Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca

Oaxaca de Juárez or Oaxaca City lies in the foothills of the Sierra Madre at the base of the Cerro del Fortín. It is the home of mezcal, the “seven moles,” and black clay pottery. The best time to visit is in October and November during Dia De Los Muertos when the city comes alive (no put intended) with la calavera catrinas and shrines honoring loved ones. However; no matter what time of year you decide to visit— it is one of the best cities to dine in. Here is our guide to Oaxaca, Mexico.

STAY

HOTEL ESCONDIDO OAXACA The original Hotel Escondido is in Puerto Escondido, and this Oaxacan outpost seems miles away from the center of town. Set in a restored colonial house by Alberto Kalach with Brutalist elements amidst a sea of ochres featuring sabino wood furniture hand-constructed by master craftsmen. We especially love the rooftop pool and peaceful courtyard at this oasis in the city.

CASA OAXACA Near the Zócalo plaza with minimalist interiors and a restaurant helmed by one of Mexico’s most acclaimed chefs, Alejandro Ruiz Olmeda. We love the hidden pool, private rooftop terrace, and the courtyard restaurant serving homemade strawberry jam with conchas at breakfast.

EL CALLEJÓN Tucked away in Xochimilco, one of the oldest neighborhoods in town, designed by the architect-owner using traditional materials like adobe, clay, and stone.

HOTEL AZUL A former private home in Santa María with a terrace overlooking the city, and an interior courtyard, which is lined with organ-pipe cacti.

DINE | DRINK

CRIOLLO Chef Enrique Olvera of Mexico City’s famed Pujol restaurant brings a seven-course tasting menu, which changes daily and seasonally, into an old colonial house that architect Javier Sánchez restored. If you indulge in one too many mezcal maracuja margaritas, rooms are also available at Casa Criollo, a villa surrounding the open-air courtyard in the compound.

CASA OAXACA El Restaurante by Chef Alejandro Ruiz Olmeda remains one of our favorite dining experiences. Sit on the lively rooftop overlooking the nearby Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and order a mezcal margarita and the tostada con gusanos y chapulines (trust us on this one).

ITANONÍ Corn-obsessed Amado Ramírez Leyva created this humble antojería (small-plates restaurant) to highlight four varieties of maíz criollo or heirloom corn. Alice Waters’s herself proclaimed this as one of her favorite restaurants. Order the tetelas (triangular corn pockets) stuffed with aromatic hoja santa leaf and melted cheese from Chiapas, the memelas with beans, and the chicken pozole. Finish the meal with churros and a glass of tascalate, atole or champurrado— a chocolate and maize drink.

BOULENC A panadería with homemade bread. Our top choice for pan de muerto and other local specialties, especially during dia de los muertos.

LOS AMANTES Head up to the rooftop terrace and enjoy mezcal cocktails with 360-degree views over the Church of Santo Domingo. Our top choice come sunset.

ALOHA OAXACA Knock on the wooden door after dinner, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be welcomed into a courtyard bar with a DJ serving up tropical drinks to a crowd of dancing locals.

SABINA SABE A mezcaleria that sits behind a bright green façade in the town center, serving a menu del día of creatively executed picas (small plates) perfectly suited for a pre-dinner bite or midnight snack.

PITIONA Order a mezcal pairing to go with dishes like the chicharrón memela (a tortilla mixed with fried pork skin) and mole. Eat on the terrace, which overlooks the Santo Domingo church and the surrounding mountains.

CASA DE LA CHEF A nearly hidden spot in Centro with amazing chilaquiles con chile pasilla and postres for dessert.

HIERBA DULCE A woman-owned vegan restaurant when you need a lighter option.

OLLIN CAFÉ A little coffee shop with local beans from Oaxaca within a language school.

SALÓN DE LA FAMA A classic Mexican dive bar.

POLLOS BAR A traditional cantina in the city to listen to the jukebox, which plays plenty of cumbia.

LA GÜERA A small stall with empanadas in the Mercado de la Merced where the tortillas are filled with flor de calabaza (squash flower), lengua de res (beef tongue), and homemade salsas— all cooked on the comal, a large iron skillet over an open fire.

TLAYUDAS DOÑA FLAVIA On the way to Santa María del Tule serving the Oaxacan signature dish— a large, toasted tortilla covered with a spread of beans, avocado, meat, cheese, and salsa.

LECHONCITO DE ORO A food truck serving lechón (suckling pig) with crispy chicharrones (fried pork rinds) as part of a taco, torta, or tostada. Perfect for a late-night snack.

UNIÓN DE PALENQUEROS DE OAXACA A crumbling cantina serving authentic mezcal.

MEZCALOTECA Offering upwards of 100 different types of mezcal​, many of which you can take home​​, at this reservations-only intimate bar.

IN SITU A mezcal bar by Ulises Torrentera with a wide variety of agaves, from espadín to jabalí. ​

TXALAPARTA Local bands and national artists like ​Tijuana’s DJ Chucuchu play at this rooftop bar.

EL LABERINTO A stucco-walled, terra-cotta-tiled art gallery, workspace, and vegetarian café by day and dance party by night with regular film screenings.

EL VENADITO A local coffee shop and performance space for traditional musicians like Costa Mía Orquesta.

MEZCALINA Specializing in mezcal cocktails and artisanal beers with live Latin music from local acts.

AZUCENA ZAPOTECA A must stop for lunch on the way to the pottery and alebrijes taller’s outside of Oaxaca. Women make tortillas by hand on the outdoor adobe grill and the compound includes a boutique and gallery for shopping.

ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES

JARDÍN ETNOBOTÁNICO DE OAXACA A botanical garden adjacent to the Church of Santo Domingo featuring various species of cacti and a popular spot for private events and weddings.

MUSEO TEXTIL DE OAXACA One of the greatest dedications to Mexico’s textile heritage is housed in a restored palacio in the historic center. Its impressive showcase includes more than 5,000 locally procured artifacts that span centuries of textile-making tradition. Officials at the museum note at least one case of plagiarism per year in the state and more nationwide. In fact, French fashion designer Isabel Marant found herself in hot water recently for allegedly copying the Tlahuitoltepec blouse.

CENTRO CULTURAL SAN PABLO ACADEMIC Mexican businessman Alfredo Harp Helú’s philanthropic foundation spent nearly $10 million to convert this former Dominican convent into an arts and culture hub. The interiors are by Taller Mauricio Rocha + Gabriela Carrillo, and include removable metal scaffolding and glass-encased reading rooms.

MUSEO MACO This historic 17th-century mansion was once inhabited by noble families who carved their coat of arms into the façade. The House of Cortes was eventually acquired by the government who turned it into a museum. Today, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca contains 16 recently renovated exhibition spaces for Mexican and international contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography, and more.

CENTRO FOTOGRÁFICO MANUEL ÁLVAREZ BRAVO Displaying the work of local photographers in a gallery space in the heart of town with a small, plant-lined interior courtyard with a reflection pool.

CENTRO DE LAS ARTES DE SAN AGUSTÍN A 45-minute drive from Oaxaca in the town of San Agustín Etla and filled with art galleries.

LALOCURA A Traditional Mezcal Distillery in Santa Catarina Minas. One of many agave fields outside of Oaxaca to tour, learn about the process of making mezcal, taste, and buy your favorite bottles. We also recommend Gracias a Dios and El Sabino.

SHOP

COLECTIVO 1050º Oaxaca is famous for its ancient style of artisanal pottery made from unique clays: barro negro (black clay) and barro rojo (red clay). Colectivo 1050º was founded by nonprofit Innovando La Tradición as a collective and marketplace for regional ceramicists to sell their work. They ship worldwide, but the original shop in Xochimilco is worth a visit.

CENTRAL DE ABASTOS The bustling food section of Oaxaca’s largest market with majority-women-owned food stalls for local specialties like barbacoa, tlayuda, and tangy pulque.

GAAYU’ Local entrepreneurs cocreated Gaayu’ (“five” in the indigenous Zapotec language) as a mini-emporium to promote emerging Oaxacan designers in fashion, art, and home interiors. The new shopping destination opened in 2019 with a quintet of brands including designer Araceli Huerta, textiles from Coyuchi Artesanía Fina, and hand-painted jewelry from Vishui Vishui.

MEZCALILLERA Sample mezcal, and bring some home, from this cozy mezcaleria and shop, which includes rare distillers like El Sabia Eterno to mainstays like Montelobos.

HILO DE NUBE A shop in Reforma that sells hand-embroidered huipiles (traditional dresses or shirts) from a Mixe village called San Juan Guichicovi.

TALLER-GALERÍA CÓDIGO TONAL An underground gallery and workspace founded in 2016 and run by printmaker Issvan Duarte.

MERCADO 20 DE NOVIEMBRE Oaxaca’s large, covered food market. The place to try tasajo (grilled smoked beef) or chorizo. It’s also known as the mercado de las carnes (the meat market).

MERCADO BENITO JUÁREZ The place to find, quite simply, everything. From beach bags made by local artisans and huarache sandals to spices— this covered market is the best place to spend an afternoon shopping for gifts in Oaxaca.

TALLER JACOBO Y MARIA ANGELES Founded in 1994 by the newly married couple Jacobo and Maria, known for hand-carved and distinctly painted alebrije animal figures in bright colors and bold designs. Located a short drive from Oaxaca in San Martin Tilcajete.

DAY & WEEKEND TRIPS

HIERVE EL AGUA A mineral deposit that has slowly solidified into a petrified waterfall, which you can see while relaxing in a thermal mineral pool. It’s like swimming on top of the world, but the best view of the waterfall is from the hiking trails beneath it. There are also little food stands at the entrance, where you can enjoy a quick quesadilla.

MONTE ALBÁN Monte Albán is among the world’s richest Mesoamerican archeological sites and is located some 20 minutes from the center of Oaxaca. This ancient Zapotec city, founded around 500 B.C., is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Mexico, consisting of several pyramids and tombs that are in beautiful condition. The ancient Zapotec civilization flattened an entire hilltop to create the complex of stepped pyramids, palaces, and observatories— climb to the top and enjoy the 360-degree views.

PUERTO ESCONDIDO A port town on Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca known for surfing, especially Zicatela Beach on the Mexican Pipeline. The town’s central Principal Beach is lined with palm trees and bustling thatch-roofed bars, the neighboring La Punta Beach has smaller waves for beginners, and Carrizalillo Beach is set in a cove backed by steep cliffs. Stay at Las Marianas or Hotel Escondido by Architect Federico Rivera Rio who modernized classic beach bungalows to include private plunge pools and modern, contemporary interiors and exteriors. Book a visit to Casa Wabi by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, an artist retreat and home for the Casa Wabi Foundation, an arts charity established by Mexican artist Bosco Sodi and directed by Patricia Martin— best known as the curator of Latin America's largest private art collection, the Colección Júmex in CDMX.

ZIPOLITE Zipolite is a small, secluded beach town an hour and a half drive from Puerto Escondido where the jungle-thick mountains meet the sea. Stay at El Alquimista, a hotel whose restaurant offers locally grown coffee, tropical fruits, and fresh-caught dorado along with daily yoga classes. Do not miss a stop at Mezcaleria Gota Gorda next door by award-winning mixologist (and our friend) Dani Tatarin.

Text: Veronica H. Speck Photo: © Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca