Top Things To Do in Oaxaca
By Gillian Boyd Published 15 April 2026
Top things to do in Oaxaca, Mexico’s food capital – see its vibrant artistic culture in murals, crafts, Carnaval parade, Lucha Libre and music blending indigenous and Hispanic influences.
Spend 4-5 days in Oaxaca de Juáraz, to give it its full name. It is the capital of the state of Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-hack-ah) and was named a World Hertiage Site by UNESCO.
It is the birthplace of Mezcal, an alcoholic drink made from agave cactus and also home to some of the best food in Mexico due to its fusion of indigenous influences, especially mole, a thick sauce or dip. It was no coincidence that we met a number of chefs visiting Oaxaca.
Oaxaca mural of band in Mexico
Getting There
From Mexico City, we had moved to the southeast and dropped to 1660m to the capital city of Oaxaca.
We took the overnight ADO Platino bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca which took about 6.5 hours. This is the most luxurious bus of the range but we had got it for the price of the standard bus. The seats almost completely recline and there was plenty of space as seats were three abreast the bus instead of four.
The bus left shortly before midnight and the curtains were already closed as people settled down to sleep straight away. With my eye mask on, ear plugs in and blanket tucked in, I would have felt like I was on airplane if not for rolling around in my seat on the twisty roads. Perhaps take a motion sickness pill if you are bothered. The journey took almost seven hours but I slept most of it.
When we arrived in Oaxaca before sunrise, the bus station was already jampacked. The noise, the bustle, the glaring fluorescent light was a shocking contrast after the dark, quiet bus.
Street vendors had already set up stalls opposite and were calling out their wares, offering tacos at 6:30 in the morning. It was incredible. We took a yellow taxi to our hostel.
Where to Stay
We stayed at Casa Angel Hostel. It had a roof top bar, restaurant and offered entertainment. We also stayed in an Airbnb apartment in the centre. It had been used as a prison in at one time, but the apartment was spacious and fully renovated.
Eat at Boulenc
If you like artisan bread, pastries and brunch, then this is the place to eat. We had to queue for an hour to get a table for breakfast but it was worth it.
Colourful Jatatlaco neighbourhood in Oaxaca
Explore Jalatlaco Murals
Spend a morning exploring the nearby Jalatlaco neighbourhood of Oaxaca famous for its colourful murals. You can do this by yourself, or book a Street Art Tour. We also saw a lot of old cars parked in the streets. Not rusty old cars, but dusty cars, the kind we would usually pay to see at a Classic Car Show.
Do a Free Walking Tour
These are a great way to get understand a place quickly and get a sense of the history. We booked our Free Walking Tour in Oaxaca through our hostel.
Book a Cooking Class
We booked an all-day Cooking Class through Airbnb experiences and highly recommend it as great way to understand a culture and have an enjoyable day. Read about our experience in Why Everyone Should do a Cooking Class in Oaxaca.
Tamales – traditional food of Tasting Menu of Alfonsina
Eat at Alfonsina
Lunch was a thirty-minute taxi drive away at one of the restaurants recommended the previous day at the cooking course. A hidden gem in the Michelin guide. Reservation only.
Alfonsina restaurant was in San Juan Bautista La Raya near the airport. The neighbourhood lacked the charm of the artistic streets of central Oaxaca and at some points I wondered if we might be lost. Passing big pot holes in bumpy streets and open farmland opposite, we found the restaurant hidden behind a tall double gate. We booked our return with the same taxi.
Inside was delightful with a serene shady garden, open kitchen, intricate brickwork and tiled buildings. There were even a few hens pecking the grass. It felt like we were at the home of the Chef Jorge León and his mother Doña Elvia.
We were treated to a six-course tasting menu of traditional food from Oaxaca including many of the foods we talked about and tasted the previous day at the cooking class such as tacos with black mole and tamal filled with spiced green beans. It was relaxed, leisurely and informal – just what we wanted.
The food was delicious and good value but the drinks were a little expensive. But this is all relative as it’s still much cheaper than the equivalent in the UK. Where else would I eat twice in Michelin restaurants in the same week?
Hierve El Agua petrified waterfall in Oaxaca, Mexico
Natural pools and Sierra Madre at Hierve El Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico
Day Trip to Hierve el Agua
An absolute must on your itinerary just 70km east of Oaxaca, are the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua meaning ‘the water boils. Situated in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, Mother Mountain of Oaxaca, it is a place of great natural beauty. The views of the mountains are wide ranging with no evidence of people living in the mountains for miles.
A mile and a half hike from the car park we caught our first glimpse of the main attraction, Hierve el Agua – a rock cliff that looks like a white waterfall due to the calcium and mineral deposits. Although I could also see a woolly mammoth from certain angles, but that might just be me. It’s a stalactite, even though its outside a cave, which is very rare.
Descending to the base was a challenge on my knees but I think it was the steepness of the ascent afterwards that really tested my heart, especially at an altitude of 1,524m. First, I feigned interest in the view just to catch my breath. Then I gave up because I had to stop so often and admitted I found it hard going but the views were stunning.
After wards we spent some time cooling off in the natural pools. Be warned – they are very cold.
Getting to Hierve el Agua
- You can book a day tour with a company like Viator or Get Your Guide. Costs around USD $35
- You can hire a car and drive yourself
- Travel by public transport from Oaxaca as we did. Google says there is no public transport but that’s because it’s not direct. Get a bus to Mitla, then a colectivo taxi and then a colectivo. The last one was like a pick-up truck with an added structure on top of the roof and the back of the van which reminded me of the vehicles in South Africa. Total cost was less than 150 pesos each.
Pro Tip – Remember to bring cash in small demonisations and bring your swimming costume if you want a dip in the pools.
Wedding Procession with Bride and Groom puppets in Oaxaca, Mexico
See a Wedding Procession
If you ever get the chance to see a Mexican Wedding Procession, then grab it with both hands! We were lucky that one blocked our route to the restaurant for lunch.
So, what makes it different from weddings in the UK? The wedding party, guests and the band dance through the streets from the church to the reception. But the best part is that they are led by the mojigangas, 15-foot-tall puppets of the bride and groom. And they make the puppets to actually look like the bride and groom.
Eat at Taquería Tacomer
Eat a cheap and tasty dinner of tacos in Taquería Tacomer. It’s full of friendly locals and if you are like us, you’ll be back another night for more.
Chef preparing food at Crudo in Oaxaca, Mexico
Eat at Crudo
Crudo, was one of the places recommended at the cooking class. We were lucky to get a booking as the restaurant itself only had six covers. That’s right. Six people eat at 5pm, another six at 7pm and six at 9pm.
Crudo (Raw) served Japanese-Mexican Omakase – a chef’s choice tasting menu of Japanese food with local Oaxacan ingredients paired with sake served by his assistant. Chef Ricardo Arellano prepared the food at the bar in front of us and it was mesmerising to watch the precision of his work. But then, that’s what gets you listed in the Michelin Guide.
Graham has spent years trying to persuade me to eat Japanese food and bit by bit I have expanded my taste buds. My first introduction on that journey was cooked Miso Black Cod and over the years I have gradually ventured into the realms of raw sushi. At Crudo, the menu took me even further out of my comfort zone as it included large pink balls of salmon roe. My mind and heart argue. I hold the food in my overfull mouth and eat slowly, unaware that I am making groans of satisfaction, as well releasing my tension and fear. I have taken a few more steps over my boundary and I not only survived but found the taste exquisite.
The final dish is eel. Something I have never eaten before. I have seen eel when scuba diving and for some reason found them a bit scary, perhaps because they look a bit like a snake. I mentally psych myself up, take a couple of deep breaths and put the eel sushi in my mouth. The flavours are different but my response is the same. If anything, it was even better as I succumbed to the sensations and blocked out all cerebral thoughts. For a few minutes I had let go. Completely and utterly let go and I cannot describe how good it felt. Then all too soon we were ushered out as the next sitting was due to arrive.
Man in costume at Carnaval in Oaxaca, Mexico
See the Fiesta y Tradionales Carnavales de Oaxaqueños
Carnaval, the parade that takes place on the Saturday before Lent, happens not just in Rio de Janeiro, but in Oaxaca too, at 5pm.
It is the last day of temptation, to sin before Lent begins and nothing is held back. Towns have different traditions and costumes specific to their community and over a dozen communities travel to Oaxaca City to represent their community in one big parade. People danced, sang, made music and drank tequila.
We saw the mix of Catholic, Hispanic and indigenous influences in giant puppets, people on stilts, women in ornate embroidered dresses with scarves covering their faces, men wearing papier maché masks painted red with black horns, lots of huge animal horns and rope hair so long it reached the ankles. At times the costumes were bright and colourful and at other times they were scary and devil-like.
The bands, shakers and drums were so loud and the energy of the dancing was incredible. It was a fascinating and exhilarating experience and so much fun. I would still like to know more about the significance of everything. It left me feeling hungry for more.
Lucha Libre in action in Oaxaca
Watch Lucha Libre
Lucha Libre is a special form of entertainment and a must do experience for anyone wanting to soak up the energy of Mexico. Lucha Libre means free fighting and is the term for the style of professional wrestling that originated in Mexico in the early twentieth century.
We chose not to watch Lucha Libre at the large (possibly half empty) stadiums during our Ultimate 4 Day Itinerary of Mexico City as we wanted to watch at a smaller more intimate venue in Oaxaca. The Arena Pepe Cisneros in Oaxaca was just perfect for us and packed full of atmosphere. Read Lucha Libre – a Beginners Guide.
Visit the Zocalo in the Evening
The Zocalo is the main square and there is one in every city. In Oaxaca, there are benches and seats and the Festival en tu Corazon Oaxaca (Festival in your Heart) was on. Couples danced to a romantic sounding band. It was very sweet and I felt like we had gate crashed a wedding but it was free and open to everyone.
Hear Live Music at Bar Ilegal
Mexican rock music is played in a dark and crowded bar called Ilegal where the singer had real presence and owned the room. He was so good we went back another night.
Dance salsa rueda de casino in the park in Oaxaca, Mexico
Dance Salsa Rueda in the Park
You may have seen salsa in a bar or dance class but have you ever seen salsa rueda de casino in a park at night? Well, nor had we, until we went to Oaxaca.
Rueda means wheel in Spanish so you dance in a circle and the teacher calls the steps so everyone dances in unison. There are standard steps but different areas have their own local steps too.
Salsa is very social as you change partners as you rotate around the circle. This means the men have to give good signals for the lady to follow. It’s fast, keeps you mentally on your toes and is such fun. We found the meetup on Facebook.
Pro Tip – check out Facebook and Instagram for live events when travelling. In many countries it’s the main way of advertising events rather than websites.
Final Thoughts
Oaxaca has so much to offer, it’s a must do on any itinerary of Mexico. It has earned its reputation as the food capital of Mexico and does not disappoint whether you eat in a humble taqueria or a Michelin Guide restaurant. It is such a creative hub that there is cross pollination and appreciation of all the arts.
In Oaxaca, your days are full of history, colour and art, your belly is full with the most amazing food, and your evenings are full with music, dancing and entertainment. What is there not to love!
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