From no matter what way you see it, Oaxaca has a LOT to offer, giving many reasons as to why it was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2010!
Open your history book and you will see that the valley of Oaxaca has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, there is even proof that the corn was domesticated here! Several civilizations have settled here, whose ruins can still be observed today. The Spanish heritage and later the “Porfirianismo” (early 19th century French architectural influence) lend to the typical colonial downtown that we can see today.
From a cultural perspective, Oaxaca is the capital of a state where
traditions are still alive, for example, more than 16 native languages (and their hundreds of dialects) are still spoken by nearly 35% of the population. Yes, as crazy as it sounds, in some villages Spanish is not the main language! All this diversity is concentrated in Oaxaca de Juarez, so wandering along its streets is like walking through a multicultural patchwork revealed by traditional clothing, dances, religious ceremony, medicine and of course FOOD.
Speaking of food, a huge diversity of meals will be within your reach, from the traditional “Chapulines” (grasshoppers) to the finest restaurants, French bakeries (100% approved by me, a French guy ;P ) and the inescapable street food. You will HAVE TO run a few kilometres to keep in shape or at least take away a bit of your guilt after eating your 8th taco…
Let’s not forget the ARTS and HANDCRAFTS that are everywhere. Indeed this magical city inspires a lot of artists. You will find street art, galleries, museums and handcraft at every corner, so don’t forget your camera!
After this description you might think Oaxaca is a big city – well, it’s not, in less than a 10km run we will show you nearly every place you have to go, museums, ruins, markets, restaurants, bars… so we highly encourage you to start your stay with one of our tours!
