Oaxaca City Attractions
With so much sightseeing to do inside and outside Oaxaca, you have to be sure to allow for some idle time in the zócalo. In the traffic-free square, you can relax while getting a feel for the town and Oaxacan society. I recommend going in the late afternoon and taking a seat at the outdoor cafe with a good view of the cathedral. You can get a beer or a bowl of the traditional drink of Oaxaca: chocolate. The afternoon light filters through the glossy green leaves of the laurel trees, heightening the color of the cathedral's green stone. As dusk comes, a small drill corps enters stage left and performs a flag-lowering ceremony with much pomp and circumstance. Then the marimba or the municipal band usually strikes up in the central bandstand.
More Attractions
Besides visiting the places mentioned in this guide, try to get to the Casa de Cortés, which houses the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo , and the former convent of Santa Catalina, home of the Camino Real Oaxaca.
Activities
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, Sra. 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. For total immersion, and with prior notice, most can arrange home stays with a Mexican family. The Instituto Cultural Oaxaca, Av. Juárez 909 (Apdo. Postal 340, 68000 Oaxaca, Oax.; tel. 951/515-3404; www.icomexico.com), has the biggest name and 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've heard good things from students -- lots of flexibility and small classes.
Hiking & Biking -- Northwest of the city of Oaxaca is a mountain range known as the Sierra Norte that is cooler and wetter than the valley. The native communities offer guides and simple lodging for active sorts who are interested in seeing yet another side of Mexico. Several ecotourism outfits work with these communities. For information, ask at the State Tourism Office (tel./fax 951/516-0123). Zona Bici, García Vigil 406 (tel. 951/516-0953; www.mexonline.com/zonabici.htm), does bike tours on back roads for about 400 pesos for a 4-hour tour.
6 Results
- Religious Site
Basílica de la Soledad
The Basílica is the religious center of Oaxaca, and its Virgin is the patroness of the entire state. Adjoining the church is a former convent with a small but charming museum in back. A huge celebration on and around December 18 honors the Virgin, attracting penitents from all over… - Religious Site
Catedral de Oaxaca
The cathedral was built in 1553 and reconstructed in 1773. Its elaborate 18th-century baroque facade is an excellent example of the Oaxacan style. The central panel above the door depicts the assumption of the Virgin. Note the heavy, elaborate frame around the picture and the highly… - Landmark
Cerro del Fortín
To capture Oaxaca in a glance, take a cab to the top of this hill on the west side of town for a panoramic view. It's especially pretty just before sunset. Atop the hill are the statue of Benito Juárez and a stadium built to hold 15,000 spectators. The annual Fiesta Guelaguetza is… - Religious Site
Iglesia de San Felipe Neri
This church, 2 1/2 blocks northeast of the zócalo, was built in 1636 and displays all the architectural opulence of that period: The altar and nave are covered with ornately carved, gilded wood, and the walls are frescoed. In the west transept and chapel is a small figure of St.… - Religious Site
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
Of the 27 churches in Oaxaca, none can equal the splendor of this one's interior. The church was started in the 1550s by Dominican friars and finished a century later; it contains the work of the best artists of that period. Ornate plaster statues and flowers cover the extravagantly… - Religious Site
San Juan de Dios
This is the oldest church in Oaxaca, originally built in 1521 or 1522 of adobe and thatch. Construction of the present structure started during the mid-1600s and included a convent and hospital (where the 20 de Noviembre Market is now). The exterior is simple; the interior has an…
Oaxaca City 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 (woodcarvings).
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. Standard hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 2pm and 4 to 7pm.
Markets
Oaxaca City has 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 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.
Note: Markets are generally open daily from 8am to 5pm.
Oaxaca City Nightlife
If you are interested in seeing the region's traditional dances, you can check out the small-scale Guelaguetza performed by professional dancers at the Hotel Camino Real on Fridays from 7 to 10pm. The cost (365 pesos) includes a buffet. La Casa de Cantera (tel. 951/514-9522; www.casadecantera.com), at Federico Ortiz 104, just off Calzada Porfirio Díaz in the Colonia Reforma offers something similar. The cover charge of 180 pesos is for the show only, which runs most nights from 8:30 to 10:15pm. Supper costs another 145 pesos, which doesn't include drinks. Call for reservations.
Concerts and dance programs take place all year at the Teatro Macedonio de Alcalá, Independencia and Armenta y López. Schedules are often posted by the front doors of the theater. In the early evening, the zócalo is a happening place. The municipal brass band and marimba players perform free concerts on alternating nights. As the night wears on, you'll usually find some mariachis hanging about.
Just south of the zócalo is a 90-year-old cantina called La Farola (tel. 951/516-5352), at 20 de Noviembre 3. Daily from 9:30am to 1:30am it serves mezcal, both its own house brand and many others. You can also get beer and other forms of alcohol, of course. It has an original section and a newer section, so you should explore it a bit before you settle down for a drink.
For salsa, go to La Candela, Murguía 413 (tel. 951/514-2010), with live music Thursday through Saturday from 10:30pm to 2am. The cover is usually 50 pesos.
