Oaxaca City
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Oaxaca City, situated 240 miles south of Mexico City in the center of Oaxaca state, is an energetic, bustling colonial enclave filled with artists, merchants, excellent restaurants, and street performers of all kinds. The picturesque colonial city has been a favorite with visitors for generations, with contemporary tourist activity having its roots in the 1928 and 1932 excavations of the archaeological zones of Mitla and Monte Albán. These were accelerated by the development of the Pan American Highway in the 1940’s.

In addition to textiles and a range of attractive crafts, Oaxaca, “the land of the seven moles,” is outstanding for its regional cuisine, including chapulines—tiny, savory, edible grasshoppers. Archaeological sites add weight to its colonial, botanical, culinary, and musical treasures.

Oaxaca is also the birthplace of a couple of Mexico’s most famous painters, Rufino Tamayo (whose museum here holds a beautiful collection of Prehispanic pieces) and the outspoken Francisco Toledo. Singer Lila Downs is also part Oaxaqueñan, and her state’s contribution to world culture never ceases to impress.

The busiest times to visit Oaxaca are over Day of the Dead—from October 31 to November 3—and during the colorful Guetaguetza dance festival in mid-to-late July. Christmas and Easter are also busy times, and the quaint colonial city can become dusty, hot, and overcrowded.

Despite being Mexico’s sixth most popular tourist destination, Oaxaca state—bordering Veracruz and Puebla to the north, Chiapas to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the south and Guerrero state to the west—is large and very poor. About one-third of its 3.4 million inhabitants are indigenous, coming into the city’s streets and markets to sell their wares, and returning to threadbare homes in their villages, abandoned by authorities and ravaged by economic migration.

There is no resulting conflict between locals and outsiders, however. Oaxaca City is welcoming and safe, with the city center easily accessible on foot (although pavements are narrow for baby strollers or wheelchairs). English is not widely spoken but people are accustomed to and grateful for tourist visits.

Recent investment in road infrastructure should improve access, at least between Oaxaca City and the coast. In the past, the U.S. Consulate has issued warnings about occasional violent crimes in less frequented parts of the state, and those concerned should make sure they drive on toll roads and favor bus rides by day, rather than by night.

Oaxaca City Travel Warning:

As of January 2007, Oaxaca City was immersed in a bitter political conflict that began in June 2006 when police and strikers collided in the city’s main square, the Zócalo. The ongoing turmoil has claimed several lives, including that of a U.S. journalist in October 2006, and has had an untold economic and political effect on the entire state of Oaxaca. Thousands of protesters camped out in the Zócalo and seized several radio stations and public offices and blocked several roads throughout the city.

On Saturday, October 28, President Fox ordered Mexican federal forces to Oaxaca City to bring order there once again. As we went to press, federal forces and protesters were still engaged in conflict, and the situation remained very tense. It would be ill advised to travel to Oaxaca City until the city is restored to order. We suggest you visit the U.S. Department of State Website, prior to booking a trip to Oaxaca City.