Oaxaca

For years, Oaxaca City, Mexico has been on my radar. Initially for it’s link to Mezcal and subsequently because it’s a world class food destination. Last year, the desire to go to Oaxaca City was amplified by a very enjoyable trip to Mexico City. Plans were made, Español studied, research was done and excitement built.

First stop was Monte Albán. This UNESCO World Heritage site felt like smaller scale Teotihuacan ruins (near Mexico City) that you can walk on. A very short drive from the city and well worth it. Views for miles.

We also did a half day Mezcal tour of a the Mal de Amor palenque. Endless fields of agave, cooking large Espadin piñas, artesanal distilling and tastings. The tour of the agave fields was easily the best part as we enjoyed ice cold cervasas, drank mezcal (off the leaf!) and listened to Mexican pop songs while slowly traversing the bumpy roads.

The food scene in Oaxaca City over-delivered. We enjoyed several meals at Michelin star or recognized restaurants. Our best meal by far was the mole appetizer dish at Los Danzantes (pictured below). We also enjoyed several stops for chocolate de aquas at various cafes.

Overall though, I likely will not visit again in my lifetime. The city has so much potential to be a great vacation spot. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the street art and the one to two story vibrant homes. The beauty of the central area should be a model for the rest of the city.

However, Centro consists of only a handful of blocks. It’s very peaceful there, with tree line streets, walk-able streets and lush parks. When you see videos online of the city, those are the few blocks they’re showing. Just blocks outside of that area though, there are many one way cobble roads that motorcycles and cars race from intersection to intersection at. It’s peaceful early in the morning and in the evenings but walking those streets during the day was stressful. I’d frequently cross a street thinking it was safe and a motorcyclist would come roaring up seemingly out of nowhere. The noise of the street and the fear of my partner getting run over didn’t make walking around very enjoyable. If the city was to make some small investments to calm streets around Centro, add some trees for shade and make it more pedestrian friendly, I do believe the city would be a very welcoming spot for tourists and locals. It would for sure encourage more bike riding which would be an excellent way to get around town. I’ll end with some street art seen around the city.