Oaxaca Hit List
Pronounced wa-ha-ka. Oh yes, I'll come back-a.
Now we're talking. While I loved every moment of Mexico City, Oaxaca has delivered on everything I thought Mexico City would be.
Situated a decent 6 and a half hour deluxe bus ride south east of Mexico City, Oaxaca is a city not to be missed. Alive at every turn, this vibrant town is a cultural hub of arts, music, food and mescal.
Lying peacefully in the centre of bustling Oaxaca is the historic centre. It's a little oasis from yesteryear. Streets are adorned with colourful house facades and dotted with quirky street art. Rooftop bars perch above almost every restaurant offering views over the picturesque town and makes a perfect spot to sit and sip on a mescal-laced margarita.
It's a mix of old meets new with edgy bars popping up inside the traditional facades, restaurants that rival Darlinghurst and traditional markets brimming with local essentials.
Lined with cobblestone streets, Oaxaca is an ideal place for exploring on foot so you can take your time and soak it all up. It's so tiny in fact, you won't have to ask 'where the wa-ha-ka am I'?
Sherpa seems to be right at home, embracing the historic village and all the food. He's quite taken with the camera and is set on expanding his skill set to include photography, amongst his other duties.
Three days into Mexico and my Spanish is still appalling however I have now mastered some essential phrases and numbers. Unfortunately, I have not managed to properly ask where the bathrooms are. Much to everyone else's amusement, I'm still having to mime the actions for the bathroom. 😳
Find our hit list for Oaxaca below this legendary gent:
EAT & DRINK
November 20 markets - the ultimate feast for only $3. While these indoor markets are fun to puruse, the real gem lies in the smokey meat house in the back corner. Wildly confusing, if you persist, you'll reap the rewards of finely sliced meat, BBQ'ed before your eyes. Throw in some tortillas, freshly smashed guacamole, a whole heap of spicy shit that brings a sweat to your brow - and you've got this experience wrapped up. Do it!
Do not miss El Destilado - a hip little mescal bar tucked away on 5 de Mayo street in the historic part of town. They'll let you taste the different types of distilled mescal - ask to try the one infused with pineapple. This shit will take you chest hair off. Their fish tacos are a contemporary twist on traditional tacos. Only one year young - this place is nothing short of exceptional. If the mescal doesn't impress you enough, the wall art will. Bonus round, their rooftop bar will be open soon offering views over the cathedral and main historic square 🙌 . Instagram @eldestilado
Another good rooftop vantage spot overlooking the church and main square is Casa Crespo and also serves 2-for-1 margaritas
One drink at our local place Santisima Flor de Lupulo, another of the classic Oaxacan small bars.
Drink at Los Amantes Mezcaleria an Alice in Wonderland inspired mescal bar - and it's gorgeous. We wound up in a tasting session with some of local Oaxacan socialites celebrating a birthday. And then I fell down the rabbit hole. It turns out this bar is listed #6 globally by BuzzFeed. And for good reasons. Don't miss it.
La Popular for dinner. Super trendy but super cheap. Definitely order the traditional Oaxaca plate with specialty cheeses, mushroom and Oxacan sushi (don't ask just do) - yummo! Instagram: @lapopularoaxaca
Daily macchiato from Latidud 17. Facebook: search Latitud 17
There are so many bars to explore, you just need to wander and keep your mescal down!
DO
Explore the markets that line almost every street
Wander aimlessly around the historic town looking at the stunning architecture, the colours and the warm, friendly people.
Tip: Forget booking tours at your hostel. Is it convenient? Hell yes. But you'll pay OTT for it. Instead, we found a fantastic lady at a tour desk on the main squares edge who ensured that everything we booked was the locals price. People on our buses and tours were paying much more. It's worth the short walk to get better deal. You'll feel a little smug with yourself.
SLEEP
Hostel Pochon: There's a reason this place boasts 'the cheapest rooms in Oaxaca''. I don't recommend this shambolic shit-house. You'll want to keep your thongs on at all times and bring out the silk sleeping bag for extra protection. Eek. However, the location is fantastic and with countless hole in the wall Mescal bars between the hostel and the city, a quick pub crawl will help you forget what dirty dump you're returning to.
We stuck our noses into Casa del Angel which looked positively delightful and is just across the road.
OUTTA TOWN
Oaxaca is enormous. You'll need a few days at the minimum to get the most out of it.
Marvel at the ancient hilltop city of Monte Alban, only 9km out of Oaxaca. I'm no engineer but I'm pretty sure the only way this city that sits 1,900m up on top of a mountain was built was by aliens. Kidding. Not kidding. How on earth they hauled this much stone up a mountain the size of Mt Kosiosco without the wheel is beyond me. I'm in awe of the Zapotec who built this city in 500 BC or 500 to be politically correct. It offers spectacular views over the mountainous Oaxaca district. 65pesos entry. We did not take a tour out there, instead we grabbed a minivan for 70pesos AU$2.25 for a return trip.
Mescal distillery - don't bother waxing before you hit any mescal distillery, it'll blow your hairs off. It's well worth visiting a distillery to get an insight into how mescal is produced - quite an elaborate process. Check out our mescal post.
Traditional rug weaving house 'Rug in a bug' - even Sherpa was wowed by this place. You'll have a new appreciation for rug prices once you see what an extensive process it is to produce and naturally dye wool yarn then how to manually weave the rugs. One rug alone takes an astonishing four months to weave with someone going hard for 10 hours a day. Free entry - expect a hard sell on rugs.
Splash about at Hiereve el Agua - nature-made infinity pools perched on the side of a cliff overlooking a lush valley. About an hour out of Oaxaca. 45pesos entry and well worth the trip. Go there as early as possible to beat the crowds.
Visit the widest tree in the world that also happens to be over 2,000 years old. Growing in a wee-little town outside of Oaxaca, this wise old tree conjures up memories of the Faraway tree. It takes 30 Mexican children linking arms to enclose the tree. 10pesos entry fee. Nothing else to see here!
Bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca: take the ADO bus from TAPO to Oxaca. The GL service is luxe enough and has a toilet on board for your 6.30hr journey.
Now onto the coast for #margaritaandchill...hasta luego
Instagram: @thelisaphillips #somedaysherpa
