When you look at what are the most attractive places in Mexico, you’ll go through places like Tulum, Cancun or Playa del Carmen. But today we are going to discuss one of the most epic and heavenly options for adventure seekers: Oaxaca city.
Oaxaca is a beautiful city home to the country’s most historic sites, cultural heritages, architectural beauties, and local festivals. Moreover, the city is an ideal and prime location for food lovers all over the world since its different way of making, ingredients, multiple options, and deep cultural values.
Let’s dig more about the Oaxaca city through discussing what are the top 10 things to do in Oaxaca city and this article helps backpackers where and how to enjoy their city itinerary in a more broader way.
Related Search: Things to do in Tulum, Mexico.
10 Things to do in Oaxaca
1. Taste Oaxaca City Delicious Foods
The city is often considered as the most ideal place in the world to enjoy more traditional and plenty of food options, in simple heaven for food enthusiastics. The city is called “Oaxaca de Juarez City”, where backpackers go to experience Mexican, Spanish, African and local indigenous influences of cuisine styles. The city’s food style, vast cuisine options, and tasty ingredients make it the city referred to as the “Land of the Seven Moles”.
When it comes to the type of cuisine, the city caters traditional stews and moles, Tlayudas, chapulines, smoky mezcal, crispy tortillas topped with cheese, beans and vegetables. The majority of cities’ foods contain herbs, species and fresh products as their ingredients, especially these are originally generated from the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Do not forget to attend any food festivals like Guelaguetz, Mezcal Fair, Festival de los Moles and eat street food items like memelas, nieves and empanadas de Amarillo to understand more about your city’s deep culinary journey.
2. Explore Monte Alban
Visiting the city’s historical landmarks is equally important to enjoy your culinary journey here in Oaxaca City. I think visiting Monte Alban is one of the best things to do in Oaxaca, especially its vibrant Monte Alban ruins. UNESCO World Heritage Site, Monte Alban is the ancient Zapotec capital home to some of the plazas, pyramids, temples and 170 tombs, making it city historically served as a political, religious and economic hub for more than a thousand years.
Located just 20 minutes southwest of Oaxaca City, backpackers need to make a few adventure decisions to explore its things. You need to hike to the top of the hill and the hill is surrounded by the beautiful valleys and mountains. Additionally its impressive ruins, Zapotec cultures and sacred buried sites make us spend more time on the hill. Better to hire any guided tour to make your tour easier and they help you to explain everything about Monte Alban and its historical stuff. Make sure that Monte Alban opens daily from 8:00 AM to 5 PM and the entrance fee is 90 MXN.
3. Visit Santo Domingo Church
Under the list of what are the most popular things to do in Oaxaca, Santo Domingo Church should always sit in the first place. You may have visited the world’s most architecturally rich churches and cathedrals, but visiting Santo Domingo Church will give a unique experience when it comes to architecture. The church holds Baroque architecture, contains an intensely gilded interior, stunning stucco works and an adjacent museum. However, we never forget to take a look at the Dominican monastery, and the cultural anchors of this church since the church included much older historical significance.
Located in the heart of the city downtown Centro, despite its architectural and historical values, church even includes major attractions like Ethnobotanical garden and Francisco de Burgoa library. The garden is a more special one, it welcomes visitors from its numerous species of native plants of the local region and Oaxaca’s public newspaper archive (once served as the cavalry barracks). Even though it was lavishly decorated with gold leaf, and marbles, Santo Domingo served as a major center of religious, cultural and wealth centres of Catholic and Spanish colonial authorities especially during the Mexican War of Independence.
4. Take a Walk at Oaxaca Botanical Garden
Taking a leisurely walk inside of the Oaxaca Botanical Garden has many adventure benefits to us. Located beyond Santo Domingo Church, the garden is considered as the most attractive element for those who visit this church. While walking amidst this garden, you’ll be fortunate to spot some of the rarest species like agaves, succulents, and columnar. Additionally gardens walkways that frame the colonial stone walls that lead to Oaxaca’s public newspaper archive.
Exploring the garden now is super easy, since free guided walks are available from Monday to Friday. Everyday tours start at 10:30, 11:00, 12:00 and 17:00 (English tours run on Monday to Saturday at 11:00 AM), and not more than 30 people at a time. If you have a camera then it is a good idea to bring along with you to get perfect captures of garden flower species. Usually early morning and late afternoon are better periods to take a click of water mirror reflections, paths, historic evidence and stone wall pathways. Within your 20 minutes of guided walking tour cover all queries and sort of species which you’re never heard or seen before.
5. Wander the Historic Centre
This UNESCO listed historic center is recognized as the most cultural landmark in Oaxaca, Mexico where visitors wander through its streets to get a clearer picture about colonial architecture and bustling markets. This Historic Centre of Oaxaca city was founded in 1529 as an Antequera, but today this rich centre is the prime location in Oaxaca City when it comes to showcasing colonial past evidence, the country’s preserved architectures and 500 years of cultural heritages. Even today this centre is considered as the first Spanish city in Mexico and symbol of the pre- Hispanic symbol of architecture styles.
Currently the centre boasts 1,200 historic monuments including religious and patrician town houses and whole streets. Zocalo, a Plaza of the Constitution also situated within this centre and Palacio, a government palace is located at the end of the Zocalo. However, the centre includes religious buildings like the Ex- Convent of Santo Domingo, Cathedral of the Lady Assumptions and arealogical zone of Monte Alban. Do not miss to find cultural evidence like The Textile Museum, and The painter Francisco Toledo. Luckily we can spend our free time with restaurants while strolling inside of this historic centre, where visitors could try authentic local cuisines and regions popular dish called mole negro.
6. Attend La Guelaguetza Festival
Being a part of La Guelaguetza Festival is one of the greatest ways to understand the history of Zapotec and Mixtec people in everyday life. Every year on July 20 or 27 when Oaxaca City witnesses Guealaguetza cultural Festival that showcases indigenous dance, music, and art exhibitions. The festival, also called “Los Lunes del Cerro”, brings joy and togetherness within communities and helps to share their traditional dance, music, wine and food in honour of centuries- old deep connections. Visitors could find parades and dance performances in each step of this festival, and each step of festivals women are playing major roles and they are a major symbol of cultural promotion in their community. Tradition believes that they are the real ones who always have more knowledge when it comes to languages, traditions and customs within their community.
Since the parade is so busy visitors need to be 2 hours prior before starting its regular timing of parade. While you observe the parade, people both men and women are perfectly wearing their traditional dress codes with woven baskets or hats. If you wish to attend La Guelaguetza Festival either you may choose free entry or second hand entry fee. Tickets available for both Section A and B with 1,200 t0 1500 pesos, but the free tickets seating section is located back of the auditorium and available on a first come, first served basis.
7. Enjoy Your Sunset at Zocala
Zocala is a historic square in Oaxaca City, enjoying the sunset here in this square is the most unique and recommended thing to do in Oaxaca. Zocalo is a place located where historic naps under laurel trees exist, lots of pathways and served as a major centre as a gathering place for Oaxacans. Visitors should take an evening walk amidst the squares, street food stalls, balloon vendors and street attractions. However, Zocala is a great place to witness revolutions, parades, protests, ceremonies, salsa dancing and puppet shows. If you find any of these do not miss out.
Zocala has a deep historical connection where Spanish official ceremonies, military gathering, announcements and ceremonial gathering are held. Besides its official purpose, the place hosts occasional religious gatherings and traditions like Holy Week and Corpus Christi bring color events which are passed generation to generation till today. Do not miss covering your sunset journey here in Zocalo to watch out for the Open air living room by Oaxaca Cathedral and Government Palace, home to blooming gardens, iron benches and street snacks.
8. Explore the Ruins of Mitla
Exploring the vibrant ruins of Mitla will always sit in the top list of history lovers when it is comes to things to do in Oaxaca City. It is very important in the sense of a deeper understanding of the city’s history, especially visiting the ruins of Mitla which offers us to enjoy unique geometric mosaics, sala de las columns and columns d la vida. Ruins located 27 miles southeast of Oaxaca, include “EI Tule” 2,000 years old areacological ruins and adjacent to Monte Alban.
Out of many ruins, Zapotec and Mixtec are recognised as origin and contain quadrangle buildings covered by the chambers, patios and low roofs systems. Milta once served as a major religious centre where priests perform immolation activities or ritual killings and remove the live heart of the person who wishes to sacrifice, depositing it in a pit of fire as an offering to the gods. Travelers need to visit between 8 am to 5 pm, admission fees are included (except for Mexican citizens during Sunday). If you’re a student and your visit is based on a study tour, you’ll get concessions for the entry fee if you provide valid proof and documents.
9. Enjoy your Art Scenes
Art is the vital scenic thing in Oaxaca city, commonly known as the “Mexico’s Artisan Scene”. Some Arts have originated their devoted traditional ways and some are modern ones. An interesting fact here is most of the art pieces were originally made for utilitarian purposes and some for their daily life. Where to find a city’s beautiful art scene is a crucial task to an adventure seekers, don’t worry there are plenty of places to help us find the most intrinsic art designs.
Atzompa- famous for ceramic pieces and beautiful clay work. San Martin Tilcajete- often connected to producing woodcarving stuff with unique and colorful pieces of art. San Antonino Castillo Velasco- known for multicoloured garment works and colorful embroidered textiles. Additionally a place called “Teotitlan Del Valle” where local women exclusively involve themselves making beautiful pieces of rugs, table runners, shirts, pillow shams and women’s clothes. Despite the above places, to understand more about the art scene of the city we also recommend you to attend any art galleries and studios that majorly involve showcasing contemporary Oaxacan art and handicrafts.
10. Relax in Hierve el Agua
Visiting natural rich Hierve el Agua is a most sought after thing to do in Oaxaca City. Welcome visitors from its stunning rock formation that resembles petrified cascading waterfalls. Located near Mitla where travelers simply relax while watching and swimming its petrified waterfalls, formed thousands of years ago by natural mineral rich spring water resulting white calcium carbonate deposits on cliffsides. This cascading waterfall makes more dramatic views and mineral oriented pools atop of the falls.
Like Pamukkale or Saturnia, its height matches both of these world’s premier natural rich mineral pools and allows visitors to swim in cooler temperatures. While swimming it is recommended to reach its edge of the pool to get more breathtaking views of the valley. However hiking is also an eligible activity and its top offers more epic views of the falls, valley and past cacti. Keep in mind that entry fee is mandatory and they will charge 25 MXN as entry fees/ per visitor.