The short answer? If you have less than 7 days, don’t rush to the coast. Here’s why — and what to do instead. So you’re planning your first trip to Oaxaca and you’ve hit the classic dilemma: do you stay in the city, go to Puerto Escondido, or somehow squeeze in both? Here’s the honest…
I’ve been living in Oaxaca City for over a decade. Every time a friend visits, they ask me the same thing: what should I actually do? This itinerary is my answer. Five days, well-paced, covering the highlights without overfilling every hour. I’ve built in time to wander, eat properly, and do the things that actually…
Thirty minutes east of Oaxaca City, there’s a small Zapotec village where families have been weaving rugs by hand for over 2,000 years. That’s not marketing copy. Teotitlán del Valle — known locally as Xigie, meaning “under the stone” — is a living, working community where the weaving tradition never stopped. Wool dyed with crushed…
Oaxaca City is one of those places where you don’t actually need to go far to have incredible experiences – but if you do venture out, the rewards are worth it. Within a couple of hours, you can visit ancient ruins, petrified waterfalls, traditional weaving villages, and mezcal distilleries that still use centuries-old methods. Some of…
Oaxaca has a reputation as the food capital of Mexico, and it’s not hard to see why. The ingredients are local and deeply rooted, the techniques go back centuries, and the variety is genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country. Whether you’re eating at a market stall, a family restaurant, or off a street corner…
If you’re heading from Oaxaca City to San Cristóbal de las Casas (Chiapas), the bus is the most straightforward option. It’s a long trip, but easy to organize. My #1 Recommendation: ADO The best company to go with is ADO. For this route, you’ll typically be choosing between standard ADO and ADO GL, both of which…
If you want the simplest, most reliable way to get from Oaxaca City to Mexico City, the bus is the best option. It’s affordable, comfortable, and runs all day and night. My #1 Recommendation: ADO The best company to use is ADO. It’s the main long-distance operator in Mexico and easily the most comfortable and dependable…
Oaxaca is one of the best places in Mexico to buy something worth keeping. The craft traditions here — textiles, pottery, carved wood, chocolate, mezcal — are genuinely world-class, and the variety across the city means you don’t have to settle for generic tourist market stuff if you know where to look. The challenge is…
Easter in Oaxaca City isn’t just a single day – it’s an entire week of traditions known as Semana Santa (Holy Week). If you’re here during this time, you’re stepping into one of the most culturally significant periods of the year. But don’t expect a party. This is not Día de Muertos or Guelaguetza. Semana Santa is…
Haggling in Oaxaca is real. It happens every day, especially in markets, artisan stalls, and small workshops. And yes, it can actually be part of the fun. But there’s a right way to do it, the respectful way. 👉 50 Best Things To Do In Oaxaca City When Haggling Is Normal In Oaxaca, most of…