Oaxaca (capital city)

Oaxaca City offers a variety of hotels to suit any taste or budget such as the Hotel Victoria, Camino Real, Fiesta Inn and Hotel Fortin Plaza, to name a few. Each of these hotels offers a number of organized activities and day trips to the surrounding attractions. Many of the hotels also have special accommodations for conventions and business meetings. For those wanting a more intimate scene, Oaxaca also features quaint boutique hotels such as the Casa Cid de Leon, located in the heart of Oaxaca City.

Click on the image for larger version Photo by Bruce Herman

The cuisine from Oaxaca is quite diverse and a product of the unique variety of chiles, herbs, vegetables and fruits available in the region. Oaxaca is most famous for its variety of moles (sauces) and chocolate. Food lovers will delight in the unfamiliar and exciting aromas and flavors found in Oaxaca City, and restaurants abound. Oaxaca City also hosts an annual Food of the Gods Festival in October, featuring the unique culinary creations from the region.

Oaxaca City boasts several important festivals. In July, the colorful La Guelaguetza festival, dating back to prehispanic times, welcomes delegates from all over the state to showcase their region’s distinctive songs, dances and regional dress in the Cerro del Fortin amphitheater. Performances end with each group offering a “guelaguetza” or gift to the audience. Guelguetza is held on the two Mondays following July 16 of every year.

Click on the image for larger version Photo by Pablo de Aguinaco

On December 23, Oaxaca City’s zocolo comes alive with the annual Noche de los Rabanos, or Night of the Radish festival, where radishes are transformed into delightful sculptures and put on display. The festival began more than a century ago, when vegetable growers put up stands during the Christmas season to sell their produce to the public. In order to make their booths more attractive to passersby, the growers carved designs out of their produce, and radishes lent themselves particularly well. Demand grew for these delightful radish creations, which soon became sought-after centerpieces in homes during the holiday season, and competition among growers for the best design grew as well. Thousands travel to Oaxaca every year to see the humble radish transformed into art.

Interesting side trips include the nearby legendary archaeological sites of Monte Alban and Mitla, important ancient cities and ceremonial centers during the height of the Zapotec and later Mixtec dominance in the region. For beach lovers, the charming fishing village of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast is just 180 miles south of Oaxaca City. Puerto Escondido boasts incredible beaches, eco-friendly tourism and is perhaps most famous for its surf. About the same distance from Oaxaca City and east of Puerto Escondido is Huatulco, famous for its nine bays of cerulean waters, gorgeous beaches and world-class fishing.