Planning a Trip

Arriving by Plane

The airport is south of town; it's about a 20-minute cab ride. Buy a ticket at the window on your left as you exit the airport. A private cab is $11 (£6.05); a colectivo is $3 (£1.65) per person for downtown locations, more for outlying areas.

The same company provides service from the town to the airport. Go to Transportes Aeropuerto Oaxaca (tel. 951/514-4350), on the Alameda, in the building facing the cathedral. It doesn't accept phone reservations, so drop by Monday through Saturday from 9am to 2pm or 5 to 8pm to buy your ticket and arrange hotel pickup. The cost is $3.50 (£1.95) from downtown hotels, $7 (£3.85) and up from outlying hotels, and more if you have extra luggage.

Arriving by Bus

The ADO first-class bus station is a short distance north of the center of town. A taxi ride to downtown is $3 (£1.65). If you're coming from the Pacific coast, you may arrive at the Central Camionera de Segunda Clase (second-class bus terminal) next to the Abastos Market. It's 10 long blocks southwest of the zócalo.

Visitor Information

The State Tourist Office (tel./fax 951/516-0123) is at Murguía 206, between Reforma and 5 de Mayo. There you will find an information desk open every day from 8am to 8pm. Tourism also has an information office at Calle Independencia 607, corner of García Vigil, in front of the Alameda. It shares the building with a museum, Museo de los Pintores, and shares the same hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm.

City Layout

Oaxaca's east-west axis is Independencia. When streets cross Independencia and the north-south axis, Alcalá/Bustamante, their names change. The city's center is the zócalo, a large square surrounded by stone archways, and the Alameda, a smaller plaza attached to the northwest part of the zócalo. Oaxaca's cathedral faces the Alameda; its Palacio del Gobierno faces the zócalo. A few blocks to the north is the Plaza de Santo Domingo. The area between these two open spaces holds most of the historic district's shops, hotels, and restaurants. Two of the streets that run from Santo Domingo toward the zócalo -- Alcalá and Cinco de Mayo -- are partly closed to traffic.

Getting Around

By Car -- If you want to rent a car, try Arrendadora Express, 20 de Noviembre 103-B (tel. 951/516-6776). Rental cars in Oaxaca are expensive, and the process is not exactly streamlined.

By Taxi -- If you want to reach some of the outlying villages, I recommend hiring a taxi or signing up for a tour. Most taxi drivers have set hourly rates for touring the Oaxacan valleys. A trustworthy and careful taxi driver who speaks English is Tomás Ramírez. You can reach him at home (tel. 951/511-5061; tomasramirez@prodigy.net.mx).

By Bus -- Buses to the outlying villages of Guelatao, Teotitlán del Valle, Tlacolula, and Mitla leave from the second-class station just north of the Abastos Market. Colectivos leave for nearby villages from Calle Mercaderes, on the south side of the Abastos Market.

Social Unrest in Oaxaca

What began in early June of 2006 as the annual teacher's strike for greater pay soon grew into a bitter struggle between Oaxaca's governor and a broad coalition of leftist groups protesting poverty, corruption in state government, and lack of fair elections. Matters turned bloody -- some activists were shot by state police, and the protesters responded with marches, demonstrations, and the barricading of streets and highways, and, at times, even the airport. They demanded the resignation of the governor.

The city suffered greatly from the unrest, and the federal government did nothing to remedy the situation. The protests continued for months. The U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory for Oaxaca. Tourism, the mainstay of the local economy, fell to a mere fraction of what it was. Hotels, restaurants, and stores closed across the city. Workers in the industry were left without jobs. Artisans were unable to sell their works. Finally, in October and November, the federal police entered the city and in violent confrontations retook possession of almost all of the public spaces, arresting many of the movement's leaders.

Now peace has returned to the city, and gradually things are returning to normal. Businesses have reopened -- at least those that could survive. The Department of State repealed its travel advisory. Tourists are trickling in. Things may be okay now, but it bears mentioning that nothing has changed in the underlying conditions that brought on the protests, and, in fact, resentment of the government may be higher now than before. No one is sure what the teachers will do next time they want a raise. And the upcoming municipal elections, slated for 2007, could stir up bitter feelings.

So, if you want to plan a trip to Oaxaca, before you go, do a little research to make sure all is still peaceful there. Oaxaca is waiting for you. Just make sure that you see it in the best possible conditions. And exercise caution. In my travels through Latin America, I've found that when protest movements are suppressed, afterwards there's often a surge in petty crime. So keep your wits about you.