Oaxaca. The best city to
travel, no longer hidden.
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Oaxaca City, is one of the most impressive and prettiest magic towns in México. Already well known for being the home of the beverage mezcal, it is also a destination with a cultural, historical, gastronomic heritage like no other. I had been to one of my favorite Magic Town in Mexico six or seven times over the past two years and have fallen in love with the overall charm of this incredibly dynamic city…even to the point of looking at real estate for perhaps a second home. Imagine my surprise and happiness when a friend sent me a recent update from Travel & Leisure magazine, ranking Oaxaca as the Best City in the World by a recent survey of subscribers! Shocking? No. Concerned? Yes, but from a purely selfish viewpoint that my favorite city has now become the World-Famous Oaxaca, and that will now be descended upon by hordes of additional visitors!
Reading this recent article reveals the numerous reasons to love Oaxaca, from the food, drink, weather, culture, and architecture. And while the article extolls early November as the best time to visit based on my experience there is no bad time of the year to make the visit to my favorite Magic Town.
Yes, the article predictably highlights the fabulous Día de Muertos (The day of the dead) celebration, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country, and yes, it touches on some of the beautiful boutique hotels, as well as some highlights about restaurants and food, and of course there was the reference to Mezcal, the famous and local drink of the region.
However, there were some things left out, that have really impacted me about the city. My personal favorite restaurant is Casa Oa, a large multi-floored restaurant just down the street from The Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman (if you are seated on the balcony, you can see it bathed in light – an amazing sight) where I have never had a bad meal – ever. Service is outstanding and accommodating with the best ambiance and location. We were served the Mezcal menu, and we selected a few different ones just to compare. I learned that each Mezcal is different in color, flavor, and bouquet. I took a few bottles home to a friend from San Diego who is a hard-core Tequila fan, and after having the Mezcal, he was converted!
I think the article left out the fact that there are about 20+ centuries old churches in Oaxaca, at least that was how many I could count from the top floor of my hotel. The amazing thing about all these churches, is that each is different, each presents a different perspective in their design, and most of them are over 500 years old, but still handling daily and weekly services, weddings, and special holidays! They are amazing, and while you probably won’t visit more than half a dozen, most all of them are walking distance from each other.
In addition, Oaxaca is famous not just for food and hospitality, but it is a center for the arts – in fact, there are over 32 art galleries located in the city, most featuring very different and famous artists.
On top of this, there are a dozen museums in Oaxaca; featuring things such as textiles, and the history of the incredible fabrics which make everything from tapestries to shawls to table runners, shirts and dresses, historical culture of the city, modern art, contemporary art, dance, and music. You will find everything from ornate structures to simple houses, holding a tremendous wealth of historical information about the beginning of the culture in this region to the vibrance that is experienced today. Oaxaca has become a cultural center, not just for Mexico, but for all North America! This amazing city has also been awarded numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites! If you are like me, you can spend hours browsing through the various incredible choices available to you.
A byproduct of Oaxaca that we seem to take for granted, are the brilliant colors that can be found on practically every building in the central district of the city. The colors are amazing in the way that they blend and flow, without being garish or incompatible with the surroundings. They are of such a variety that I have seen many people taking photos of the range of colors shown side by side, on block after block!
As far as hotels, two of my favorites are Casa De Adobe which is located about 10 minutes outside from the main plaza, and Azul de Oaxaca, located in the heart of the historic zone, about a 7-minute walk to the plaza.
Casa de Adobe takes its name from the "adobe", material with which the authentic Oaxacan houses were originally built. Now it is a beautifully refurbished hotel offering gorgeous accommodation mixing the Oaxacan authenticity and the influence of colonial architecture. An inviting swimming pool and therapy pool, adjacent to the main dining room and the specialty restaurant and pub, on the second floor gives you a great hosting experience. The hotel has a beautiful spa and salon, conference room and some interesting pieces of art, clothing and handicrafts located in the main reception area.
Azul de Oaxaca is an old apartment building that has been adaptively refurbished into a hotel, with its main feature being, aside from the distinctive blue colored walls and building, the collection of art scattered around the hotel, back garden, roof terrace, and guest rooms. If you can manage to get a tour of the suites, each one has been decorated by six different but famous Mexican artists!
Service, food, and beverage are excellent at each property, but one is in the middle of it all, and the other is more quiet, relaxed, yet close to the historic center.
Regardless, if you are planning to stay for two or three nights, I am sure that sometime after the first day, you will discover that there is much more to see and do – so be prepared to extend your visit and change your return flights! Oaxaca is much more than most people realize. You will soon appreciate why this dynamic city is ranked as the best place to visit in the world!
Take a look at our amazing affiliated hotels and our authentic experiences and book your next trip to Oaxaca!
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