I spent ten days in Oaxaca recently during the Day of the Dead Festivities and loved it. Absolutely loved it. The color. The music. The dancing. The crafts. A party with a heart, it is called.
This city is being discovered.
According to Fodors, Oaxaca has experienced a 77% increase in tourism since 2020. It’s no wonder. The city is gorgeous, safe and has a wonderful year-round climate.
It’s also the “go-to” place to observe Day of the Dead. But before I delve into this festive celebration, lets look at why I enjoyed the city so much.
1. Like much of Mexico, Oaxaca is colorful. I loved that. Whether it is the street art or the splashy get ups, the color makes me happy. During Day of the Dead chrysthanums are everywhere. More about that later.
2. Interesting food. This part of Mexico is known for its Mole which is the name for a type of sauce. The word mole is pronounced MOE-lay. Generally, a mole sauce contains fruits, nuts, chili peppers and spices.
On a previous trip I did a a great cooking class where we made Mole and if I had time I’d do another. Another interesting food item are grilled grasshoppers. Yep. Grabbing a handful of the salty, crunchy, and drizzled with a bit of lime snack is part of the food culture.
This area is also known for Mezcal, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave. One can do Mescal tours. Mescal tastings. Our Photo Leader even set up a Mezcal bar as a special treat after for us to enjoy after climbing 42 challenging steps in Monte Alban to capture the perfect image.
3. Oaxaca is culturally interesting. The state of Oaxaca has the most indigenous people in any part of Mexico. Many still speak their original languages and practice the crafts their ancestors are known developed. The villages surrounding the city of Oaxaca focus on different crafts selling and demonstrating their crafts.
4. Oaxaca is known for great shopping. It would be pretty hard not to go home without a crafty souvenir. I enjoyed them and bought a pillow top and some clothes for my grandson. The shop selling crucifixes and other religious items really intrigued me.
5. On our last day we visited Monte Alban and was rewarded with fantastic light. Since this was a photography trip, this was quite special. It was also great to experience this UNESCO World Heritage, site was built by ancient Zapotec people.This site has been inhabited over a span of 1,500 years by the Zapotec, Mixtec and Olmec people. We meandered around, photographing ancient pyramids, an observatory, and a ball court from a high vantage point over the city. I have been told it is a smaller version of Machu Picchu.
6. Not to be missed are the Cathedral and churches. With its opulently painted ceiling and Baroque architecture, the Templo de Santo Domingo, the church and former monastery in the heart of Oaxaca is gorgeous.
7. People watching in the Zoloco is fascinating. No one seemed to mind having their pictures taken.
Come back to DesignDestinations for more about Day of the Dead and the Katrinas.
FYI: Oaxaca is pronounced wah-haak-kah.
For another blog post about Oaxaca click here.
