Stuffing my face through Oaxaca
i came to Oaxaca kinda on a whim with no expectations, and you KNOW THAT’S WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS BABY. i was smitten upon landing because i saw cacti right out the gate and it felt like REAL mexico.
i flew cancun > mex city > oaxaca, then took a $100 peso colectivo from the airport, it was super easy peas.
everything about this city is so charming. the streets are so freaking adorable and the food… well i’ll get into the food. let’s just say i had to leave so that my pants would still fit. i stayed at Selina, which was in the BEST location, i walked everywhere, and it has the coolest oaxacan design. i also loved doing yoga on the rooftop here every morning!
the city felt sooo so safe, i never felt sketched out when i walked the streets, and everyone was so nice, like OTT nice. people would bend over backwards to help you when you walk into a store (which i had to to buy a new jacket and jeans), taxi/colectivo drivers are nice, servers are nice and always smiling. even the couple times a tour info guy would come up to me and i’d be like no gracias, he was just like oh de nada thank you thank you so much.
in playa del carmen they just get mad and offer you cocaine.
so i LOVED the vibes here and would totally recommend it to ANYBODY.
okay amigos here’s what to do in oaxaca!
eat!
Oaxaca is a foodie PARADISE. i literally had to leave here because i was so fricken full. the food is unreal and worth the visit alone, plus it is CHEAP (wayy cheaper than Tulum) and the restaurants, bars, and cafes are absolutely adorable.
there’s no way you could check out all of them but here’s a good list to start you off
boulenc - the. best. breakfast. ever. the to-die-for dish is called shakshuka, it’s poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, onion, chipotle harissa and roasted serrano chili, served with delicious fresh bread and lebanese cheese. went here twice and tried a third time (there is always a line up — go when it opens at 8:30!) it’s also THE CUTEST space with different rooms and levels, Parisian-inspired but with cool modern decor, the cutest bar, ugh i am obsessed with this place. i also need more adjectives for “cute”.
pitiona - unbelievable sunset views of the city from the rooftop. also the passionfruit drink (sub vodka for mezcal) was unreal, and the grasshopper ribeye appy was delish!
pan:am - amazing fresh eggs benny, and the chilacquiles were so good too
mezquite - i got tacos and soup here and a blackberry cocktail or something which was unreal, but the burger looked like what dreams are made of. a nice rooftop overlooking the church and square
maria lombardo - okay this place has AMAZING italian food. get the shrimp pasta and the shrimp pizza and i loved the white wine which is something i can’t say for everywhere (which is not to say i didn’t still drink it anyway).
el olivo - i got lucky with the most sultry sunset from here. a great tapas rooftop bar.
take spanish lessons
Flor and Eduardo from Oaxaca Spanish Magic are SUCH GEMS, the classes are held in their courtyard and are fun and casual, and very affordable! they are flexible so you can choose your hours, i went with my friend Lizzie and we did 3 hours a day for 3 days (i would recommend at least 5 days if you can!)
i took spanish lessons in antigua, guatemala last year but this was a way different vibe and i would highly highly recommend classes here in oaxaca to anyone! spanish is very handy for travelling, especially in places like oaxaca where english isn’t that common. you can get by in places like tulum but it’s fun and so helpful to know at least the basics in spanish.
stroll through barrio jalatcolo
every street i saw in oaxaca was pretty much adorable — colourful colonial style buildings, exposed brick, charming doorways. i could not stop obsessing when i walked down the streets. but the cutest neighbourhood is a 15-minute walk from Selina called barrio jalatcolo, it’s covered in street art and colourful flags strung overhead and the most charming buildings with cobblestone streets. we even saw some street artists actually painting their art on the walls, as the sun was setting, it was honestly a magical moment. of course i had to get a few instas here.
shop
there are so many adorable markets, artisanal stands, and shops with cool clothing or print art to browse through!! i didn’t end up getting anything aside from my warm clothes but trust me it took a lotta self control — bracelets, necklaces, earrings, ponchos, hats, paintings, souvenirs, you name it.
other things to do in oaxaca include mezcal tastings, do a day tour to visit the caves, go check out the water pools at Hierve El Agua (closed right now because of covid but they look amazing) but i mostly just chilled and took it easy and it was perfect for me after my month in the caribbean!
if you’re travelling mexico, check out my posts on my recos for tulum (and my honest thoughts on tulum), quick tips for playa del carmen and cozumel, and the island paradises of Isla Mujeres & Holbox while you’re at it and if you wanna make sure your trip is as amazing as possible, let me plan your trip for you with my brand/biz/empire Adventurelust!
