36 Hours
36 Hours in Oaxaca, Mexico
As Oaxaca’s attractions multiply and tourists pack its new hotels and upscale restaurants, the southern Mexican city has still preserved its character. It’s common to hear the brass band and drums of a calenda, a street procession that is accompanied by dancers, giant puppets and enormous spinning balloons, to celebrate a wedding or baptism. The city hosts festivals year round, but it’s especially joyous in December, when residents honor Mexico’s patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the city’s patron saint, Our Lady of Solitude. During the whimsical Night of the Radishes, held annually on Dec. 23, artisans transform giant radishes into elaborate sculptures. Meanwhile, Oaxacans are constantly innovating, reworking their traditional cuisine or adapting their ancient textile heritage. The city’s arts scene draws young people, giving Oaxaca a vigor that similar small cities would envy.
Recommendations
- La Cocina de Humo, a tiny restaurant, offers an introductory cooking course that teaches how to prepare classics like Oaxacan moles, salsas and tamales.
- Jardín Etnobotánico, a botanical garden, features the lush biodiversity of Oaxaca State and shows how it influenced the development of pre-Hispanic civilizations.
- Humito Cocina y Foro 8 Temblor opened last year and presents live jazz, boleros, cumbia and other genres in a cozy performance space overlooking city lights.
- Museo de Arte Prehispánico de México Rufino Tamayo houses a vast collection of pre-Hispanic figures chosen for their aesthetic qualities.
- Oaxaca’s printmaking workshops highlight a vibrant art form among the city’s young artists. Visit studios like Taller La Chicharra, Burro Press, La Máquina Taller de Gráfica, Taller Artístico Comunitario and the arts center at the middle of the movement, the Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca.
- Marimba Orquesta “Hermanos Carreón” is a nine-piece band featuring percussion and brass instruments that plays most nights on the Zócalo, a plaza that is the heart of the city, attracting dancers of all skills.
- San Martín Tilcajete is a village to Oaxaca’s south where artisans carve and paint elaborate fantasy creatures. See the creations at Jacobo and María Ángeles Workshop, Una Inspiración de mi vida and Alebrijes Amaltea.
- At Origen, the inventive chef Rodolfo Castellanos fuses traditional Oaxacan flavors with other cuisines.
- Alfonsina is the singular vision of the chef Jorge León, who returned to his hometown to explore the essence of Oaxaca’s biodiversity in his recipes.
- El Lechoncito de Oro is a late-night taco stand serving chopped suckling pig to after-hours revelers.
- Boulenc is a bakery and breakfast spot with delicious pastries and unbeatable sourdough bread.
- Sabina Sabe is a popular mezcal and cocktail bar that attracts a lively young crowd of tourists and locals.
- Restaurante Coronita is a restaurant where oaxaqueños have been going to sample moles and no-frills classics since 1948.
- 1050 Grados is a pottery cooperative selling minimalist tableware.
- Los Baúles de Juana Cata offers a rich variety of high-quality woven and embroidered Oaxacan textiles.
- La Casa de las Artesanías de Oaxaca sells an expansive selection of handicrafts, textiles, pottery and rugs.
- La Danta is a luxury Airbnb in the home of the late Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo and is run by his family. Four limestone bungalows (listed separately), designed by the local architecture firm Root Studio, are set among the dense vegetation of a landscaped garden built into the city’s 18th-century aqueduct. The bungalows range from 3,000 to 6,000 pesos (about $175 to $350) a night.
- Hotel Casa de la Tía Tere, in the city center, is a popular family-friendly hotel with a swimming pool. A standard room costs 1,520 pesos and a bungalow is 2,620 pesos.
- Casa Las Mercedes is a centrally located small hotel with a quiet courtyard and simple rooms. Ask for a room on the top floor to get the best light. Rooms start from 1,350 pesos.
- For short-term rentals, look in Xochimilco and Jalatlaco, two picturesque neighborhoods just to the north and east of Oaxaca’s historic center.
- Walking is part of the pleasure of visiting Oaxaca, whose historic center is small enough to explore on foot. Street taxis circulate widely and are safe and cheap. Taxis are the best way to reach Alfonsina and San Martín Tilcajete, two destinations in this guide that are outside of the city; they can be rented by the hour (250 to 300 pesos). Uber is not available in Oaxaca, but Didi, a similar ride-sharing app, is.
Itinerary
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