Oaxaca holds a mythical status among certain types of travelers: lovers of fine food, connoisseurs of interesting spirits and collectors of distinct handicrafts. This southern Mexican city anchors the eponymous state with the most Indigenous people and the most variety among them, and that diversity is on display in the local food, performances and handicrafts.
Sure, the capital city has the expected Spanish colonial charms, with its grand stone churches, shady plazas and narrow streets. More outdoor seating and rooftop bars have sprung up recently, so there are more ways than ever to enjoy the renowned cuisine and temperate weather.
The handicrafts of Oaxaca have a reputation as the best in Mexico, so it's rare that visitors leave empty-handed. There are hand-woven wool carpets, embroidered bedspreads and black pottery in abundance. The most emblematic items, however, are the alebrijes — fantastical animal creatures carved from wood and painted in bright colors. There's a good selection in Oaxaca City itself, but it's also possible to visit workshops in villages like San Martín Tilcajete and see the process in action. You might need a high-limit credit card at the studio of Jacobo and María Ángeles, where some works go for five figures in US dollars.
The most lucrative artisanal product coming out of Oaxaca these days is in liquid form. In less than two decades, mezcal has gone from being the poor man's alternative to tequila to being a trendy spirit that adorns every good cocktail bar shelf. Family businesses still make much of it in small batches, often using traditional methods that value personality over efficiency.
About an hour southeast of Oaxaca City, you can visit multiple distilleries clustered around Santiago Matatlán for tastings at the source. Otherwise, sample the differences at mezcal bars Mezcaloteca, In Situ Mezcalería or El Cortijo in the city.
Just outside of town is Monte Albán, an archaeological site that thrived from about 500 BCE to 850 CE. The Zapotec people flattened an entire mountaintop by hand before building their grand stone temples and terraces. The ancient city's residents formulated an advanced calendar and devised what some believe is the hemisphere's first medical manual: Stone tablets on display depict medical deformities, operations and failed births.
You can compress the entirety of Oaxaca state's highlights into a few days if you arrive during the annual Guelaguetza festival in late July. Hours of dance performances from various villages are the main event at the amphitheater overlooking the capital, with colorful costumes and live bands. Concerts fill the evenings and different blocks of the city host mini-festivals for mezcal, tamales and specific handicrafts.
Festival time or not, head to the sprawling markets in the capital or other towns to see the real Oaxaca, complete with large clay vessels filled with spicy fried grasshoppers, sal de gusano (worm salt), pulque (a fermented agave beverage) or a farmer's mezcal in unmarked glass bottles. In a destination where mole sauces can have 30 ingredients and farm-to-table dining is the norm, some visitors have one primary goal when visiting this culinary pilgrimage site: Eat at as many places as possible.
