let these guides be just a starting point…follow your senses and try a little bit of everything…be kind, remembering you are but a visitor here
Oaxaca de Juarez
If Mexico City is the bustling, at times overwhelming, modernized and cutting edge destination in the country, Oaxaca is its slower, methodical counterpart, one of those cities like Cusco or Cuenca or Kyoto that are sought out because they offer a glimpse into traditions and customs centuries old. The danger, from a tourist’s perspective, in cities like these is you can find a city determined to distill this traditional experience into a neat and simple package, in part keeping you from experiencing much beyond this, and more importantly preventing your money from going where it should: to the artisans, the family-run establishments, the restaurants preserving age old techniques and using local ingredients. Wandering around Oaxaca Centro will mean countless larger restaurants begging for your patronage, presenting menus to you while you walk by or advertising tours you might take. It’s not that all of these are bad—there’s a few of these spots listed in this guide—it’s just that it can be hard to know where to turn to find places operating with heart and soul. Hopefully, this list can offer some ideas.
Better yet, look into these tour guides listed below who live in Oaxaca and know the area far better than I do. They offer tours that connect you with artisans both inside and outside of the city—food, mezcal, art, flowers, and more.
One final note: I’d highly encourage you to go to towns outside of the city limits, where the real heartbeat of the region’s arts and crafts resides. Just a few ideas for you–Tlacolula for the big Sunday market, where you can find the most amazing barbacoa; nearby Teotitlan for textiles (look up Niviet Ru Zaa on Instagram, and get in touch with them about a visit. They are a Zapotec family making the most remarkable textiles from all natural dyes, and plan to open a restaurant this year); Santa Catarina Minas for mezcal, mezcal, mezcal (set up a tour at Lalo Cura, maybe Rolando & Angeles as well, stagger over to La Descendencia). Everything is accessible through colectivos, if you want an adventure, but taxis or renting a car will get you there too.