Oaxaca

Oaxaca, tucked high in a fertile valley 485 kilometers southeast of Mexico City, is one of our favorite places in Mexico. Without a doubt it is one of the most colorful, best-preserved Colonial cities in the country, with the added bonus of a lovely climate year round. It also offers visitors a glimpse of a city and region that truly exhibit three distinct faces of Mexican culture—the ancient archaeological ruins, the wonderful Spanish Colonial art and architecture, and the skilled craftsmen and artists in the surrounding villages. Like the valleys of Puebla and Mexico City, the history and prehistory of the Oaxaca Valley extends far back in time to the end of the last ice age when hunters roamed the area in search of game. In fact, Oaxaca is one of the longest continually inhabited regions in Mexico. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the ancestors of the modern Zapotec people were contemporaries of the early Olmecs (1500 B.C.–A.D. 400) whose cultural influence spread from the Gulf Coast of Mexico throughout much of Mesoamerica. Today villages in the valley and its surrounding mountains remain the home of the Zapotecs and later arriving Mixtec peoples whose languages, costumes, and traditions are still a significant factor in modern Oaxaca. Amazingly, over half of the population still speaks their own dialect. An added bonus of Oaxaca is that its wealth lies not only in archaeological sites and fabulous Colonial buildings, but also in the rich selection of places to stay: some of the loveliest hotels and bed & breakfasts in Mexico are found here. There are direct flights from Mexico City to Oaxaca, as well as deluxe bus service (which takes about six hours). If you are driving, it is about five hours via the toll road. Unless you have your own car, don’t bother with a rental car when you arrive. Instead, take a taxi to your hotel and from there, walk to see the sights. One of the joys of Oaxaca is just wandering its quaint streets. The places we highlight within town are close enough to walk to from all of the hotels we recommend, except for the Hacienda los Laureles, which is located nearby in San Felipe del Agua. RECOMMENDED PACING: We suggest five days in Oaxaca, though a week would be preferable so that you could relax and enjoy the ambiance of this Colonial jewel at leisure. You need three days to explore the city, and two more to take side trips to the nearby archaeological sites and local craft villages. There are truly many wonderful places to visit, both in the city and in the surrounding valley. Detailed below are some of our favorites.COLONIAL OAXACA Basilica de Nuestra Señora de La Soledad (Church of the Virgin of Solitude), Avenida Independencia 107: This beautiful 16^th-century church, whose ornate façade is studded with statues, is most famous for its shrine containing Oaxaca’s patron saint, the Virgin of Solitude. This statue of the Virgin mysteriously appeared in the pack of a mule that died where the church now stands. The statue, which supposedly has special healing powers, is greatly revered and people come from afar to ask for miracles.Casa de Juárez (Home of Juárez), Garcia Vigil 609: This is the home where one of Mexico’s most famous leaders, Benito Juárez, lived as a servant during his youth and the furnishings reflect the style of that period (early 19^th century). Benito Juárez, a Zapotec Indian born in the nearby village of San Pablo Guelato, was an outstanding man of great intelligence. Orphaned at the age of 3, he was educated by village priests, who must have done a remarkable job, for he went on to become a leader of Indian rights and, in 1858, Mexico’s president.Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca (Contemporary Art Museum of Oaxaca), Macedonio Alcalá: This collection of contemporary art is housed in one of Oaxaca’s most historic buildings, the 16^th-century Casa de Cortés, supposedly commissioned by Cortés himself. Here you find paintings of some of Oaxaca’s most famous artists including Rodolfo Morales, Francisco Toledo, Rodolfo Nieto, Rufino Tamayo, and Francisco Gutierrez.Museo de Las Culturas de Oaxaca (Museum of Culture of Oaxaca): This striking museum is connected to and part of the Santo Domingo Church, being housed on two floors of the former monastery attached to the church. (If you have visited Oaxaca previously, do not be confused—it used to be called the Museo Regional.) Here you find a breathtaking collection of artifacts gathered from excavations at nearby archaeological sites. The most spectacular display consists of more than 500 stunning pieces of silver, jade, gold, and turquoise that were found in Monte Albán in just one tomb, number 7. A rich collection of archaeological and ethnographical objects from all over the state of Oaxaca are also exhibited here. One room of special interest is that featuring a collection of pre-Hispanic musical instruments, attesting to the sophistication of the early Mixtec culture.Plaza de Armas: This tree-studded main plaza in the heart of Oaxaca is truly a gem. For the price of a beer or a cup of coffee you can sit at a café table and watch the colorful world of Oaxaca—with Indian, mestizo, Spanish, and gringo faces passing through the busy plaza. You could sit endlessly, time slipping by, with never a boring moment. Totally closed to traffic, the square is always filled with people and is the social center of town. Here you find non-stop action: vendors selling everything imaginable, including huge bunches of brilliantly colored balloons; students on their way to school; tourists basking in the sun; men on their way to work; children splashing in the fountain; roaming mariachis; mothers nursing their babies; shoeshine men buffing shoes to a brilliance; old men snoozing on benches; pretty girls dressed in colorful, native costumes; and, unfortunately, beggars asking for a few coins reflecting the poverty that sadly underlies much of rural Mexico. If you are hungry, you can buy an ice cream from one of the many stalls or if you have a sense of adventure, try one of Oaxaca’s specialties, chapulines (fried grasshoppers). This lively square is the perfect place to start your sightseeing or to take a break between museums. There are many excellent restaurants overlooking the square. Rufino Tamayo Museo de Arte Prehispánico (Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art), Avenida Morelos 503: Four blocks from the Plaza de Armas is a museum you must not miss—its stunning archaeological collection is outstanding, with over 1,000 pre-Hispanic works of art beautifully displayed in a handsome mansion. The collection was given to the town by Rufino Tamayo, a famous artist who was born in Oaxaca. Since his death, more pieces of art have been added. Santo Domingo Church: Santo Domingo, built by the Dominicans in 1670, is a dazzling baroque church. The exterior is handsome with twin bell towers crowned with brightly colored tiles, but there is little hint on the outside of the opulence within. It was here that Pope John Paul II blessed a huge crowd when he visited the city. Like so many Catholic churches in Mexico, its sanctuary and convent were partially destroyed, and its treasures stolen during the days of the Revolution. The interior was particularly badly defaced, and its gold leaf and rich decoration dismantled. However, the church has been restored to its original magnificence with an ornate façade, incredible golden interior, and splendid paintings and murals. The lovely, small chapel dedicated to the Virgin is not to be missed. SIDE TRIPS FROM OAXACA When it’s time to take your day trips, hire a car with an English-speaking driver who is qualified as a guide (ask your hotel to recommend a reliable person). The cost is not exorbitant—especially when considering you are saving the expense of a car rental—and well worth the convenience and greater appreciation of what you see. The sightseeing on the following pages is highly recommended.MONTE ALBÁN Because it is so close to Oaxaca (less than a 30-minute drive) and such a superb site, we suggest a visit to Monte Albán (500 B.C.–A.D. 700) as your first taste of the many archaeological sites around Oaxaca. Get up early and try to be the first ones there to enjoy the beautiful ruin in the early-morning sun, before the busloads of tourists arrive. This imposing site is one of Mexico’s most spectacular ancient cities, and also one of its oldest. Monte Albán sits on top of a mountain, leveled off long ago by the indigenous Zapotecs to serve as a plateau setting for their great city. The view from the top is particularly lovely just after the rainy season when the foliage is green and the flowering trees begin to bloom. This impressive archaeological site has one of the largest plazas in pre-Columbian Mexico, stretching the whole length of the man-made plateau with massive pyramids, temples, and palaces at each end of the immense space and along the sides. In addition, the site has many underground tombs built beneath the patio floors of houses, an observatory, a particularly beautiful ball court, and a fine new museum. The city was founded about 500 B.C. when populations from various smaller sites in the region came together at this easily fortified high point overlooking the valley. Here started construction on a city that, by the early centuries A.D., had become a powerful state that was in contact, probably through trade, with the other civilizations of Mesoamerica.By about A.D. 700, the site was abandoned and people moved from the mountaintop back to the farmlands in the valley, settling once again in smaller villages. However, the site itself survived, and the Mixtec peoples who followed the Zapotecs as a power in the Valley of Oaxaca used the terraced mountainsides of the older city as a place of burial for their important families. In fact, the richest tomb ever excavated in Mexico was found here in 1970. The golden necklaces, turquoise mosaic masks, crystal cups, and shell jewelry from tomb 7, now in the museum at the Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca, indicate that it may have been a royal tomb of the Mixtec kings.MITLA Reserve a full day to visit Mitla (A.D. 900–1521), since there are places to see along the way. Mitla is located 46 kilometers east of Oaxaca on highway 190, and your first (quick) stop en route is in Santa María del Tule, 9 kilometers outside Oaxaca. Here you find the famous El Tule Tree standing next to the church, just off the road—and what a tree it is! Over 2,000 years old, the cypress has a massive trunk and a sweeping canopy of leaves. Many of the redwoods in California are impressive, but El Tule supposedly has the widest girth of any tree in the world.
After a brief stop, continue directly on to Mitla. At the ruins there are rows of stalls with vendors ardently selling all kinds of crafts and souvenirs. There is also a church here that is built from stones taken from the site. These ruins are totally different from those at Monte Albán. Whereas Monte Albán has a glorious setting, in splendid isolation on the top of a hill—Mitla sits in the valley, embraced by the town. The site was built by the Mixtecs who succeeded the Zapotecs as the major power in the Oaxaca region. Mitla was still a flourishing religious and civil center when the Spanish arrived. There are two main parts of the site to visit. The first is the Church Group, so named because the Spaniards built their church in the middle of the courtyard. This was a clever maneuver since they also pinched the stones from the temples to build the church you see today. Don’t spend much time here since the Columns Group is far more interesting. Here you find examples of the special feature of Mitla: its intricate geometric designs. There are 14 geometrical patterns in all, with each building embellished with its own artwork. To create these patterns, small pieces of stone were cut and set into the wall. The zigzag pattern in many of the designs is frequently duplicated in their woven designs. YAGUL After leaving Mitla, retrace your way back towards Oaxaca on the same road. After a short distance, at the sign, turn right for about a kilometer to Yagul, positioned on the slope of a gentle hill. This is a small site, but really worth seeing. One of its charms is that there are usually few tourists there. If you are lucky, you might be the only ones about. At the top of the ruins is a fortress, below which is a palace with six courtyards linked by intricate passages. Yagul is also noted for its superb ball court, one of the largest and best preserved in the Oaxaca Valley.TEOTITLÁN DEL VALLEAfter leaving Yagul, continue on towards Oaxaca. Watch for the turnoff to the right to Teotitlán del Valle, a craft town located about 4 kilometers from the main road. There are many craft villages in the area, but Teotitlán del Valle, which specializes in fine rugs, is one of our favorites. Here not only can you see the weavers at work and buy directly from them, but you can observe the entire process from gathering the wool, then carding and spinning it—to making cochineal, the amazing red dye. This brilliant dye is made from crushing the bodies of thousand of tiny insects that live on nopal cactus leaves. Often you can see children gathering the bugs in containers for the use of the weavers. This process for making cochineal dates way back to the early pre-Columbian years. With the arrival of the Spanish in 1521, the dye remained popular and became in great demand by weavers in Europe. It is one of the continuities that so intriguingly still surround life in Mexico. If you want to stop for lunch and are in no rush, you might enjoy the Restaurant Tlamanalli, located on the approach road into town. The service can be frustratingly slow, but the three sisters (costumed in local dress) who own it and prepare the food are extremely gracious. The fresh corn tortillas for your meal are patted out by hand and cooked on a comal (a round, ceramic cooking platter placed over a charcoal fire), while you watch.If you have the time or inclination to continue your explorations around Oaxaca, there are small ruins tucked throughout the valley plus many towns where you can see and buy excellent crafts. If you are looking for the area’s handsome black pottery, San Bartulo Coyotepec is the place to go. For fabulous cottons woven on the traditional back-strap looms, Santo Tomas Jalietza is tops. When it is time to leave, you can return to Mexico City, or perhaps, link with another of the itineraries we suggest.