Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves, because I am about to tell you about my adventures in the vibrant city of Oaxaca. I ate my way through the city’s famous street food, walked through ancient ruins, got lost in colorful markets, and soaked in a beautiful petrified waterfall. And let me tell you, it was an incredible experience. From sipping on mezcal to learning about street art, I have tales to tell and pictures to prove it all. Join me as I take you on a virtual tour of my Oaxacan escapades.
Table of Contents
- How to get to Oaxaca City from Puebla
- Where to stay in Oaxaca
- Things to do in and around Oaxaca City
- Day trip to Monte Alban
- Visit the mercados in Oaxaca City
- Walk around Oaxaca city
How to get to Oaxaca City from Puebla
To get from Puebla to Oaxaca, I took the ADO bus. I was traveling with two other girls that I had met in Mexico City and we decided to take the overnight bus from Puebla CAPU to Oaxaca City arriving around 4am. The ride was 5 hours and cost about $30USD. I booked the bus ride from the ADO app and paid for the ticket using PayPal (for some reason the ADO app was not accepting my credit card). As always, the ADO bus was very comfortable, I would say more comfortable than any bus I have ever been on in the US. I arrived at the Oaxaca bus station at this address. Uber is not serviced in the state of Oaxaca so we took a taxi to our hostel.
I highly suggest not taking this overnight bus because if you’re anything like me and you can’t sleep easily on the bus, or in a hammock at the hostel while there are people brushing their teeth around you, then the entire next day will just be terrible. Now if it was a longer bus ride (which I have taken many of in Mexico) then taking an overnight bus would have been no problem.
Where to stay in Oaxaca
There are plenty of hotels, Airbnbs and hostels to stay at in Oaxaca, especially now that this city has been gaining traction with many American and European visitors. My travel style is the budget backpacker so I always opt to stay in hostels.
In this city I stayed in two hostels: Ticuchi Hostal and Azul Cielo Hostel. Both hostels are great and cater to different types of people. Ticuchi is definitely a more social hostel with partying, drinking, pool parties, etc. Azul Cielo was a calmer hostel, super laid back, and also had a free breakfast included. Azul Cielo was located a couple minutes farther from the main attractions, but the walk wasn’t so bad.
I also had friends staying at Casa Angel, which I would highly recommend over Ticuchi and Azul Cielo. The vibe at Casa Angel was fun and inviting, they also have a rooftop area with a bar. However, Casa Angel is also a bit of a walk to the main tourist attractions. Oaxaca is a large but very walkable city so the walk to anywhere isn’t an issue.
Ticuchi Hostal
Ticuchi is a very social hostel and has parties and events almost regularly. The volunteer staff was incredibly friendly and inviting, I have nothing but good things to say about my experience. The environment can get a bit overwhelming for someone who is introverted like I am. There were nights where I just wanted a quiet place to work on my laptop, but everyone would be drinking and partying so I had to retreat to my bed to do any work. With that said, Ticuchi is not digital nomad friendly. The only workspaces are outdoors, and incase of any extreme weather, which we did get during rainy season, the bed is your only other option. The hostel was clean and the WiFi was pretty good, so I can’t complain too much. The lockers were big enough to fit my bigger bag and my small bag, and the beds had partitions and a curtain giving me some privacy.
Azul Cielo Hostel
After staying at Ticuchi for a few nights, I was a bit relieved to stay at the quieter Azul Cielo. It’s a very chill, laidback hostel. The people staying at the hostel also seemed very chill. I had a delicious Mexican breakfast every morning which was included in the price. The bathrooms are a bit small for the dorm rooms. There aren’t many stalls for toilet and showers, but I never had to wait too long for one to free up. The rooms are clean but may be a bit crowded especially with people leaving their bags on the ground. The lockers were not big enough to fit my bigger backpack. The beds also don’t have any curtains but I barely spent any time in my room anyways so it wasn’t a big deal.
Things to do in and around Oaxaca City
Day trip to Hierve el Agua
Going to Hierve el Agua should be at the top of your list if you’re visiting Oaxaca. This was one of the highlights of my stay here and it was so beautiful to see. Hierve el Agua is a set of natural rock formations that resemble cascading frozen waterfalls. The rock formations are created from extremely mineral rich fresh water springs that drip down the cliffside created this beautiful phenomenon. The site offers visitors a mineral spring swimming pool, and hiking trails that lead to the top of the cliffs for a panoramic view of the surrounding area.
How to get to Hierve el Agua
To get to Hierve el Agua, there are a few options:
- Taxi all the way to Hierve el Agua
- Colectivo to Mitla and then camioneta (pick-up truck)
- Bus to Mitla and then camioneta
Taxi
Taxi is always an option to take you all the way to Hierve el Agua although this may be the priciest option.
Colectivo and camioneta
The colectivos leave from next to Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos along Highway 190, and also pass by this bus stop in front of the Chedraui, which is where I caught one. Look for the colectivo, or small shared taxi, that has a sign for Mitla against the front windshield. I had to flag it down and then it pulled over to let me in. Sometimes if the colectivos are full they will keep driving and you will have to wait until an empty one drives by, but luckily I found one on the first try. Let the driver know you want to go to Hierve el Agua and he will know exactly where to drop you off in Mitla. Before they drop you off you will have to pay them about 45 pesos for the ride.
Once in Mitla, you will be dropped off somewhere closeby the camioneta station. There was a woman there speaking very well English that told us where to wait for the next truck. The camionetas are pick-up trucks that are open in the back. The camioneta generally doesn’t leave until it is full unless you offer to pay more to leave now, which is what I had to do. It should cost 50-60 pesos but since the camioneta wasn’t full, I had to pay 80 pesos one way.
The ride to Hierve el Agua is about 45 minutes and takes you on a dirt road through rural Oaxaca. The ride is actually a lot of fun, especially sitting in the back of the truck with the beautiful view. Half way through there is a road toll that is about 15 pesos per person.
Bus and camioneta
The buses leave from next to Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos along Highway 190. There will be a line of buses and you will have to pay 20 pesos one way for the ride to Mitla. Tell the driver you want to go to Hierve el Agua and they will drop you right by the camioneta station. The ride should be about 1 hour long. Once at the camioneta station, follow that same steps as above to get to Hierve el Agua.
Things to see at Hierve el Agua
The camioneta will drop you off in the parking lot and you will have to walk through a street lined with shops and restaurants. The entrance fee is 50 pesos. Once you are past the shops and restaurants, you’ll walk down a long sidewalk and begin to see the mineral pools. If you continue walking past the pools, you’ll see a hiking trail that is mostly stairs that leads you into the valley for a nice view of the falls from the bottom. Along the way there are also nice viewpoints of the falls and the valley below. The hike is less than an hour long but does get strenuous on the way back up.
I did the hike first to get warm and sweaty, before jumping into the mineral pools. There are several pools spread out along the top of the falls. The water is very cool but it’s also very refreshing after the hike. The view of the valley below was also beautiful.
Things to know before you go to Hierve el Agua
- BRING CASH. I cannot emphasize this enough. Most places are cash only.
- Don’t wear suncreen! I know what you’re thinking, you don’t want to get burnt. Alternatively, use eco-friendly sunscreen or wear a rash guard to protect yourself from the sun.
- Bring sunglasses. It will be very sunny
- Best time to visit is in the early morning before the crowd or later in the afternoon.
- Plan to spend about 6-7 hours in total (about 4 hours for transportation there and back, and 2-3 hours at Hierve el Agua).
Day trip to Monte Alban
Monte Alban is an ancient Mesoamerican archaeological site located just 5 miles from Oaxaca City. The site was a major center of the Zapotec civilization, and was occupied from around 500 BC to 900 AD. The city features a complex of pyramids, plazas, and residential structures, some that you are even able to climb on. This archaeological site was much larger than I expect, but not quite as large as Teotihuacan. In fact, if you are not much of an ancient ruin enthusiast feel free to skip seeing this. It was a very picturesque place but I wasn’t to thrilled seeing it after seeing Teotihuacan in Mexico City. Nonetheless, the views are very nice.
How to get to Monte Alban
There are a couple different bus companies you can take to get to Monte Alban, along with the public bus. The public bus, R37, takes you close to Monte Alban but you will still have to walk about 30 minutes to the entrance. R37 stops near the Zocalo at this location and will take you up to here from which you will have to walk. It’ll be about 8 pesos each way on the public bus.
Alternatively, you can take either one of the buses listed below to Monte Alban for around 70-100 pesos roundtrip.
- Lescas Co Tours – leaves from Hotel Rivera del Angel and buses go every hour with the last bus leaving at 3:30pm and returning at 5pm.
- Autobuses Turísticos – also leaves from Hotel Rivera del Angel and buses leave at a similar timetable
Things to see at Monte Alban
Once you make it to Monte Alban, the buses will drop you off in a bus only parking lot. You will have to walk up the street and pass the parking lot for cars that is lined with street vendors. From there continue on to the ticket counter where you can get the ticket for 85 pesos. Cameras are an additional charge. The ruins are open from 10am to 4pm every day.
Once inside the archaeological site, there is a walking trail that goes around the perimeter of the site leading to the Plataforma Sur. There are several other trails going through the structures. A few of the main structures are:
- Grand Plaza – the area in the middle with various levelling of the mountain
- Plataforma Sur – on the southside with stairs that you can climb up for a spectacular view
- Los Danzantes – carved stone monuments around the plaza
Visit the mercados in Oaxaca City
There are several markets in Oaxaca but the two that you MUST visit are Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Both are nearby the zocalo and are also right across the street from one another. Both markets sell a wide variety of items from hand woven baskets to flowers to even pets (yes, they were actually selling puppies in the market 🙁 ). Just walking through these markets is an adventure itself. There are several vendors selling mole and some will even let you taste some of them.
Tell me more about the food!
One thing you HAVE to see is the amazing food court area that sells tacos in Mercado 20 de Noviembre. The whole area can get very crowded and very smokey from all the cooking, but the food is wonderful and I would highly recommend it for groups of people to eat. I was brought here by someone I met at my hostel along with a few other people I had met from the hostel.
Once you enter the market, follow your nose to the smokey area where they are grilling all the meats. There are many food stalls/restaurants in this area, so you can pick any one of them (they are mostly the same). Ask one of the waitresses for a table and they’ll usually point you to an open one, if there is one. From there they will give you a menu which really only has 3 or 4 options. You have to pick from which combo platters to get based on how many people are in your party. You pick the meats and you also pick which sides you want (salsa, coleslaw, onions, etc.) I should also note that this spot is NOT for vegetarians or vegans. They are very quick to prepare the meats and the sides, and they will also bring a whole stack of tortillas. And from there you make your own tacos with whatever you ordered! It was absolutely delicious and a great experience. I enjoyed eating here so much that I came back for a second time.
You will also see several vendors selling chapulines, or grasshoppers, which is a delicacy in Mexico. In fact, they also sell chapulin tacos. I was not bold enough to try these but from what I heard from others that tried it, it tastes just like chicken.
Walk around Oaxaca city
This was kind of a fail. At least the first time around. I decided to go on the free walking tour which was led by a local who was not affiliated with any hostels. The meeting spot was one of the plazas in the city, and the guy never showed up. But once again, I ended up walking around the city with everyone that had showed up for the tour and ended up making more friends. Who thought walking tours would be the best way to make friends?
About a week later, I had some other friends staying at Casa Angel that let me know that we can tag along on the Casa Angel walking tour despite me not staying there. And this tour ended up being really great!
Here are some highlights of what to see around Oaxaca City:
- El Mirador del Cerro del Fortin – a wonderful viewpoint of the city below and the big auditorium behind
- Plaza de la Danza – plaza with the municipal palace, church, and delicious ice cream vendors you have to try
- Zocalo – the center of the city where all the action happens. Also has some cool artisan vendors selling their crafts
- Andador Turístico – a pedestrian street with colorful flags, restaurants, and craft shops
- Santo Domingo Square – a plaza with a beautiful temple and the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, Santo Domingo. There are also several artisan vendors along the street
And the thing you have all been waiting to read. The food and restaurant recommendations:
- Los Danzantes – expensive but delicious. No, I did not eat here but a lot of people have told me I should.
- Boulenc – Ahh, only the best place for brunch! This spot is my absolute favorite in all of Oaxaca (next to the tacos on the mercado) and you HAVE to try it too. It has all the typical brunch items but they are so delicious. Definitely try the almond croissant, it’s a little slice of heaven.
- La Mezcaloteca – perfect for mezcal tastings!
- Tastavins – a nice wine bar with tapas and charcuterie board
- Tacos Roy – the perfect taco place for cheap, but delicious, tacos. Perfect for the post drinking munchies or the morning hangover.
- Mayordomo – there is a bakery that has amazing baked goods, and there is also a chocolate cafe. Both are fantastic.
- Tlayudas – another dish that is known in Oaxaca. You can find this really anywhere, and honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of them. But it is definitely worth trying if you’re in the area. It’s tortilla spread with beans, vegetables, meat and cheese, almost like an opened taco.
- Tejate at any market. This is actually a drink, well known in Oaxaca, and is made from the seeds of the mamey fruit. It’s very rich in flavor and slightly sweet. If you see someone mixing something foamy in a clay pot, this is it.
Where to Next?
As my week long adventure in Oaxaca was coming to an end, I was recommended by many backpackers to visit the small mountainous town of San Jose del Pacifico. Not knowing too much of what this town had to offer, other than the magical mushrooms I had heard rumors of, I decided to book one night there just to see what it was all about. Check out my next blog post on my quick pitstop in San Jose del Pacifico!