Oaxaca (Mexico)

We spent a few weeks in Oaxaca city to check out the famed, two week long LA GUELAGUETZA FESTIVAL. It was such a fun celebration and probably the best time to visit Oaxaca with all of the festivities taking place in and around the city.

Mexico keeps surprising us. Oaxaca is so alive, colorful and festive looking…..full of life on every street. It is the cultural epicenter of Mexico. Probably one of the top 5 of the most colorful cities in Mexico. Oaxaca has a soul….a cool ass soul.

Unfortunately, the city is becoming a very trendy spot for expats…… very similar to Tulum, San Miguel Allende, Playa del Carmen and Sayulita. Hopefully, it can retain its local charm and not become overrun by tourists. Getting around is easy. No rental car is needed to explore the city centre. The city is easy to navigate on your feet (many pedestrian only walking streets). If you are feeling lazy, the taxi’s are legitimate and cheap. Didi (Oaxaca’s equivalent to Uber) ride sharing service is always available if your spanish is lacking when communicating with local drivers.

Being the beach lovers that we are, the only real downside to Oaxaca is the distance from the coastal beaches. But, just a short flight or a five (5) hour drive down the windy mountain roads, are some of the most beautiful and surf-friendly beaches of Mexico. We plan on returning to Mexico in the near future to spend an extended amount of time at these beaches lining the coast. (Puerto Escondido, La Punta, Mazunte, Zipolite and Huatulco)

The LA GUELAGUETZA FESTIVAL was such a fun celebration and probably the best time to visit Oaxaca with all of the numerous festivities taking place around the city. This Oaxacan celebration takes place yearly during July and includes parades of indigenous bands, mezcal tastings, cultural events, handicrafts and food coming from the different parts of the state of Oaxaca. It reminded me so much of the atmosphere and vibe in New Orleans during the Jazz Fest. (video below of the La Guelaguetza street parades)

I would assume the city has a more mellow vibe outside of the festival. But, even a visit during non festival dates, you can still wander aimlessly thru the cobblestoned streets lined with colorful buildings (Jalataco area) and eat your ass off at the local markets and gourmet restaurants. Oaxaca is arguably the food capital of Mexico and it sure delivered. Mexicans and gringos come here to taste some of the best food and mezcal in the whole of Mexico. The variety of food options is endless. We visited Oaxaca for two (2) full weeks and we ate something different every day. The cherry on the top is the affordability at these gourmet restaurants. A $50 dinner in Oaxaca would easily be a $200 dinner in any big city for comparable food. We hit up many of the top restaurants and ate at all of the numerous local markets in town. (video below of the wide range of creatively prepared dishes we ate)

RESTAURANTS –
Los Danzantes
Casa Oaxaca
El Destilado
Pitiona
Origen
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional
Levadura de Olla
La Rambla Antojeria
Zandunga Sabor Istmeno Centro
La Catedral
Expendio Tradicion
Tierra del so Casa
Crudo
Carn&Voro
Boulenc Pan Artesano – lunch only

MARKETS –
Mercado 20 Noviembre
Mercado Benito Juarez
Mercado de Abastos
Mercado La Merced
Mercado Organico La Cosecha

ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF TOWN –
Tlacolula de Matamoros (Sunday Market)
Teotitlan del Valle
Hierve El Agua
Monte Alban Ruins
Santa Maria del Tule
San Miguel del Valle/Sierra Norte – Indigenous mountain village treks

UPDATE ON OUR FUTURE TRAVELS –

We will be leaving Maui mid-January 2023 and resuming our RTW (Round the World) journey.

Our RTW came to a halt in March 2020 as a result of Covid. We hunkered down in Maui for 2 1/2 years and now that the world has opened up again (without the restrictions and constant worry of covid testing) we will be hitting the road again.

Our first stop will be French Polynesia. We will be spending a few months on the Society Islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.