountain villages in the Sierra Norte. Besides a small wood industry, they provide so-called ecotourism. Tours to phantastic scenic points are bookable at the Zócalo and range from M$400-1000 for a one day tour depending on the number of guests. Trips over several days are available, providing accommodation at the village (elevation: approx. 3,000 m). The altitude makes hiking exhausting but not impossible even for unpracticed participants. Hints: Speak Spanish and try to tramp back down instead of waiting several hours for the bus.
The site of the Centro de las Artes - San Agustín (CASA), a former factory that has been transformed to an arts center. To arrive, one can take a shared taxi from the Central bus station in Oaxaca. The cost is M$13.50 and it drops you off two blocks from CASA.
A beautiful cenote hidden inside a cave. The entrance is impossible to find without a local guide; ask around in the town of San Sebastian de las Grutas.
Mercado de la Democracia
There are several excellent eateries in this traditional market. La Güerita, located on the northeast side of the market, is well-known for its memelas and huitlacoche, but has only a few seats. La Florecita (no. 37), with many more seats available, is particularly popular for its tlayudas and hot chocolate.
A market the size of a city block, filled with breakfast and lunch food stalls. Food stalls also line the streets outside the market serving up hot, savory tlayudas and tostadas. Local women offer up chapulines (grasshopper), and you'll find countertops inside that serve up moles, soups and desserts. There are 4 entrances, at the center of each street that surrounds the market. The east-side entrance, facing C. Cabrera, has the Pasillo de Humo, a narrow hall filled with smoke from the meat vendors who cook your purchase for you right there; arguably one of the best deals on ready-to-eat meat in town.
Plaza de Nieves
The plaza in front of this church is filled with stores selling nieves (snows), frozen sorbets flavored with any number of fruits. The most classic flavoring is tuna, the fruit of the prickly pear cactus.
Should you tire of the traditional Oaxacan fare and desire something more familiar, this is the place to go.
A pleasant little restaurant with fresh-tasting Oaxacan cuisine and an understanding of vegetarian/vegan requirements.
Offers a wide selection of moles, including three-mole combination plates and varieties not easily found elsewhere.
Non-GMO corn-based quesadillas, tacos and tamales are prepared fresh to order on an open comal.
Offers a good selection of regional cuisine, with great views from the balcony.
Typical Oaxacan cuisine. A good deal with good food, all made with purified water.
Serves a good selection of Oaxacan fare, and international favorites including burgers and sandwiches. Has a good comida corrida.
Serves traditional Oaxacan dishes, and offers 2-day cooking classes. Free Wi-Fi available.
Pleasantly situated, with outdoor seating downstairs as well as indoor seating upstairs, this reliable restaurant offers a range of traditional Oaxacan dishes. Excellent service.
Serves fabulously fresh seafood for lunch fixed in dozens of different styles. Another location is just south of Merced Market.
Comfortable outdoor dining room serving authentic Mixtec barbacoa that's at once familiar yet unique in its traditional flavor profile. Order the "paquetes". Awarded a star in the 2025 Michelin Guide, yet the food is affordably priced and served in an everyday humble style, making it an outstanding value for the cash-strapped gourmet.
Excellent place to eat, They have mole and various typical meals worth the trip to Zaachila.
If you're looking to splurge on a meal that you won't be able to find in other restaurants in Oaxaca, Casa Oaxaca fits the bill. Ask for a rooftop table and enjoy the 5-course tasting menu for US$32/person. Treat yourself to corn mushroom soup, fresh fish with tomato marmalade and succulent sorbets. The wine list is decent with some excellent Spanish wines and good local options. There is another Casa Oaxaca restaurant, in the same location as Casa Oaxaca Hotel.
Traditional Oaxacan cuisine by chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmedo of Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante, but at slightly more affordable prices.
Dine in a covered courtyard surrounded by art and wireless web surfers. Prices are reasonable for creative Oaxacan cuisine, and the people watching is a bonus.
It is best to take a taxi to this restaurant because of the out of the way location. They serve the best martinis in Oaxaca and delicious seafood with Italian flair.
A comfortable and authentic mix of Oaxacan and modern restaurant, food is great. It's a beautifully designed restaurant. Awarded a Michelin star. A bit pricey but definitely worth it for the atmosphere and food quality. Great to have a drink at night as well.
Famous for its seafood, Marco Polo is a local favorite. Try the ceviche and the beer with chiles.
Astounding restaurant whose menu is a veritable tour through the mountain villages of southern Oaxaca where centuries-old cooking techniques of the Zapotec people and unusual ingredients from a harsh climate combine to make intensely flavorful regional dishes. Although not a vegetarian restaurant, vegetable dishes are the chef specialties. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. Reservations strongly suggested.
Has Wi-Fi and electrical outlets and is open on Sundays.
Good coffee, free Wi-Fi, friendly staff, good atmosphere. Try the Café Oaxaqueña (slightly sweet, with cinnamon. Yum!
A cozy cafe and bar selling various beers and a good selection of coffees including various flavours in both hot and cold at decent prices M$16 for a beer, M$12 for a coffee and a little more with flavour). Doesn't have Wi-Fi.
A local bar serving several mezcales, bottled beer and other drinks
Produces many different types of mezcal on the premises in the traditional way. Tours of the distillery are available. Tastings are available too.
A quaint but pricey mezcaleria near the Tempo de Santo Domingo featuring high quality mezcal and a guitar player.
Outstanding mezcaleria offering customized tastings presented by expert mescaleros.
Well over a hundred bottles of mezcal to choose from a dizzying array of producers with many varietals, and with options from young, unaged platos to complex dark anejos. The expert mescaleros can explain how the mezcals are made and how they differ from each other in the glass.
Run by a colectivo of rural mezcal producers, Cuish sells their own branded mezcals and operates tasting rooms. Great place to do side-by-side tastings of pure varietals: espadin, as well as tobala, tepeztate, and of course, Cuish.
A popular bar that borders on a nightclub late at night. Contains a hidden bar and balcony located behind a not-so-secret moving bookcase.
An extremely local bar with great service and occasionally hilarious artwork. Live, local music, should you be so lucky.
Brewery serving several varieties of their own beer. Casual feel. Some food available too. Occasional live music.
Casa Angel is a stylish backpackers hostel in a restored downtown house. It offers inexpensive and stylish accommodations for their guests in 3, 4, and 10 bed dorm rooms. Casa Angel also has a rooftop terrace (BBQs every week), a common area with a TV and DVDs, a full kitchen, free computers and Wi-Fi, lockers, and a delicious free breakfast every morning.
A highly-rated hostel renowned for its incredible breakfasts and customer service. Offers basic and premium dormitories as well as private rooms. Not a party hostel, but certainly a social hostel.
Shares a wall with an identical hotel. Shared baths. Some rates by the hour, to give you an idea of how budget it is. Not clean at all!.
A family-run property, a well done eco-construction, relaxing environment and a great view of the surrounding mountain ranges with large swimming pool.
The campground is gated and safe with level campsites, clean restrooms and hot showers. Free WiFi. Full and partial hookups for any size RV. Pets are welcome and petsitting available leaving you free to explore. Within walking distance is a water park complete with Olympic size swimming pool.
Run by great family. Lots of parrots in a wonderful garden. Nice terrace overlooking the San Matias church. Breakfast in common area (extra).
Nine-room bed and breakfast that is also home to La Olla Restaurant. Free long distance calls to many destinations including USA, Canada, and Western Europe (except mobile phones). Wi-Fi and guest computer.
Air-con suites equipped with cable TV, private toilet and bath. Some of its facilities and services are fitness room, terrace, cafe, wake-up call and Internet access.
A small bed and breakfast with a lovely courtyard and delicious meals. Many rooms are on the street so bring earplugs.
In an 18th-century building with traditional fittings.
All rooms equipped with Wi-Fi, double/king bed, and strongbox. Restaurant/cafe, business center, meeting room, laundry, and dry cleaning service.
Just like renting a room with an Oaxaqueño family. Mom, dad, grandpa & son run this small hostel. Private rooms (with private bath) & dorms. Shower is common. Eat with the family for M$30 (she can cook!) Wi-Fi in all rooms. An absolute steal considering you are treated like a family member
Offers 24 air-conditioned rooms, all of which have a cable television, private toilet and bath, and coffee/tea maker. Asuncion Restaurante serves local dishes, open 07:00-23:00.
Family-owned hotel, B&B and studio apartments. Rooms off the back courtyard are extremely quiet, unusual in Oaxaca. Includes continental breakfast with excellent coffee.
Has an onsite restaurant and outdoor pool, free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Luxury hotel with an onsite restaurant and free parking.
Breakfast available at on-site cafe. Room service. Small roof-top swimming pool. Bar. Gym. Business center. Outdoor courtyard with comfortable seating. Choice of pillows. Quiet.
A historic luxury hotel in a quiet residential area with 23 rooms and suites, traditional Mexican architecture, a spa and restaurant. It offers air conditioned rooms, all of which have a satellite TV, a luxury bathroom with mirror and hair dryer, and two telephones and a data port. Petit Spa, a swimming pool with Jacuzzi, and a business center with Wi-Fi.
A former 16th-century convent.
Offers a tranquil ambience with rooms overlooking a leafy courtyard with pool and restaurant. What's best is that part of the hotel's proceeds go to fund local children's education and other social programs.
A colonial residence converted to a hotel which offers pueblo-style accommodations and a pool, as well as an onsite restaurant. Pets accepted, free Wi-Fi in public areas.
Single room, standard double, standard king and master suite with air conditioning, satellite TV, and telephone. Swimming pool, free Wi-Fi, room service, and tour desk.
In former convent around 5 gracious courtyards. It can feel a bit corporate, with wedding parties and other functions, and mariachis strumming relentlessly over your breakfast eggs. But simply lovely, and within a short stroll of all city attractions. Valet parking M$175 per day or part.
Five three-bedroom suites and one two-bedroom suite. Free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, pets accepted.
A fairly busy place close to the Zocalo that seems to have favourable exchange rates.
Handicrafts Market
A colorful handicrafts market focusing on hand-woven textiles, with additional shops selling alebrijes (wooden carvings) and alfarería (pottery).
Everything from clothing and leather goods to mole, fresh fruits, flowers, and bulk grains. For meats, prices are a bit high for being unrefrigerated, you might want to try a supermarket instead. One of the few places in town to find brown rice (ask the bulk grain vendors for arroz integrál) or cigarette lighters (check the sidewalk vendors in the area).
Mercado de la Democracia
This traditional market has a focus on food products and produce, much of it organic. Specialties include bread, cheese, and tortillas. It also has a number of food stands and restaurants, for eating in or take-away.
Handmade tortillas, tlayudas, pastries, fresh-squeezed juice, mezcal, vegetables and woven goods. The delicious prepared food makes a great breakfast or lunch and there's a sitting area to enjoy it.
An active market on the sidewalks surrounding the park. This market has been driven out by the authorities and relocated to just north of the Pantion.
One of the largest markets in Mexico, divided into sections for food, clothing, arts, crafts, and other wares. This market is huge and can be very busy, particularly on Saturdays. Watch for pickpockets.
A large chain which carries all the basics.
A large hypermarket (supermercado) with better selection and quality than Soriana. Has a well-stocked pharmacy as well as a bakery and a deli.
By bus
From Mexico City the ride takes 6½ hours. ADO (M$552) and Fypsa (M$270) buses all travel between Mexico City's TAPO station (near the airport) and Oaxaca.
By shuttle van
Two shuttle van companies do multiple daily runs between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca (City) and are a faster alternative to the bus.
Orientation
The Spanish laid out a colonial town in the present grid pattern in the 16th century.
By bus
You can get a good bus map for M$40 at the Oaxacan Lending Library.
By taxi
There are plenty of taxis found in the Centro Histórico, including a taxi rank near the Zocalo. Make sure to settle on a price before heading off to your destination.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Oaxaca · International · OAX
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