Getting There

By Plane

Continental ExpressJet (tel. 800/231-0856 in the U.S., or 01-800/900-5000 in Mexico; www.continental.com) has nonstop service to/from Houston. Mexicana (tel. 800/531-7921 in the U.S., or 951/516-8414; www.mexicana.com) and AeroMéxico (tel. 800/237-6639 in the U.S., or 951/516-1066; www.aeromexico.com.mx) have several flights daily to and from Mexico City. Click, a Mexicana affiliate (tel. 01/800-122-5425 in Mexico; www.clickmx.com), has service to/from Mexico City. Aviacsa (tel. 01-800/006-2200 in Mexico, or 951/514-5187; www.aviacsa.com) connects Oaxaca to Mexico City and Acapulco. Aerovega (tel. 951/516-4982 or -2777) flies a six-passenger twin-engine Aero-Commander to and from Puerto Escondido and Bahías de Huatulco once daily (twice if there are enough passengers). Make arrangements for Aerovega at the Monte Albán Hotel facing the Alameda (next to the zócalo, or town square).

By Car

It's a 5-hour drive from Mexico City on the toll road, Highway 135D, which begins at Cuacnoapalan, about 80km (50 miles) east-southeast of Puebla, and runs south, terminating in Oaxaca; the one-way toll is $30 (£17). For adventurous souls, the old federal Highway 190 winds through the mountains and offers spectacular views; it takes 9 to 10 hours.

By Bus

First-class and deluxe buses to and from Mexico City use the autopista (superhighway toll road) which takes 6 hours. A few make a short stop in Nochistlán, which isn't much of a delay. Almost all buses leave from Mexico City's TAPO (east) bus station. There is less frequent service to and from Mexico City's Central del Norte (north), and the Central del Sur (south, also called Taxqueña). There is no service from the Mexico City airport.

ADO (Autobuses del Oriente) and its affiliates handle most of the first-class and deluxe bus service. Your options are: primera clase (ADO), with almost hourly departures and a one-way fare of $35 (£19); de lujo (ADO GL) with seven or more departures per day for $43 (£24) one-way; and servicio ejecutivo (UNO), with five-plus departures per day for $60 (£33) one-way. De lujo has the same seats as first class, but more legroom, free soda and bottled water, and a better bathroom. Servicio ejecutivo has all this plus super-wide seats that recline far back. During holidays, you need to reserve a seat. Native Oaxaqueños living outside the state fill the buses for the Days of the Dead, Holy Week, and Christmas. It's possible to reserve seats over the Internet for the higher levels of service, and to check departure times and prices at www.adogl.com.mx and www.uno.com.mx.

In Oaxaca, the ADO station is on Calzada Niños Héroes. Buses serve Tuxtla Gutiérrez (five a day); San Cristóbal de las Casas (two overnight buses); Puebla (10 a day); Tehuacán (four a day); Tapachula (one a day); Veracruz (three a day); Villahermosa (two a day); and Huatulco, Pochutla, and Puerto Escondido on the coast (two a day, stopping at all three towns). These last buses take 9 hours to reach Puerto Escondido because they go by way of Huatulco.

Most of these buses are first-class; some are deluxe. When you walk through the station's main door, the passage to the buses is in front of you. The long counter to the right sells first-class tickets, and the shorter counter to the left sells deluxe. You can buy your tickets ahead of time at one of the offices of Ticket Bus. There's one on 20 de Noviembre 103-D, near the corner of Hidalgo, 1 block from the zócalo (tel. 951/514-6655). Office hours are Monday through Saturday from 9am to 10pm, Sunday from 9am to 4pm.

The Viajes Atlántida agency, La Noria 101, near Armenta y López (tel. 951/514-7077), offers daily service to Pochutla in Suburbans. It's much faster than the bus. There are nine runs daily (4 hr.; $12/£6.60). From Pochutla you can catch a colectivo (Volkswagen van) to Puerto Escondido, Huatulco, or Puerto Angel (which run 1-1 1/2 hr.). You should buy your tickets in advance. The agency is open daily from 5:30am to 11:30pm.

The speediest buses to Puerto Escondido -- 6 hours away over a tortuous road -- leave from the terminal de segunda clase (second-class terminal) Armenta y López 721, across from the Red Cross. Two lines serve the route. Pacífico Oaxaca buses leave daily at 8:30am and 10:30pm. One Estrella del Valle bus leaves at 11pm daily. Many people who go to Puerto Escondido on these buses say that if they had it to do over, they'd fly. Motion sickness is the main reason because of the hundreds of curves through the mountains.