Oaxaca

No reviews yetCity Mexico

The Zócalo is the shaded heart of Oaxaca's historic center, surrounded by arcades and cafés, Mexico

Oaxaca Cathedral faces the Alameda de León beside the Zócalo and shows the city's greenish local stone, Mexico

The Jardín Etnobotánico showcases plants of Oaxaca, including cacti and agaves, in the former convent grounds, Mexico

Mercado 20 de Noviembre is known for its smoky aisle of meat grills and stalls selling regional dishes, Oaxaca, Mexico

About Oaxaca

Oaxaca de Juárez sits in a broad valley in southern Mexico, surrounded by mountains and by villages where Zapotec and Mixtec traditions remain strong. Its colonial center, built largely of pale green stone, shares World Heritage status with the ancient hilltop city of Monte Albán, and the region is known across Mexico for mole, mezcal, textiles and lively festivals.

Life in the center flows between the shaded Zócalo, the adjoining Alameda de León and the Oaxaca Cathedral. The pedestrian Andador Macedonio Alcalá leads uphill to the gilded Templo de Santo Domingo, whose former monastery houses the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca and overlooks the Jardín Etnobotánico, a garden of regional plants. At Mercado 20 de Noviembre, diners pick meat in the smoky grilling hall, and Mercado Benito Juárez next door sells chocolate, chapulines and cheese. The Museo Textil de Oaxaca highlights local weaving, while the cobbled lanes of Jalatlaco and Xochimilco offer quieter wandering. Day trips lead up to the plazas and pyramids of Monte Albán and out to the enormous Árbol del Tule, a cypress with a staggering trunk.

Food lovers, craft collectors and culture travelers settle in easily here. Late October and early November bring Day of the Dead celebrations, and July hosts the Guelaguetza festival, both busy times to book early.

Best seasonOctober through April is dry and sunny, with Day of the Dead the most atmospheric time.

Ideal stayFour to five days covers the city, Monte Albán and a craft-village loop.

ArrivingOaxaca International Airport has flights from Mexico City and some US cities; long-distance buses also connect.

WiserMap travel guideOaxaca Mexico Mezcal Monte Albán and Hierve el AguaExplore Oaxaca City and its valleys: Santo Domingo, the Zócalo, Monte Albán, Mitla, the Tule tree, Hierve el Agua, markets, mezcal, festivals and travel tips.Read the guide

Exploring Oaxaca: 12 Must-See Spots

Landmarks 1

Zócalo and the Alameda de León

Oaxaca's main square is the living room of the city, shaded by enormous Indian laurel trees and centred on an ornate wrought-iron...

Churches 3

Oaxaca Cathedral

Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, Oaxaca's cathedral was begun in the 16th century and rebuilt several times after earthqua...

Templo de Santo Domingo and the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

This Dominican church, built mainly in the 16th and 17th centuries, is Oaxaca's most spectacular monument, its plain stone exterio...

Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

Built in the late 17th century, this basilica honours the Virgin of Solitude, patron of the city and the state of Oaxaca, and it i...

Gardens 1

Jardín Etnobotánico

Laid out on the former orchard and grounds of the Santo Domingo monastery, this garden gathers plants from across Oaxaca, one of M...

Food and Drink 1

Mercado 20 de Noviembre

Just south of the Zócalo, this busy covered market is the best place in the city to eat like a local. Its most famous corridor, th...

Museums 1

Museo Textil de Oaxaca

Set in a beautifully restored colonial building a short walk from the Zócalo, this museum celebrates the weaving and embroidery tr...

Neighborhoods 1

Andador Macedonio Alcalá

Named after the composer of the beloved Oaxacan anthem Dios Nunca Muere, this cobbled pedestrian street runs gently uphill from th...

History 2

Monte Albán archaeological site

Founded around 500 BC on a mountaintop levelled by hand above the Oaxaca Valley, Monte Albán was the capital of the Zapotec people...

Mitla archaeological site

Mitla was a sacred Zapotec centre that flourished in the centuries before the Spanish arrived, and its buildings are unlike any ot...

Nature 2

Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca

In the mountains east of Oaxaca, mineral-rich springs have spilled over cliffs for thousands of years, leaving white calcium depos...

Árbol del Tule, Santa María del Tule

In the churchyard of the small town of Santa María del Tule, a short drive east of Oaxaca, stands a Montezuma cypress with what is...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Oaxaca? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Share your photos

Been to Oaxaca? Add your best shots to the gallery.

More places in Mexico

Cuernavaca

Morelos, Mexico

Ixtapa

Guerrero, Mexico

Bacalar

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cancún

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Chetumal

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cobá

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Cozumel

Quintana Roo, Mexico

Taxco

Guerrero, Mexico

See all places in Mexico →

Photo credits

Photo: This photo was taken by Roman Bonnefoy ( Romanceor [parlons-en]). Feel free to use my …, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Charles Gadbois, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Jorge Mendoza, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: El Ágora, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: WeltKonnte, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: DavidConFran, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: User:Gengiskanhg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Fvaldezrom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. R4che1 assumed (based on copyright claims)., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: El Ágora, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Yavidaxiu, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Prsjl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Prsjl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Nsaum75, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Maria de los Angeles…, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Ovedc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Anagoria, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Ovedc, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Kaldari, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: ArribalaLuna, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: nan palmero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Erwin Verbruggen from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Museo Textil de Oaxaca, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Zitenshi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: AlejandroPZ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Nataly Gómez Gómez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Holamanueldiaz2, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: JishaBP, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Carlos Adampol Galindo from DF, México, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: User:Gengiskanhg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0