Oaxaca Travel Guide
The great plaza at Monte Alban, Oaxaca. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Oaxaca is the state travellers fall hardest for. The capital is a UNESCO-listed colonial city of green-stone churches and a food scene many call the best in Mexico. Around it lie the great Zapotec capital of Monte Alban, the stone mosaics of Mitla, the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua, and craft villages for weaving, pottery and mezcal.
The Pacific coast is a different world: Puerto Escondido's surf, the low-key beaches of Mazunte and Zipolite, and the turtle releases at La Escobilla. July brings the Guelaguetza, the indigenous dance festival that is one of Mexico's great cultural events.
Destinations in Oaxaca
Monte AlbanThe Zapotec mountaintop capital with its great plaza, 20 minutes from the city. UNESCO-listed.
Santo Domingo de GuzmanThe baroque church with a gold-leaf interior, beside the former convent that now holds the regional museum.
Hierve el AguaPetrified waterfalls: mineral springs that built stone cascades over a cliff edge, with natural infinity pools.
Puerto EscondidoPlaya Zicatela's world-class surf break plus calmer coves like Carrizalillo. The coast's main town.
MitlaThe city of the dead, famous for its intricate geometric stone mosaics, the grecas.
Mezcal routeSantiago Matatlan and the valley palenques: see mezcal distilled and taste it at the source.
Teotitlan del Valle and craft villagesWeaving in Teotitlan, black pottery in San Bartolo Coyotepec, alebrijes in San Martin Tilcajete.- Mazunte and ZipoliteLow-key beach villages: yoga and mezcal in Mazunte, Mexico's best-known nudist beach at Zipolite.
- HuatulcoNine bays of calm water and the coast's most developed resort area, with a quieter feel than the Riviera Maya.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Oaxaca
Regional food
- The seven moles of Oaxaca, tlayudas, chapulines and memelas in the city markets
- Mezcal tastings at valley palenques; chocolate de agua in the Benito Juarez market
- Puerto Escondido beach shacks: whole fried fish and coconut
Getting there
Oaxaca International (OAX) takes direct flights from Mexico City, the US and Canada; Puerto Escondido (PXM) and Huatulco (HUX) serve the coast. The new highway from Oaxaca city to Puerto Escondido cut the drive to about 3 hours. ADO runs overnight buses from Mexico City to the capital.