A oaxaca guide
where we stayed, what we did, and where we ate
Hello hello! I recently got back from my 30th birthday trip. We decided to spend seven days in Oaxaca, and every single minute was magical. Every year for my birthday, I ask for the gift of travel. I’ve never been one to enjoy receiving materialistic things for milestones; I’d rather collect experiences and memories than physical objects.
Oaxaca is both a state in Mexico, and a city (think New York State, New York City). We spent the first four days in Oaxaca City, and then drove to the coast of Oaxaca near Puerto Escondido to get in some much needed beach time. Here’s everything we did in both, where we stayed, and where we ate, as told through the pictures I took.
Note: This is a LONG post, so it will be cut off in your email. Either read it in the Substack app or here to see it in its entirety.
Oaxaca City
Where we stayed
Hotel Escondido served as the perfect home base during our exploration of Oaxaca. It was centrally located, the staff was incredibly kind, and the beds were comfortable after long, hot days of exploring. It was so nice having access to a pool during the warmest hours of the day — it gets HOT here. Rooms are definitely on the smaller side, but we weren’t in the room much.
Bonus for free valet parking (we rented a car) and complimentary daily breakfast due to exclusive Mindholiday perks! Another perk was a complimentary three course dinner, but we didn’t have time to cash in on this, as we already were bursting at the seams with food plans…
Things to do in Oaxaca City
Walk, walk, walk!
Oaxaca City is very walkable (we averaged about 10 miles of walking per day). I truly think we walked every single street in Oaxaca. All of the trees were in bloom, and everything was just so gorgeous. Every day, we’d go out first thing in the morning for coffee and a walk, and after dinner we’d walk too — stumbling upon salsa dancing in the square, street art, and accordion players performing down small alleyways. It’s a very romantic city, and the only real way to take it all in is on foot!
Make sure to people watch outside of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, and also in the main square of Plaza de La Constitución. It’s where people go to see and be seen.
Take a food tour with Club Tengo Hambre
The first activity we did on our first morning was take a street food essentials tour with Club Tengo Hambre, which I would highly recommend. I’ve done CTH tours in Mexico City, and they’re always a highlight. Valeria was our tour guide, and she was so sweet and informative. She was born in Oaxaca, so she knew the city inside and out, and was able to speak about how it has changed in the past 20 years. She’s also one of the founders of Oaxaca Brewing Co — she’s in the food + beverage industry and knows what’s up.
Valeria took us to Mercado Benito Juárez, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, and Mercado Sánchez Pascuas to sample peppers, mole, and local fruits we had never tried, along with some stops in the streets at unassuming taco stands. I would have never known which spots to go to and what to order, so I am so glad we could count on her expertise. I tried the best mole negro tamale of my life at Tamales Doña Cande — the complexity of the flavors and the balance of sweet and savory brought tears to my eyes.
Shop textiles and handmade art
Shopping in Oaxaca can be overwhelming because there are so many gorgeous handmade objects to be found, specifically hand woven tapestries.
Oaxaca's reputation for tapestries stems from its deep indigenous weaving traditions and vibrant artisan communities. For centuries, local artisans have perfected intricate techniques and infused their work with rich symbolic narratives, turning each piece into a cultural storytelling masterpiece. Today, these tapestries are celebrated both for their practical use and as exquisite works of art, emblematic of Oaxaca's enduring heritage and creative spirit!
I knew I wanted to bring a tapestry home with me, and on our first day, I stumbled upon this gorgeous tapestry of a woman and her calla lilies at Aripo. I was hesitant to purchase the first tapestry I saw, so we sat on the decision for a few days (tapestries are complex, arduous work and therefore are not cheap). We ended up going back to the store on our final day and pulling the trigger. It’s now hanging in our living room, and we love it so so much!
Aripo in general was amazing — they had the best selection of tapestries, leather goods, clothing, etc… I would highly recommend a stop here! This is where we did the bulk of our shopping.
Other stores that I’d recommend:
Visit MUFI
MUFI is a free museum dedicated to postage stamps from all over the world. In addition to gushing over the vintage postage designs, I also picked up 100 vintage Mexican postage stamps for less than $10 at the gift shop. I’m excited to incorporate them into my snail mail and my scrapbook journal!
Day trip to Hierve el Agua and El Árbol del Tule
Located in the mountains of Oaxaca, Hierve el Agua is a natural wonder that looks like a waterfall but is actually made of petrified minerals. Over centuries, calcium-rich spring water has flowed over the cliffs, creating dramatic white rock formations. The name means “the water boils,” thanks to the bubbling natural springs that still feed the site. If you visit, you can soak in the mineral pools at the top while taking in the insane views of the surrounding valley. This is ~90 minutes away from the city, and you need to rent a car to get there.
On the way back, you can stop at El Árbol del Tule, a massive Montezuma cypress tree located 30 minutes outside Oaxaca City. Believed to be over 2,000 years old, it has the stoutest trunk of any tree in the world — it’s 50 feet in diameter! We sat in awe under the tree for about an hour.
Visit Monte Albán
The ruins of Monte Albán are not to be missed, and are easily accessible by taxi if you don’t have a rental car. The ruins are over 2500 years old and give a glimpse of what life was like for the Zapotec people. I was blown away by the immense size of the complex!
Hike with Oaxacan rescue dogs
I didn’t have time to do this, but saw posters all over town for Caravana Canina, a rescue program that allows you to take their dogs on stunning nature hikes with a guide! If you fall in love with your canine companion, they’ll even help you with the paperwork needed to adopt and take them home with you…
Note: This guide took me several days to compile and put together. Because of the love and care I put into this guide, the rest of my Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido recs are for paid subscribers only. If you like what you see, please consider supporting Mindholiday by upgrading to a paid subscription. It’s only $6 a month, or $60 a year, and I promise I’ll make it worth your while!