The food and mezcal in Oaxaca are as amazing as we'd heard. We've been four times now, and I'm sure we'll go again. We're not experts by any means, but here's a few bits we learned.
Checklist
It cools off a lot at night, so your hotel/AirBnB might not need AC
Book mezcal tours and nice restaurants EARLY, Oaxaca is a popular destination
Book a private airport transport if you don't like SuperShuttle-like communal taxis
Install DiDi app (no Uber in Oaxaca)
Bring sunscreen and a hat (high UV index even in winter)
Go slow! High altitude means you'll get winded easily
Eat everything! Enjoy their blossoming cocktail and microbrew culture, too
Consider day trips to Hierve al Agua, Arbol del Tule, Tlacolula market, and Monte Alban
There are few fancy western chain hotels. There's a Holiday Inn and a couple of Marriott boutique hotels (Escondido and Otro) and that's about it. We sometimes stay at Xtilu mostly because it's a boutique hotel for people 18 and over. (Lots of people bring their kids to Oaxaca and I like to sleep in).
That reminds me: Oaxaca is popular. Very popular. I tried to book a January mezcal tour five months early and they were completely sold out. Don't think you're going someplace off the beaten path! The fact that there's no beaches here means that the crowd is generally people who are interested in Oaxacan food, culture, and history.
Yes, there are some amazing beaches in the state of Oaxaca, but they're a short flight (or a 4+ hour drive one-way) from Oaxaca city.
The "collectivo" shared taxi from the airport to town can save you some cash, but ours made 10 long and meandering stops before we got to our hotel. If there aren't a ton of individual taxis, this might be your only option. There's no Uber in Oaxaca, so you might want to pre-book a driver if you want to be certain to avoid the ole Super Shuttle-like experience.
Speaking of no Uber, you might want to install the ride hailing app called DiDi before you go - it will let you summon and pay for a taxi, as well as set your destination on a map. The worse your Spanish is, the more I advise you to do this.
Given its high altitude (1700m – higher than Denver), you should pack a jacket, as it can get quite cool here at night, even in July. Also, pace yourself when doing cardio. Stairs are a killer when you're not used to the lower oxygen level. It also means the UV index can get quite high even on days with very mild temps, so bring sunscreen and a hat.
If you're interested in mezcal, decide if you want to just pop into mezcal nerd bar in town or if you want to take a tour of the nearby mezcal production areas to check out the agave-filled scenery and see the actual production process. This will likely require some advance planning. If you need a recommendation, give me a shout and I can refer you to someone.
Machete realness in the mezcal production area outside the city
The old town is very walkable, picturesque, and safe. Areas outside of
that can be a little dicey. I was doing a late night walk south of the
central square and three separate people stopped my gringo ass to warn
me that I definitely shouldn't walk any further south by myself. I took
their advice.
Don't miss the pre-Hispanic art museum. It's fascinating to see art from the time before the Europeans invaded. Also, it's amazing how many Star Wars characters were just straight-up stolen from here. The textile museum is also really cool.
The city markets are a huge attraction. The Mercado de 20 Noviembre is very safe and in the heart of the city. I love the pan amarillo with chocolate here for breakfast.
There's also an amazing meat cafeteria (Pasillo de Humo) in the market where you point at what you want and they grill it for you. There are condiments, beer, and tortilla people who sell you the bits to go with the meat.
Yes, folks, the local cuisine features some delicious insects. No one here is going to think you're edgy and cool because you eat them and no one is going to care if you don't want to. Either way, there's no need to make a big deal out of it. The chapulines grasshoppers are crunchy and salty and chili and limey – eat them as a drinking snack, smashed into fresh salsa, or stuffed into a tlayuda.
Grasshoppertlayuda
Chapulines in the market
The chicatana ants are often used like a spice to flavor sauces, it's a taste unlike anything I've ever had before. The escamoles ant eggs are delicate and perfect (i'd get these at a fancy restaurant). The infamous gusano agave worms are often pulverized with chili and salt and used to rim cocktail glasses.
The Abastos market is a truly vast maze of twisty passages on the edge of old town. It's a bit more edgy than the Mercado de 20 Noviembre and we were advised by many to use common street smarts due to pickpockets. You'll definitely get lost in here, but just let your nose lead you – the smell of point-and-eat grill meat will slowly give way to the smell of baking bread which will bleed into the amazing smell of the molinos grinding cocoa beans and spices into mole.
There's quite a few high-end Oaxacan restaurants in the old town,definitely visit a couple of them for a lovely dinner. Enrique Olvera's Criollo is fantastic, as is the rooftop dining at Casa OaxacaEl Restaurant. We also really liked Origen. There's a bunch of others on our Google map. Prices are about half of what you'd pay in New York.
Dress warmly for Criollo, it's mostly outdoors
Casa Oaxaca's agave worm, grasshopper, and ant tostada
There are some great bars in town. The La Casa del Mezcal is billed as "gay-friendly" and they definitely gave us some interesting local liquor selections (and backstories) when we sat at the bar. La Tentación and Sabina Sabe are good, too. 502 is the only real gay "club" in town, our younger friends seemed to like it, we didn't go.
Speaking of drinking, give Pulque, Atole, and Tejate a try while you're here.
Pulque
Atole
Tejate
Nearby
If you're going to be in town on a Sunday, do not miss the Tlacolula Sunday market. You can get there by municipal bus, but I would hire a driver/guide, honestly. There are so many regional specialties and locals-only areas that they can introduce you to.
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