The Guelaguetza is my favorite time of year in Oaxaca — and after being here 11 years,I say that without any hesitation. Every July, this city transforms. The streets fill with color and noise, families from across the state pour in, and Oaxaca’s indigenous communities put on the most extraordinary display of cultural pride you’ll…
Parties in the cemetery. Brass bands playing until sunrise. Families gathered around candlelit graves, eating, drinking, and laughing together. If that sounds unusual, it’s because Day of the Dead in Oaxaca is unlike anything most visitors have ever experienced. Coming from a different culture, I still find it one of the most moving and genuinely…
When I first arrived in Oaxaca City, I signed up for two months of Spanish classes—and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only did it help me navigate daily life, but it also opened the door to deeper conversations, new friendships, and a much richer understanding of Oaxacan culture….
Twenty minutes east of Oaxaca City, in a small town named after the very tree it’s famous for, sits something that stops people in their tracks. El Árbol del Tule doesn’t look real from a distance. It looks like several trees compressed together into one enormous mass of bark and branches, spilling out in every…
Every week someone messages me on Instagram asking whether Oaxaca is safe, what to eat first, whether they need to speak Spanish, or how to get from the airport to the city without getting ripped off. After over a decade living here, I’ve heard most of the questions. These are the honest answers — not…
Flying into Oaxaca City? Here’s everything you need from the moment you land — what it costs, how it works, and the tips that save you time and money. All current 2026 prices. ✈️ Oaxaca Airport (OAX): Quick Facts How many airports are there in Oaxaca City? Oaxaca City has just one airport — Xoxocotlán International…
Every week, someone arrives in Oaxaca, opens their Uber app, and watches it spin. No drivers. No results. Just a loading screen in a city that, by all appearances, should have ride-hailing by now. It’s one of the most searched questions about visiting Oaxaca, and the answer is more interesting than a simple yes or…
Monte Albán is one of those places that earns its reputation. I’ve lived in Oaxaca for over ten years, and I still think it’s one of the most impressive things you can do in the region — not just as a tick-the-box tourist sight, but as a genuinely moving experience. Standing on a flattened mountaintop…
There’s no bad time to visit Oaxaca. But there are definitely better times — depending on what you’re after. The classic answer is “October to February for the best weather” — and that’s not wrong. But it’s incomplete. It misses the two events that most justify making the trip in the first place. It doesn’t…
Someone hands you a small clay cup. It’s filled with something clear — maybe slightly golden. It smells like a campfire and something floral underneath that. They tell you not to shoot it. That’s your mezcal moment. And if you’re in Oaxaca, it’ll happen within the first few hours. Mezcal is the drink Oaxaca is…