The A to Z Guide to Oaxaca

Words Ann Christin SchubertImages Ann Christin Schubert, Michal Rzepecki, Vivek VadoliyaDate 29 April 2026

In Oaxaca, there’s always a reason to celebrate. Overhead, papel picado—cut paper banners—shift in the breeze, while piñatas hang in clusters below, waiting to be broken open; part decoration, part ritual. These colorful, sunlit streets offer something for everyone: those drawn to craft, markets, museums, and kitchens.

First, you descend Monte Albán’s terraces, then find yourself spooning up velvety mole, followed by just one more mezcalito—before a brass band spills into a plaza, accompanying an impromptu danzón or cumbia. This is your cue to taste more boldly: to seek the region’s famed cuisine, see where artisans still shape its textiles and ceramics, and wander further when the city begins to feel familiar.

A

Agave — In Oaxaca’s valleys, agave—espadín, tobalá, to name just two—grows in tight blue-green rosettes. This diversity underpins the state’s mezcal production, especially around Santiago Matatlán, where mature plants are roasted, crushed, distilled, and often poured with a story.

Alfonsina — Founded by chef Jorge León—a former dishwasher who went on to work at New York City’s Cosme—and his mother, Elvira, Alfonsina is a family-run kitchen with a five-course menu that shifts with the seasons. Vegetable-led and complemented by backyard-raised meat, each dish is tied to the producers who grow it and named accordingly.

Alebrijes — You’ll often see these painted wood carvings of animals and imagined forms, tracing back to villages like San Martín Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola. At Voces de Copal, the tradition shifts forward with intricate pieces rendered in bold color and patterns, or at Taller Jacobo y María with figures known as tonas and nahuales.

Almu — South of Oaxaca City, Almu Oaxaca sits open to the elements, with wood fires, clay vessels, and low tables set among the trees. Smoke, ash, and the rhythm of live-fire cooking shape the experience.

B

Bars — When the sun dips, Oaxaca leans into mezcal. Start at Selva for cocktails built around foraged ingredients and native spirits, then head to La Cueva Oaxaca for low light, eclectic energy, and often live music. End at Sabina Sabe, where mezcal meets modern mixology. Craving a fusion? Crudo offers an intimate omakase marrying Japanese technique with Oaxacan produce.

C

Chiles — In Oaxaca, chiles are both sustenance and symbol: dried, smoked, and ground on stone. This state is home to more than 50 varieties, from Chile de Agua (charred) to Chile Costeño, which bring brightness to broths and salsas.

Chapulines — In the markets, you will spot these dried grasshoppers everywhere. Toasted on comals with garlic, lime, and salt, they are scattered over tlayudas or tucked into tacos.

Craft — Oaxaca is where craftsmanship thrives.

F

Frijoles — You cannot eat in Oaxaca without black beans. Slow-simmered in clay pots until deep and silky, they appear mashed in tlayudas or served whole beside rice, finished with avocado leaf or a touch of lard.

G

Guelaguetza — Oaxaca’s great annual celebration takes place each July over two Lunes del Cerro on Fortín hill. Dance, dress, and music bring together the state’s eight regions, rooted in the Zapotec idea of shared exchange.

H

Hierve el Agua — Just over an hour from Oaxaca, Hierve el Agua pairs short, sun-baked hikes with cool, green-tinted pools and wide valley views. Mineral springs appear to freeze mid-fall into cliffside cascades.

 I

Ixtlán de Juárez — High in Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte, Ixtlán de Juárez pairs cool mountain air with pine forests and a strong Zapotec identity (it’s proudly self-governed). A pioneer of community-run forestry, it’s a benchmark for low-impact travel. Hike forest trails with local guides to learn traditional land stewardship, slip into a temazcal, and browse small workshops for woodcraft and textiles.

J

Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca — Behind the walls near Santo Domingo, this two-acre garden gathers Oaxaca’s native plants—think cacti, trees, and flowering species—from across the state. Visits are by guided tour only.

K

Kiyo Cafe — A stylish café for ideas frescas, Kiyo pairs specialty coffee with art, design objects, and a small boutique.

Kahlúa — Produced in Mexico, this velvety coffee liqueur makes a sweet counterpoint to Oaxaca’s smokier spirits. Look for it in riffs like the Oaxaca Old Fashioned or Wake Me Up Oaxaca.

L

At Levadura de Olla, chef Thalía Barrios draws on research from rural Oaxacan communities to shape a menu rooted in ceremonial dishes, seasonal ingredients, and regional drinks.

M

Mole — In Oaxaca, seven types of mole—negro, rojo, coloradito, amarillo, verde, manchamanteles, chichilo—only begin the story of mole (recipes shift by family and region). Negro is celebratory: dark, smoky, edged with chocolate. Rojo leans savory and bright; coloradito bridges both. Amarillo comforts, verde lifts with herbs, while chichilo and manchamanteles are rather bitter, fruit-soft, unmistakably Oaxacan.

Mercado — Central de Abastos is where chefs, vendors, and home cooks source ingredients from across the Valles Centrales—with piles of chiles, herbs, maize, and meat arriving in constant flow. Stay for the comedores: dishes like miltomate memelas topped with tasajo, green mole empanadas, barbacoa, and cabeza de res tacos; all served quickly, without ceremony.

Mercado Benito Juárez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre are also worth a wander, while Sunday’s Tlacolula Market draws farmers, cooks, and artisans from across the region.

Maiz — As one of its earliest centers, Oaxaca sustains diverse native corn varieties—each tied to land and season—and has underpinned daily life over millennia. The work is carried out by women, who nixtamalize kernels at home before taking them to neighborhood mills. Head to Itanoni, a restaurant fighting to preserve heirloom corn, one tortilla at a time.

Museo — Trace the depth of its indigenous heritage at institutions across the city.

N

Nicuatole — A traditional Oaxacan dessert made from ground corn, sugar, and fruit, slowly cooked and set into a firm, sliceable form and often flavored with ingredients like mango, coconut, or panela.

O

Oaxaca State — This part of southern Mexico, where mountains, valleys, and Pacific coastline meet, is home to around four million people, spans eight regions and 16 indigenous groups, shaping one of the country’s most diverse cultural landscapes. Climate shifts from temperate highlands to tropical coast, with seasons defined by dry winters and summer rains.

P

Pyramids — Set high above the valley, defined more by presence than scale, Monte Albán offers something different (yes, really), even if you’ve been to Chichén Itzá or the pyramids outside Mexico City. Nearby, Mitla shifts inward, its stone mosaics reflecting later Mixtec influence. Together, they trace Zapotec and Mixtec continuity across the region.

Pan — Oaxaca’s bread scene is hot. Pan Con Madre leads with long-fermentation sourdough, Bodega keeps things grain-focused and design-forward, and Boulenc—part bakery, part café, part hotel—anchors it all with naturally leavened bread and simple, well-sourced food.

Q

Quesillo — This white, mildly salty cheese is known for its long, ribbon-like strands, wound into a ball like yarn. A stretched-curd cheese from Oaxaca’s Central Valleys, it’s called “queso Oaxaca” or “queso de hebra” elsewhere—but locally, simply quesillo.

R

Restaurantes — With food the soul of this region, where do we even begin?

S

Santo Domingo de Guzmán — Rising from a wide stone plaza, Santo Domingo’s Baroque façade gives way to an interior dense with gold and carved detail (a sharp contrast to the light outside). Begun in 1572 as a Dominican monastery, it now functions as both church and museum.

T

Tlayudas — One of Oaxaca’s most recognizable dishes, tlayudas arrive wide as plates, crisped over open flames. Beans and asiento form the base, layered with quesillo, meat, avocado, and cabbage—folded or left open, eaten late, often standing. At Tlayudas La Chinita, the griddles run steady, drawing a constant crowd.

Tacos — Though from central and northern Mexico, tacos are constant here, too. Best eaten roadside, on a low stool, they come together in quick, practiced movements. Stops like Tacos del Carmen, Tacos de Cazuela Tia Chave, and Tacos El Sireno keep it direct: short menus, steady pace, assembled one after another.

El Árbol del Tule — Just outside the city, this Montezuma cypress spreads wider than seems possible, its trunk over 40 meters around. More than a thousand years old, it anchors the square of Santa María del Tule.

U 

Utensilios de Barro — Clay cookware is the backbone of Oaxacan kitchens, with comales, cazuelas, and ollas shaping flavor with slow, even heat. Earthy, porous, and timeworn, they lend depth you can taste. Find them in markets across the city, or head to San Bartolo Coyotepec for black clay pieces with their signature burnished sheen.

V

Villa de Zaachila — A short drive south of the city, this former Zapotec capital trades crowds for authenticity. Come for its low-slung ruins and working market; stay for barbacoa, hand-pressed tortillas, and a glimpse of everyday Oaxacan life.

Velas — Candlelit and kinetic, these Isthmus-born fiestas blur devotion and spectacle, honoring patron saints while celebrating community and identity. Expect night processions, brass bands, and calendas, with women in embroidered Tehuana dress, flowers piled high, candles flickering. These are held year-round, though the biggest are in May.

W

Weaving — Less craft than language, threads here carry Zapotec symbols, stories, and place. In the city, Museo Textil de Oaxaca offers a sharp primer on natural dyes, backstrap looms, and regional motifs. For the real thing, check out Origen Textil, a women-led textile brand only working with local weavers, and Teotitlán del Valle—the epicenter—where family workshops spin, dye with cochineal and indigo, and weave on pedal looms.

X

Xocolatl — Slightly bitter, spiced, and foam-topped, Xocolatl may become your go-to drink. Here, cacao runs through daily ritual—tejate, cool and floral; champurrado, thick and warm; pochotl, crowned with foam and sipped, then eaten—alongside chocolate Oaxaqueño, stone-ground with cinnamon.

Y

Yagul — Set among the low hills of the Tlacolula Valley, this UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site is less monumental than Monte Albán, but no less layered. Its terraces and courtyards unfold against stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Z

Zócalo de Oaxaca — The UNESCO-listed main square that hums with life, where locals and travelers gather for music, street food, and an easy pulse of daily culture. Kiosco is the bandstand at the heart of it, where brass bands play, couples circle, and the city gathers after dark.

Zanduga Sabor Istmeño — At this restaurant, the story begins and remains with Aurora Toledo. Raised in Ixtaltepec, her cooking is rooted in her heritage—the ingredients, rituals, and importance of communal meals.