Oaxaca

Mexico

"Mexico's Culinary and Cultural Heart"

Oaxaca City is the soul of Mexican food and folk art. Its UNESCO-listed center is full of baroque churches like Santo Domingo, busy markets such as Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre, and galleries of handmade textiles and alebrijes. The hilltop ruins of Monte Albán overlook the valley, and day trips reach the Tule Tree, Hierve el Agua's petrified waterfalls, and village mezcal distilleries. Día de los Muertos and the July Guelaguetza festival are spectacular times to visit.

Santo Domingo Church, Monte Albán ruins, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Hierve el Agua, Tule Tree, mezcal distillery tour, Mitla, artisan villages

October–April (Día de los Muertos late Oct–early Nov)

Take a cooking class; book Día de los Muertos stays months ahead; carry cash for markets and villages

A foodie and culture favorite. Sell to repeat Mexico travelers who want more than beaches.

📍 Zapotec pyramids and plaza of Monte Albán overlooking the Oaxaca valley