Oaxaca (Mexico)

Finding the Soul of Mexico: Food, Mezcal, and Festival Magic in Oaxaca

Mexico just keeps surprising us. We recently spent a couple of weeks in Oaxaca City, and let me tell you, this place is alive, colorful, and festive looking—full of vibrant energy on every single street. It is easily the cultural epicenter of Mexico and comfortably sits in the top five most colorful cities in the country. Oaxaca has a soul… a cool ass soul.

Oaxaca: A City with a “Cool Ass” Soul

Unfortunately, the secret is out. The city is becoming a majorly trendy hotspot for expats and digital nomads, starting to echo the vibes of Tulum, San Miguel de Allende, Playa del Carmen, and Sayulita. Hopefully, it can retain its raw local charm and not get completely overrun by tourist traps.

Fortunately, getting around remains a breeze. You absolutely do not need a rental car to explore the city center; it’s incredibly walkable, with plenty of pedestrian-only streets. If you’re feeling a bit lazy or carrying heavy bags, the local taxis are legitimate and cheap. Plus, Didi (Mexico’s equivalent to Uber) is always available if your Spanish is a little rusty when communicating with drivers.

The Flashpacker Take: Being the beach lovers that we are, the only real downside to Oaxaca City is its distance from the coast. But a short domestic flight—or a scenic, five-hour drive down windy mountain roads—plops you right onto some of the most beautiful, surf-friendly beaches in Mexico. We are already planning an extended return trip to tackle the coastline of Puerto Escondido, La Punta, Mazunte, Zipolite, and Huatulco.

The Main Event: La Guelaguetza Festival

We specifically timed our visit to check out the famed, month-long La Guelaguetza Festival, which peaks over two weeks in July. It was an unbelievable celebration and arguably the absolute best time to visit the city.

This annual Oaxacan celebration brings together indigenous bands for massive street parades, alongside endless mezcal tastings, cultural events, traditional handicrafts, and food stalls representing different regions of the state. Honestly, the atmosphere and high-energy street vibe reminded me so much of being in New Orleans during Jazz Fest.
(Check out my video below of the La Guelaguetza street parades!)

I assume the city dials back to a much more mellow pace outside of festival dates. But even if you visit during the off-season, wandering aimlessly through the cobblestone streets lined with technicolor buildings (especially in the Jalatlaco neighborhood) is quite fun.

Eating Our Ass Off in Mexico’s Culinary Capital

Oaxaca is arguably the food and mezcal capital of Mexico, and it absolutely delivered. Foodies and gringos flock here from all over the world to taste the best flavors in the country, and the sheer variety of options is endless. We were there for two full weeks and managed to eat something completely different every single day.

The absolute cherry on top for a flashpacker? The affordability of these gourmet, high-end restaurants. A $50 dinner in Oaxaca would easily run you $200 in any major U.S. city for comparable quality.

We hit up a mix of top-tier fine dining spots and local markets. Save this ultimate Oaxaca food and activity list for your next trip:

The Fine Dining & Gourmet Hit-List

• Los Danzantes (Unbelievable food and atmosphere)
• Casa Oaxaca
• El Destilado
• Pitiona
• Origen
• Ancestral Cocina Tradicional
• Levadura de Olla
• La Rambla Antojería
• Zandunga Sabor Istmeño Centro
• La Catedral
• Expendio Tradición
• Tierra del Sol Casa
• Crudo
• Carn&Voro
• Boulenc Pan Artesano (Hands down the best artisanal baking—go for lunch!)

The Authentic Local Markets

• Mercado 20 de Noviembre (Go here for the famous “Meat Alley”)
• Mercado Benito Juárez
• Mercado de Abastos
• Mercado La Merced
• Mercado Orgánico La Cosecha (Great open-air spot for organic local bites)

Must-Do Activities Outside the City Center

• Tlacolula de Matamoros: You have to check out the massive Sunday Market.
• Teotitlán del Valle: Famous for traditional Zapotec hand-woven rugs.
• Hierve el Agua: Stunning petrified waterfalls and natural infinity pools.
• Monte Albán Ruins: Incredible mountaintop archaeological site.
• Santa María del Tule: Home to the widest tree trunk in the world.
• San Miguel del Valle / Sierra Norte: Indigenous mountain village treks for some vigorous hiking.

(Check out my second video below for a look at the wide range of creatively prepared dishes we crushed during our stay!)

As many of you know, our continuous Round-the-World (RTW) journey came to a grinding halt back in March 2020 due to Covid. We ended up hunkering down in Maui for 2.5 years waiting out the madness.

Flashpacker Travel Update: The RTW Resumes!

But now that the world has fully reopened—minus the constant stress of travel restrictions and mandatory testing—we are officially packing our bags and hitting the road again to resume our nomadic life.

Our very first stop? We are heading into the deep South Pacific to French Polynesia. We’ll be spending a few months living the slow-travel dream in private villas across the Society Islands of Tahiti, Mo’orea, and Bora Bora.

The adventure is officially back on. Stay tuned, because Big Doug and Barbie are back on the move!