There’s a neighbourhood in Oaxaca City that stopped me in my tracks the first time I walked through it — and keeps doing it every time. Jalatlaco (pronounced ha-lat-LA-co) is only ten minutes on foot from the Zócalo, but it feels like a completely different world. Cobblestone streets barely wide enough for one car, painted walls…
*Last updated: May 2026 The journey between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido used to be one of those trips people dreaded. Seven to ten hours on winding mountain roads, motion sickness, cramped vans, and a genuine sense of achievement when you finally arrived. The new highway changed all of that. Since the Autopista Barranca Larga–Ventanilla…
Oaxaca’s rental market has two speeds. The first is the English-language market — Airbnb, expat Facebook groups, and listings aimed at foreigners. These are easy to navigate, require no Spanish, and will cost you double what a local pays for the equivalent apartment. The second is the local market — Facebook Marketplace, Spanish-language rental groups,…
If you’re visiting Oaxaca and wondering whether the tap water is safe to drink — it isn’t. Not for visitors, and not for locals either. Nobody drinks it here, full stop. This isn’t unique to Oaxaca. Across Mexico, tap water goes through inadequate filtration systems that leave it unsafe to drink. It’s just accepted as…
Oaxaca is a genuinely excellent destination for families — and I’m not just saying that as someone who loves the city. I’m saying it as someone who has been raising a kid here for years and navigating the balance between keeping an eight-year-old entertained and actually experiencing one of Mexico’s most culturally rich cities. The…
Puerto Escondido has eight beaches. They couldn’t be more different from each other. One is a world-famous surf break that can be deadly. One is a hidden turquoise cove reached by 167 steps down a cliff. One is lined with vegan cafés and sunset crowds. One is a calm family bay where kids splash around…
Choosing where to stay in Oaxaca City matters more than most people realise before they arrive. The city is compact and walkable — but each neighbourhood has a completely different feel. Stay in the right one for your travel style and you’ll feel like you’re living here. Stay in the wrong one and you’ll spend…
Puerto Escondido was a fishing village long before it became a surf town. The fishing fleet was here first — and while the surfers and the digital nomads have arrived in waves since, the captains who have worked these waters for generations are still heading out before dawn every morning. The reason sport fishing in…