The Mija Chronicles

Mexican food and culture, on both sides of the border

If you had four days in Oaxaca City, what would you do?

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I think it might seem like I go on vacation a lot, but I promise, I’m working up to my ears. In fact, I’m so busy that I feel like I have exactly two minutes to plan my and Crayton’s next trip — back to Oaxaca, but this time to the city. We’ll be there Dec. 18-22. Then it’s back to DF for Christmas and New Year’s.

I was stressing about planning the trip — where are we going to stay? It’s only two weeks away, for goddsakes — then yesterday, while I was on the elliptical at the gym, it hit me that I could ask you all for recommendations!

So where should I go? Should we rent a car and drive there, or fly? At this point I’m starting from zero. Only thing I know is that I’d love to stay somewhere with a kitchen, and that I want to sample as many moles and tlayudas as possible. Visiting a fábrica de mescal would be great, too.

Can you help?

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  1. Hi Leslie:
    Dec. 18, is the Virgen de la Soledad day, the Patron Saint of Oaxaca, be sure to go to the Basilica that bears her name.
    Dec. 19 is a Sunday, so go to Tlacolula for the Sunday market. Coming back, stop in Teotitlan del Valle and visit Mariano Sosa/Rafaela Ruiz of Centro de Arte Zapoteco Bii Dauu, they might fire up some tlayudas for you or have tamales de coloradito. Reyna Mendoza is also there, and she might give you a cooking class on moles.
    Dec. 20-22, Visit the Museo Textil de Oaxaca (MTO), the Botanical Gardens (guided visit), maybe a cooking class is Oscar Carrizosa of Casa Crespo, eat mole at Los Pacos (the original one, col. Reforma), eat native corn dishes at Itanoni (meet Amado the owner), meet Alejandro Ruiz of Casa Oaxaca, you will be enchanted. I like going to mezcalera Don Amado in Santa Catarina Minas–it’s a gritty place, but their mezcal is pure and delicious. Sorry you won’t be there for the Radish Festival on the 23, but maybe they’ll be setting up in the Zocalo. And, Benito Juarez and Veinte de Noviembre markets. Should keep you busy (don’t forget Monte Alban and Mitla!!)

  2. I wasn’t all that impressed with Oaxaca City but I think Stephanie’s recommendations are great. We took our cooking class at Casa Crespo. I got the sense that the best stuff is in the little towns outside of the city (which was pretty cramped and loud). But you know me, I’m much more the quiet Malinalco type versus busy biggish city.

  4. These are some of my favorite things to do in Oaxaca.

    Sunday for sure go to the Tlacolula mercado, bring your camera. To get there, go out to the Periferico and grab a bus. Textiles, chocolate, more. You can spend may hours here, it’s spread out over serveral city blocks and buidings. In the midst is a colonial church decorated with silver leaf.

    The EthoBotanico gardens in the block with Santo Domingo is worth every penny. There are tours in Spanish or in English (Tues, Thurs, Sat 11:00). Very informative on the birth of corn in Oaxaca. Tours are the only way to get into the grounds.

    There are lots of textiles in Oaxaca and my favorite shop is Taly,5 de Mayo 409. La Senora Angela Garcia Hernandez has had the store for over 65 years. She has limited hours but she gave me her card and said, call me and I’ll open up, so 951 516 56 95. Many items from Chiapas, Guatamala; ethnic jewelry, many fabrics with coyuche (natural brown cotton of Oaxaca).

    December 23 is La Noche de Los Rabanos, a one-day, very unique competition of radish carving. This is very special and worth extending your stay.

    There is music on the Zocalo with the state and city bands almost every evening about 6pm. But my favorite is Danzon with the Marimba band, Wednesdays at 6:30.

    For hotels, I like Parador San Miguel as well as any of the Cabrera family b&bs: Bugambilias, Sabores or Milagros. They have good locations for coming and going all day long.

    Have fun!

  5. Drive! And for advice, you might want to contact Sarah Menkedick and Jorge Santiago, who lived in Oaxaca until a few months ago. Jorge’s a photographer and Sarah’s a writer and loves to cook. Her blog is posatigres.com.

  6. Aaaaw I’m craving some Oaxaca right now. Here are some recomendations of places I love to visit when I go there to visit my family.

    Hotel:

    I always stay with family but I have heard great things about Hotel Casantica, here is the website: http://www.hotelcasantica.com

    Places to Eat:

    I love breakfast and dinner at the Hosteria de Alcala : http://www.hosteriadealcala.com/
    It is right in front of the Iglesia La sangre de Cristo and really close to centro historico of Oaxaca.

    I agree with stephanie on a sunday visit Tlacolula for its sunday market and have a delicious breakfast at “la Fonda Mari” you will find it in the area where all the “fondas” are, ask people at the market to give you directions (I recommend for breakfast the “higaditos” i think is scrambled eggs with vegetables in chicken soup, so delicious!)

    If you can’t make it to tlacolula on sunday, you can try el mercado de la merced any day for a delicious traditional breakfast (but keep an eye on your chocolate milk cup because there are ALOT of pidgeons who poop! lol I tell you from experience when I saw one of them bombing the drink of my neighboor)

    Paletas Popeye! I love popsicles and popeye is the king of all, specially las paletas de cajeta y limon! There’s one close to the Museo textil! If you go to the museo textil tell them to direct you to Paletas popeye! So good!

    Talking about paletas, if you want to try traditional Oaxacan nieves! go to Las nieves de la Iglesia de la soledad which are in front of the Soledad Church.

    At night go to the Iglesia de san agustin, near there they will put the nightstands of “bunuelos”! Yum!Yum!

    Places to see:
    Hierve el agua
    Grana Cochinilla farm
    All the museums!

    Whatever Hotel you choose ask them about any information, they will help younfind all these places and even recommend you other places to see. Some offer shuttles too!

    Have fun!
    oh my goodness now I’m hungry

  8. – Breakfast at the Mercado (don’t miss the tlayudas or the pan de yema dunked in hot chocolate)
    – Santo Domingo
    – Mitla and/or Montalbán
    – San Bartolo Coyotepec if you are into barro negro
    – Quesadillas de amarillo around the Arbol del Tule (unless you don’t dig Hierba Santa)
    – Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca
    – Tamayo’s Precolumbian art collection
    – MEZCAL!

  9. Thanks everyone for all the great recommendations. Definitely hitting the Tlacolula market on Sunday. And Monte Albán. I’m really excited about all the breakfast recommendations too. Think we will drive after all, because then we’ll have a car to go puebleando.

    I really appreciate your help!