Oaxaca

Where should I stay?

Where should I eat?

• Mercado 20 de Noviembre · Centro · Oaxacan market food: Covered market known for its smoky grilling aisle, where you pick raw meats and have them grilled to eat with tortillas and salsas.
• Tlayudas Libres · Centro · Tlayudas: Late-night street stall grilling tlayudas, the large crisp Oaxacan tortilla topped with beans, asiento and quesillo, over charcoal.
• Itanoní · Reforma · Heirloom-corn antojitos: Casual spot built around native corn, serving tetelas, memelas and other masa dishes made from freshly ground heirloom maize.
• Chocolate Mayordomo · Centro · Chocolate and hot drinks: Long-running chocolate maker where you can watch cacao being ground and drink hot Oaxacan chocolate with pan de yema.
• Boulenc · Centro · Bakery and brunch: Sourdough bakery and café popular for breakfast, with a courtyard and dishes that mix European baking with Oaxacan ingredients.
• Los Danzantes · Centro · Contemporary Oaxacan: Restaurant in an open-air courtyard on the Alcalá pedestrian street serving modern takes on moles and regional dishes, plus its own mezcal.
• Casa Oaxaca · Centro · Contemporary Oaxacan: Chef Alejandro Ruiz's restaurant with a rooftop facing Santo Domingo, known for refined moles and tableside salsa.
• Criollo · Centro · Oaxacan tasting menu: Garden restaurant by Enrique Olvera and Luis Arellano offering a changing multi-course menu built on local ingredients.

What should I do?

• Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán · Centro: Baroque church whose interior is covered in gilded, carved decoration, set on a plaza at the top of the Alcalá walking street.
• Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca · Centro: Museum in the former Santo Domingo convent displaying the gold treasure of Monte Albán's Tomb 7 and regional history.
• Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca · Centro: Garden of native Oaxacan plants behind Santo Domingo, visited only on guided tours that run at set times.
• Barrio de Jalatlaco · Jalatlaco: Old neighborhood of cobblestone streets, colorful houses and street murals, with small cafés a short walk from the center.
• Monte Albán · Valles Centrales: Hilltop Zapotec city with plazas, pyramids and carved stones overlooking the Oaxaca valley, about 30 minutes from town.
• Hierve el Agua · San Lorenzo Albarradas: Mineral springs and natural pools at the edge of a cliff next to rock formations that look like frozen waterfalls.
• Mezcal distillery tour · Santiago Matatlán: Visit a family palenque to see agave roasted in earth pits, crushed and distilled, and taste different mezcals.
• Oaxacan cooking class · Centro: Hands-on class, often starting with a market visit, where you learn to make mole, salsas and tortillas.