Discover Oaxaca: Mexico’s Cultural and Culinary Gem

Located in the state with which it shares its name, Oaxaca de Juárez is one of the most important destinations in Mexico, owing to its cultural, artistic, and culinary legacies. A walk through its historical center -designated a World Heritage Site and called the Verde Antequera on account of the majestic green quarry structures- is all that's necessary in order to understand its popularity. The same is true for the Santo Domingo Cultural Center, notable for its former Dominican convent.

 

You can begin your visit at this attraction and continue with a stroll down the Macedonio Alcalá scenic corridor. The streets that branch out from it will allow you to discover important museums, such as the Textile Museum and Oaxaca’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MACO, in Spanish), founded by the well-liked Oaxacan painter, Francisco Toledo. The corridor is also a prominent place in which to purchase handicrafts and often offers the possibility of seeing them crafted live. Your stroll will be enhanced further by the colorful and vibrant restaurants and hotels lining the corridor.

 

Your list of things to do in Oaxaca should include a visit to the 20 de Noviembre traditional market and, in particular, its smoke aisle, where you’ll be able to purchase and cook cecina, tasajo, and tlayudas on the spot. Vendors, popularly known as “marchantes”, walk down the aisles, accompanied by baskets filled with quesillo, grasshoppers, chilis, and tortillas in order to round out the culinary feast. The Benito Juárez market isn’t far from there; you’ll find dozens well-priced of local handicrafts, including alebrijes, embroideries, cushions, and even Oaxacan mezcales.

 

You’ll find the cure to all your ailments at the downtown mezcalerías, as well as the perfect excuse to immerse yourself in Oaxaca’s nightlife. In Situ, Mezcaltitlán y La Mezcaloteca are compulsory if you’re interested in learning about the distillate, since they offer tastings and pairings. If you’re interested in seeing the land from which magueys originate, Mezcatours offers tours to different archaeological sites, such as Mitla and Monte Albán, as well as to the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua.

 

If you’re wondering when the best time is to visit Oaxaca, the city’s best weather doubtlessly occurs between January and May, as well as between October and November.