Shopping

Oaxaca and the surrounding villages are wonderful hunting grounds for handcrafted pottery, woodcarvings, and weavings. The hunt itself may be the best part. Specialties include the shiny black pottery for which Oaxaca is famous, woolen textiles with the deep reds and purples produced using the natural dye cochineal, and highly imaginative alebrijes (wood carvings).

Shops & Galleries

Most of the shops, galleries, and boutiques are in the area between Santo Domingo and the zócalo, comprising the streets of Alcalá, 5 de Mayo, and García Vigil and the cross streets. Customary store hours are from 10am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm Monday through Saturday.

Markets

There are two market areas: one just south of the zócalo, and the newer Abastos Market, about 10 blocks west. Both areas bustle with people and are surrounded by small shops selling anything from hardware to leather goods to fabrics.

A few shops specialize in chocolate (not for eating, but for making hot chocolate) and mole paste. The neighboring state of Tabasco grows most of the cacao beans used for the chocolate. They are ground with almonds and cinnamon and pressed into bars or tablets. To prepare the drink, you dissolve the chocolate in hot milk or water (the more traditional drink) and beat until frothy. Mole paste, which contains chocolate, is used to make the classic Oaxacan dishes mole negro and mole rojo. A good place to hunt for chocolate and mole paste is along Mina street, on the south side of the 20 de Noviembre Market. Here you'll find Chocolate Mayordomo and Chocolate La Soledad. Both offer a variety of preparations to fit American and European tastes, but I like the traditional Mexican best.

Note: Markets are generally open daily from 8am to 5pm.

Cooking Classes

Susana Trilling (tel. 951/518-7726; www.seasonsofmyheart.com), author of the cookbook Seasons of My Heart, operates a cooking school of the same name just outside Oaxaca. In downtown Oaxaca, Señora Pilar Cabrera, owner of La Olla restaurant, gives cooking classes at Libres 205. She can be reached at tel. 951/516-5704 or at bugambilias2@yahoo.com.mx.

Spanish Classes

Oaxaca has about a half-dozen language schools. With prior notice, most can arrange homestays with a Mexican family for students looking for total immersion. With little notice, most can arrange a week of classes for visitors to brush up their language skills. The Instituto Cultural Oaxaca, Av. Juárez 909 (Apdo. Postal 340, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.; tel. 951/515-3404; www.instculturaloax.com.mx), has the biggest name and perhaps the least flexibility. Besides language skill, classes focus on Oaxaca's history and archaeology. The Instituto de Comunicación y Cultura, Alcalá 307-312 (68000 Oaxaca, Oax.; tel./fax 951/516-3443; www.iccoax.com), provides group and private instruction and uses music, art, and handicrafts to get students into the swing of things. Classes are small. Becari Language School, M. Bravo 210 (68000 Oaxaca, Oax.; tel. 951/514-6076; www.becari.com.mx), was founded in 1994, and I'm hearing more and more good things from students -- lots of flexibility and small classes.