{"id":5175,"date":"2020-07-11T23:47:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-12T01:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/?p=5175"},"modified":"2023-03-07T19:53:04","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T21:53:04","slug":"tours-oaxaca-day-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/tours-oaxaca-day-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"Oaxaca: Tours and Day Trips from Oaxaca City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Oaxaca tours manage to mix nature, history, and artisans in one, often with a mezcal tasting for good measure. The beauty of basing yourself in the city is the <strong>abundance of day trips from Oaxaca <\/strong>to the surrounding valleys. Of course, there\u2019s still plenty to do in the city itself so prepare for packed days if you want to see it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While I\u2019m a big proponent of <strong>using public transport <\/strong>to do things on your own, <strong>the tours in Oaxaca are an incredible value<\/strong> since they combine different Oaxaca day trips into one tour. And if you\u2019re short on time, they may be especially appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, I had nearly two weeks to explore, so <strong>I decided to<\/strong> <strong>curate my own tours in Oaxaca<\/strong>. These excursions are grouped by direction from Oaxaca City. Feel free to use these exactly as they are, or as <strong>a guide to<\/strong> <strong>design your own Oaxaca tours<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading for my <strong>guide to public transport in Oaxaca<\/strong>. And keep in mind, the best plans factor in room for itinerary changes!<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_c87dd4-00\"]{font-size:16px;line-height:21px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_c87dd4-00\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_c87dd4-00\"]{font-size:14px;line-height:19px;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_c87dd4-00\"]{font-size:11px;line-height:15px;}}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading_c87dd4-00 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-5-color has-text-color has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_c87dd4-00\"><em>This article may contain affiliate links. This means if you click a link on our blog and make a purchase, <em>we earn a commission at no additional cost to you<\/em>. For full information, see our&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/affiliate-disclosure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>disclaimer<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_6f9e43-39 .kb-table-of-content-wrap{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_6f9e43-39 .kb-table-of-contents-title-wrap{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_6f9e43-39 .kb-table-of-contents-title{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;}.kb-table-of-content-nav.kb-table-of-content-id_6f9e43-39 .kb-table-of-content-wrap .kb-table-of-content-list{font-weight:regular;font-style:normal;margin-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}<\/style>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Magical Route: East of Oaxaca Day Trip<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is easily the most ventured tour in Oaxaca. There are slight variations among the paid tours but generally, they include a visit to El Tule, Teotitlan del Valle, and Hierve el Agua while finishing with a Mezcal tour. I\u2019ve thrown in a couple of extras you can add in if you\u2019re doing these day trips on your own or plan to base yourself in Mitla for a night or two as I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Tree of Tule<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At an estimated <strong>2000 years old<\/strong>, this tree located in the center of el Tule is <strong>the widest tree in the world<\/strong>. The circumference of its extremely buttressed trunk measures 42 meters. It\u2019s one of many Montezuma cypress trees in the surrounding area, which is the <strong>national tree of Mexico <\/strong>and is regarded as sacred by the Zapotecs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"738\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-1024x738.jpg\" alt=\"A view of the Tule tree and church with the colorful El Tule sign in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-5216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-1024x738.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-694x500.jpg 694w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-250x180.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-768x554.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-960x692.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-555x400.jpg 555w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca-585x422.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/el-tule-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-1024x766.jpg\" alt=\"Up close view of the Tule tree, showing its heavily buttressed trunk.\" class=\"wp-image-5202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-668x500.jpg 668w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-960x718.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-535x400.jpg 535w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca-585x438.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tule-tree-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Tree of Tule is sometimes referred to as the <strong>Tree of Life<\/strong> because of the animal figures that appear in the trunk, including a magnificent elephant. Look for school children who use a flashlight to highlight the figures for visitors as part of an official local project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hours: <\/strong>8 am to 8 pm Daily <br><strong>Entrance Fee: <\/strong>10 pesos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oaxaca Textile Tour: <strong>Weavers of Teotitlan del Valle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Located at the foothills of the Sierra Juarez mountains, Teotitlan del Valle is <strong>known for its acclaimed Zapotec weavers<\/strong>. Using handlooms, they create incredibly beautiful pieces such as rugs and purses. After the wool is collected, brushed, and spun into thread, it&#8217;s dyed with natural materials like indigo and cochineal, an insect that burrows into cactus leaves.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can imagine, creating these works of art involves countless hours and lots of skill. To get a full educational experience, <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Oaxaca Weaving Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/oaxaca-weaving-tour\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">book a tour to visit a weaving workshop<\/a> in Teotitlan del Valle. It&#8217;s actually a cooperative of more than eight families, started by husband and wife, Josefina and Javier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning with preparing the wool, they will take you through the entire process of creating these beautiful pieces. You&#8217;ll even be able to use their 100-year-old loom to make your own small piece to take home!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"774\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-1024x774.jpg\" alt=\"Framed by the 100-year-old loom, we laugh as Josefina helps me with my design during a Teotitlan del Valle weaving tour. Multiple tension threads hang from the wood bars that crisscross in front on the frame.\" class=\"wp-image-6389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-1024x774.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-662x500.jpg 662w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-250x189.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-768x580.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/teotitlan-del-valle-weaving-tour.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Yagul Archaeological Site<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If the archeological sites of Mexico interest you, you\u2019ll enjoy exploring Yagul which is <strong>a small Zapotec city<\/strong> known to locals as Pueblo Viejo, or old town. Yagul is best known for the Palace of the Six Patios which forms a bit of a labyrinth when viewed from above. This site also has a well-preserved ball court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"688\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-1024x688.jpg\" alt=\"Cobbled stones emerge from the top of the labyrinth of walls at Yagul archaeological site, with mountain views in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-5198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-700x470.jpg 700w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-250x168.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-960x645.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-596x400.jpg 596w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site-585x393.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/yagul-archeological-site.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Palace of the Six Patios at Yagul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the type of ruin you\u2019ll likely share with only a few others or have all to yourself. I still <strong>recommend arriving early<\/strong> as a tour bus arrived just as I was leaving. Colectivo taxis will drop you off at the head of the road, from which you\u2019ll need to walk 15-20 minutes to the site. The walk is pleasant, past fields of agave, and looking in awe as Yagul comes into view atop the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hours: <\/strong>10 am to 4 pm Sunday &#8211; Wednesday <br><strong>Entrance Fee: <\/strong>75 pesos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mitla Archaeological Site<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Mitla was <strong>a sacred site for the Zapotecs <\/strong>who inhabited the areas around Oaxaca City. Still occupied when the Spanish arrived, Mitla (from the word Mictlan) was considered where the souls go to rest. And where they travel from during <a href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/oaxaca-day-of-the-dead\/\">Dia de los Muertos<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The archeological site is known for the <strong>geometric mosaics<\/strong> that adorn many of the structures. The mosaics are made of small stone pieces and that are arranged together without the use of mortar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mitla is easier to get to than Yagul as it\u2019s located in the town of San Pablo Villa de Mitla. There are lots of colectivos going to Mitla from Oaxaca City since it\u2019s where you\u2019ll travel to catch one of the camionetas going to Hierve el Agua (see next).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hours: <\/strong>10 am to 3 pm Wednesday &#8211; Sunday <br><strong>Entrance Fee: <\/strong>75 pesos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re really into exploring the archeological sites, you should <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Multiple Archeological Sites Oaxaca\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/multiple-archeological-sites-oaxaca\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">book a tour that visits the main archeological sites near Oaxaca<\/a>, including Monte Alban, Atzompa, Yagul, and Mitla. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also <strong>prehistoric caves near Mitla and Yagul <\/strong>where found items such as seeds and corn cobs indicate the Zapotecs began domesticating plants nearly 10,000 years ago. They seem difficult to get to, though there are a few people offering tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hierve el Agua<\/strong>, Oaxaca Day Trip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the most popular day trip from Oaxaca. And it\u2019s easy to visit Hierve el Agua without a tour! Perhaps you\u2019ve seen the stunning pictures on Instagram of an infinity pool overlooking the mountains? It\u2019s definitely a must-do if you\u2019re in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_905584-62, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_905584-62[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_905584-62\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_905584-62 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_905584-62[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_905584-62\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading_905584-62 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-5-color has-text-color has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_905584-62\"><strong>UPDATE:<\/strong> <strong>Hierve el Agua is open!<\/strong> Rumors began swirling in early Fall 2021 and I visited a couple of months later. I&#8217;ve updated my post to include the most up-to-date tour options and details for getting there on your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read my full experience about <a href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca\/\">how to visit Hierve el Agua without a tour<\/a>, including how to get there and where to stay in order to experience this beautiful place after the tour groups leave. <strong>Hint:<\/strong> It requires staying overnight in one of the cabins on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"The infinity pool with hues of green and blue stretches to the edge of the cliff with nary a person in sight.\" class=\"wp-image-4654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/hierve-el-agua-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hierve el Agua is <strong>a natural spring<\/strong> that bubbles up from the ground in the small village of San Isidro Roagu\u00eda. For thousands of years, the mineralized water has run down the face of the mountain and created mineral deposits that form what looks like a waterfall, frozen in time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The local community built an infinity pool at the edge to collect the water for swimming and still allow the mineral water to run down the cliff face. Despite the name, which translates to \u201cthe water boils,\u201d the water is not hot but rather warmed with the sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of people hire a tour to Hierve el Agua, which may be the best option if you\u2019re short on time since the tours include multiple points of interest. I&#8217;ve narrowed down a couple of the best tours. You can <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Private Hierve el Agua Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/private-hierve-el-agua-tour\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">book this private tour<\/a> or <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Hierve el Agua Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/hierve-el-agua-tour\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">this one that visits other attractions after<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To get to Hierve el Agua, take one of the shared camionetas (pickup truck) from Mitla for 75 pesos each way. It\u2019s a scenic one-hour ride curving through the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hours: <\/strong>9 am to 6 pm Daily <br><strong>Entrance Fee: <\/strong>50 pesos<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mezcal Tour<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For a mezcal tour and tasting, most of the Oaxaca tours <strong>visit the small town of Santiago Matatlan<\/strong> which greets you with a sign welcoming you to the \u201cWorld Capital of Mezcal.\u201d The town is small, so you can explore different distilleries once you take a bus into town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re short on time (or aren&#8217;t aware of Matatl\u00e1n yet, like me!) there are also <strong>mezcal distilleries along the main highway<\/strong> between Oaxaca and Mitla. I visited two after touring Yagul simply by a mix of walking and public transport. Both were a fun, minimal introduction to mezcal. Each offered a completely different experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you really want to dive into learning about mezcal, <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Oaxaca Mezcal Tour WSE\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/ancestral-mezcal-tour\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">I recommend booking an ancestral mezcal tour<\/a>. This tour takes you from field to bottle as you spend the day in the life of a mezcalero. You even get to plant your own baby agave, which you can return to drink in about nine years! <a href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour\/\">Read more about my experience here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_726f7c-00 .kt-block-spacer{height:60px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_726f7c-00 .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#00c0ce;width:60%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_726f7c-00\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rancho Blanco&nbsp;<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-1024x766.jpg\" alt=\"Barrels of mezcal sit to the side of the bar with shelves of mezcal bottles in the back ground at Rancho Blanco on a mezcal tour in Oaxaca.\" class=\"wp-image-5226\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-668x500.jpg 668w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-960x718.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-535x400.jpg 535w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production-585x438.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-production.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rancho Blanco is a low key operation that feels like walking into your friend\u2019s covered patio. We were immediately welcomed to sample our choice of mezcal. As we continued the tasting, we were taken on a tour of their small operation with an explanation (in Spanish) of the process. <br><br>The distillery was active that day so we were able to see the tahona in action. This large stone wheel crushes the maguey cuttings as it is pulled around a circular stone path by a donkey. The fibers are then gathered to begin the fermentation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-1024x766.jpg\" alt=\"During a Oaxaca mezcal tour, a donkey pulls the tahona to crush maguey leaves before fermentation.\" class=\"wp-image-5219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-668x500.jpg 668w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-960x718.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-535x400.jpg 535w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca-585x438.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-tour-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_892345-5e .kt-block-spacer{height:60px;}.wp-block-kadence-spacer.kt-block-spacer-_892345-5e .kt-divider{border-top-width:1px;height:1px;border-top-color:#00c0ce;width:60%;border-top-style:solid;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-spacer aligncenter kt-block-spacer-_892345-5e\"><div class=\"kt-block-spacer kt-block-spacer-halign-center\"><hr class=\"kt-divider\"\/><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Casa Chagoya<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>At <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/tradicionchagoya.com\/en\/mezcales\/\" target=\"_blank\">Casa Chagoya<\/a> we were also warmly welcomed to sit at the bar for a mezcal tasting. The palenque was quiet that day but the grounds were peaceful with space in the back to enjoy a glass of mezcal looking over the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-1024x764.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful Zapotec depictions and brick archways decorate the mezcal distillery at Casa Chagoya, a great Oaxaca tour..\" class=\"wp-image-5218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-1024x764.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-670x500.jpg 670w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-250x186.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-768x573.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-960x716.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-536x400.jpg 536w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery-585x436.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/mezcal-distillery.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The man behind the bar, a fifth-generation mezcal producer, offered to take us on a tour of the distillery. The space is beautiful with high ceilings and thick walls decorated with colorful Zapotec depictions. Brick lined arches differentiate the different rooms and barrels of aging mezcal line the back wall. There was also an area in the center showing the old process of producing mezcal which he was proud to point out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"766\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-1024x766.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful Zapotec depitions adorn the walls of the mezcal distillery at Casa Chagoya.\" class=\"wp-image-5199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-1024x766.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-668x500.jpg 668w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-960x718.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-535x400.jpg 535w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour-585x438.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-mezcal-tour.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a\"]{text-align:center;font-size:36px;line-height:5px;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a\"]{font-size:22px;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a\"]{font-size:14px;line-height:18px;}}<\/style>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/restaurants-oaxaca\/\" class=\"kb-advanced-heading-link kt-adv-heading-link_ac14a7-4a\"><p class=\"kt-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-9-color has-text-color has-theme-palette-1-background-color has-background\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_ac14a7-4a\">Read Next &#8211; 25 Oaxaca Restaurants You Need to Try<\/p><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Artisan Route: South of Oaxaca Tour<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This tour includes <strong>two of my favorite Oaxacan traditional arts<\/strong> &#8211; the <strong>black pottery of San Bartolo<\/strong> and the <strong>colorful alebrijes<\/strong> <strong>of San Martin Tilcajete<\/strong>. If you start early and schedule it with the Friday market in Ocotlan, it would be possible to see all three. If that\u2019s the case, I recommend doing this tour in reverse order, starting with Ocotlan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We had a little trouble finding shared transport between San Bartolo and San Martin Tilcajete which meant we didn\u2019t make it to Ocotlan. On market day there will likely be more colectivos going in both directions. However, if the black pottery and alebrijes are also on the top of your list, you may not want to risk it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"black pottery alebrijes\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/black-pottery-alebrijes\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">you can book this private tour<\/a> that visits the top black pottery and alebrije workshops, Ocotlan, and Santo Tom\u00e1s Jalietza where you&#8217;ll find beautiful cotton products made using a back-strap loom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>San Bartolo Coyotepec<\/strong>: Oaxaca Black Pottery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"Sitting on a low stool, Fabian makes the finishing details on a clay vessel that sits on a short platform on the ground.\" class=\"wp-image-5213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-960x719.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-534x400.jpg 534w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca-585x438.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-tour-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Felipe giving us a private demonstration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A bird's eye view of a raw Oaxacan black pottery vessel decorated with a flower cut into the side. Next to it, potter's tools lay in a bowl on the floor.\" class=\"wp-image-5211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A raw clay vessel in the decorating stage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The creation of barro negro, or black clay, is <strong>dated as far back as Monte Alban<\/strong>, an ancient city established by the Zapotecs around 500 B.C. Until relatively recently the pottery was a lackluster gray color mostly used for utilitarian purposes such as large vessels for mezcal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1950s Dona Rosa discovered a new technique that gave the pottery a dark black color and shiny finish. When the clay was nearly dry, she used a quartz stone to sand the piece before loading it into an underground, wood-fired kiln.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Fabian stands on the edge of the black pottery kiln which is dug into the ground and lined with bricks.\" class=\"wp-image-5210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-375x500.jpg 375w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-188x250.jpg 188w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln-585x780.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barro-negro-kiln.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The kiln at Fabian&#8217;s black pottery workshop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Shiny finished pieces of black pottery sit on display at one of the black pottery workshops in San Bartolo Coyotepec.\" class=\"wp-image-5212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-375x500.jpg 375w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-188x250.jpg 188w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca-585x780.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-oaxaca.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Finished black pottery pieces on display for sale.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While this style only requires about two-thirds of the time to fire, it also renders the pieces useless for holding liquid. As a result, the shiny black pottery of Oaxaca is <strong>completely decorative<\/strong>. But thanks to Oaxaca\u2019s emerging tourist market, the style caught on and today only a few potters continue to make the traditional gray style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today Dona Rosa\u2019s family continues to make pottery at their studio and shop in San Bartolo Coyotepec. But due to the historical significance, it\u2019s also one of the black pottery workshops most frequented by the tour companies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re doing this excursion on your own, I recommend you visit one of the other talented ceramic artists in town, such as <strong>Taller De Barro Negro Fabian<\/strong>. It\u2019s actually a bit confusing because there are two workshops with the name Fabian next door to each other. <br><br>I found both to have beautiful pottery but I felt the one further from the corner was more down to earth. We were also shown a brief demonstration of the process. You should be able to walk into both unannounced and discover your preferred style.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-1024x765.jpg\" alt=\"A bright orange building labeled Taller de Barro Negro &quot;Fabian&quot; welcomes visitors to the black pottery workshop in San Bartolo Coyotepec.\" class=\"wp-image-5214\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-670x500.jpg 670w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-250x187.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-768x573.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-960x717.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-536x400.jpg 536w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop-585x437.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/black-pottery-workshop.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A family portrait of black pottery artisans is displayed in front of a bowl of small pottery pieces.\" class=\"wp-image-5222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-black-pottery.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A family photo showing generations of potters sits in front of a bowl of small pottery pieces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hours:<\/strong> 9 am to 7:30 pm, Daily<br><strong>Location:<\/strong> Calle Progreso between Hildago and Independencia (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Taller+De+Barro+Negro+%22Fabian&#039;s%22\/@16.9572031,-96.7029726,18.81z\/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x85c73ce33f33c791:0x173d4e0d02d70b53!8m2!3d16.9569743!4d-96.7028385\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">map<\/a>)<br><strong>TIP:<\/strong> Enjoy lunch at the small corner restaurant, El Sazon de Esther, which is attached to one of the workshops. They serve delicious traditional food.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to get to San Bartolo <strong>Coyotepec<\/strong>: <\/strong> In addition to the colectivos, there is a bus to San Bartolo located on Bustamante between Arista and Nuno del Mercado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alebrije Workshops in San Martin Tilcajete<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A colorful alebrije that resembles a mix of a panther and a large bird sits on a table in front of a palette of paints.\" class=\"wp-image-5205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-375x500.jpg 375w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-188x250.jpg 188w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca-585x780.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-oaxaca.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On the second stop of this Oaxaca tour, you\u2019ll discover the colorful hand-carved figurines of San Martin Tilcajete. These whimsical creatures were <strong>first envisioned by Pedro Linares<\/strong>, a Mexico City artist. At the age of 30, he developed a fever that caused him to hallucinate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He dreamt of a forest of <strong>mythical animals<\/strong>, many of which had horns, wings, and tails. Throughout the forest, the meaningless word \u201calebrije\u201d was being chanted by the creatures. When he recovered, he recreated the figures in paper mache and painted them the same bright colors he saw in his dreams.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"An artist paints the intricate details of an alebrije in a black and white Escher motif.\" class=\"wp-image-5204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-day-trip-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>His works were discovered by Diego Rivera and the art form was later introduced to Oaxaca where they are made of copal, a native softwood. The shape of each alebrije is <strong>inspired by the natural curves of the wood<\/strong>, with the only limitation being the imagination of the artist. After carving, the piece is left to cure in the sun where the wood will develop cracks. The cracks are repaired using glue and wood shavings from the carving process. The pieces are then sanded by hand and meticulously hand painted.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\"><strong>Do you want to paint your own alebrije?<\/strong> <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"WSE Alebrije Tour\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/wse-alebrije-tour\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">Book this tour to visit two alebrije workshops<\/a> which also includes transportation and lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you chose to visit on your own, there are <strong>small independent artists<\/strong> to be seen as you walk through the streets of San Martin Tilcajete. My friend and I were greeted by an artist and his wife who had a small booth set up on the edge of their yard, near the street. They were lovely to speak with as they carefully unpacked each piece for display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"749\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-1024x749.jpg\" alt=\"On an alebrije tour, a man spreads different colors of natural paints on his hand to demonstrate how the colors are developed.\" class=\"wp-image-5206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-1024x749.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-683x500.jpg 683w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-250x183.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-768x562.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-960x702.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-547x400.jpg 547w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca-585x428.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-tour-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">At an alebrije tour of Jacobo y Maria Angeles, an employee demonstrates the natural materials used to create paints.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But I saw the most impressive work at Taller Jacobo y Maria Angeles and that&#8217;s probably why most of the tours take you there. Taller means workshop in Spanish and that\u2019s exactly what they have created. <br><br>From what I can tell, they are an organization that is <strong>intent on preserving the artform and providing support to the local artisans<\/strong> that work for them. And it gives you an opportunity to see the artists in action. When we visited there was a table of artists carving alebrijes and a second table of artists painting intricate designs. While normally I wouldn\u2019t promote the big guys, take a moment to read <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/jacoboymariaangeles.com\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\">their story and mission<\/a> via their website. You can also arrange a class to paint your own alebrije.<br><br>The finished pieces at this workshop are exquisite and it&#8217;s reflected in the price. You may want to reserve time to visit some of the other workshops as well if you&#8217;re looking to bring gifts back home. However, I also see it as another example of their devotion to their craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Workers sit at a communal table to carve alebrijes from copal wood during an alebrije tour of Taller Jacobo y Maria Angeles.\" class=\"wp-image-5215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/carving-alebrijes-tour.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Everyone focused on carving their creation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Larged carved alebrijes sit on a wooden palette in the sun while they dry. Figures include a large octopus, several mammals, and fish.\" class=\"wp-image-5207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/alebrije-wood-carvings.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">I would love to return to see how that octopus turned out!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Other alebrije talleres, or workshops, in San Martin Tilcajete that caught my attention on Google maps are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Taller+David+Hern%C3%A1ndez\/@16.8615405,-96.6925883,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x85c73ee607217b99:0x129044913e9a0fea!8m2!3d16.8615405!4d-96.6903996\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Taller David Hern\u00e1ndez<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Taller+Zeny+Fuentes+y+Reyna\/@16.8567784,-96.6859492,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x85c73edddf22e035:0xaf62d75164a09fc!8m2!3d16.8567784!4d-96.6837605\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Taller Zeny Fuentes y Reyna<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Zool%C3%B3gico+M%C3%A1gico\/@16.8589726,-96.6927313,16.64z\/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x85c73ee607217b99:0x129044913e9a0fea!2sTaller+David+Hern%C3%A1ndez!8m2!3d16.8615405!4d-96.6903996!3m4!1s0x85c73ee353b3e11f:0x329b99f05ad406c4!8m2!3d16.8591848!4d-96.6873063\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Zool\u00f3gico M\u00e1gico<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to get to San Martin Tilcajete: <\/strong>In addition to the colectivos, there is a bus to San Martin located on Arista between Miguel Cabrera and Bustamante. Then it&#8217;s a short walk through town to any of the workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ocotl\u00e1n de Morelos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re taking this tour on a Friday, consider starting early and adding Ocotl\u00e1n to the route since Friday is the market day. The town centers around the <strong>Santo Domingo convent<\/strong> which was restored by the famous Mexican artist and native of Ocotl\u00e1n, Rodolfo Morales. The nearby cultural center he created includes beautiful murals of his work which evokes the culture of Oaxaca in deep hues of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The town is also known for red pottery, knives, and kitchen utensils. While doing research, I got really excited about seeing <strong>handcrafted knives<\/strong>. Since we didn\u2019t make it to Ocotl\u00e1n, I can\u2019t comment on them but it seems there is at least one traditional blacksmith, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/dick-keis.blogspot.com\/2018\/02\/apolinar-aguilar-velasco-cut-above-rest.html\" target=\"_blank\">Apolinar Aguilar Velasco<\/a>, that still honors the craft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How to get to <strong>Ocotl\u00e1n de Morelos<\/strong>: <\/strong>In addition to the Abastos market, there is a bus to Ocotl\u00e1n located on Miguel Cabrera between Zaragoza and Arista in Oaxaca city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Monte Alb\u00e1n Route: Day Trip From Oaxaca, West<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Monte Alb\u00e1n Ruins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-1024x579.jpg\" alt=\"A landscape view of several buildings at Monte Alban with views of the mountains and Oaxaca valley in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-5220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-1024x579.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-700x396.jpg 700w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-250x141.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-960x542.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-708x400.jpg 708w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban-585x331.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/monte-alban.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most visitors to Oaxaca will include a day trip to the Monte Alb\u00e1n archeological site, located 30 minutes outside of the city. There are <strong>buses to Monte Alban<\/strong> that leave from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Viajes+Tur%C3%ADsticos+Mitla\/@17.0580368,-96.7291679,19.81z\/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x8b587033780585a!8m2!3d17.0578678!4d-96.7295387\" target=\"_blank\">the corner of Mina and Diaz Ordaz<\/a>, but the first bus doesn\u2019t leave until half an hour after the site opens. While that might not sound like much time, when you\u2019re going to see a Unesco Heritage Site, it makes all the difference in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I recommend paying a little extra to <strong>take a taxi earlier in the morning<\/strong> instead of arriving with a bus full of other tourists. The tour guides at the entrance were willing to gather a group of people together to divide the cost, which I definitely recommend doing to learn more about the ruins. On the way back, see about sharing a taxi with others to save money.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_324539-19\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_324539-19\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_324539-19[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_324539-19\"]{font-size:13px;}}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading_324539-19 wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-4-color has-text-color has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_324539-19\">If your focus is on seeing both of these archeological sites, you can <a class=\"thirstylink\" rel=\"nofollow sponsored\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Monte Alban Atzompa\" href=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/recommends\/monte-alban-atzompa\/\" data-shortcode=\"true\">book this private tour with a knowledgeable guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Santa Mar\u00eda Atzompa<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The city of Atzompa was built as a satellite city of Monte Alban. Today it is known for making <strong>ceramics with a glassy green glaze<\/strong> which was introduced by the Spanish in the 16th century. The <strong>Atzompa archaeological site<\/strong> is significant for its three ball courts. Unfortunately, Atzompa is another village I ran out of time to visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along this route, you can also plan to visit a few other sites, though it would involve a small amount of backtracking after visiting Monte Alban and Atzompa. They include <strong>Arrazola<\/strong>, a small town also known for alebrijes; <strong>Cuilapam de Guerrero<\/strong>, a convent from the 16th century; and <strong>Zaachila<\/strong> (see markets) which was the last capital of the Zapotec empire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tour Oaxaca Markets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Colorful woven blankets, tapestries, and bags hang in the Tlacolula Market near Oaxaca.\" class=\"wp-image-5201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-oaxaca-market.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You could create an entire set of day trips from Oaxaca by visiting the surrounding villages during their <strong>weekly markets, or tianguis<\/strong>. These mercados are vibrant and bustling with products ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to meat and cheese, household items, clothes, and prepared foods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While some markets are known for specialties, I also saw a lot of overlap so I don\u2019t <em>actually<\/em> recommend going to a different one every day, but the scheduled day for each small town is good to keep in mind while planning your trip. A few that stand out are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sunday Market: Tlacolula<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the biggest and most popular market in Oaxaca with a wide range of products from throughout the valley. The <strong>traditional lamb barbacoa<\/strong> drew me here but I later learned you can find it at other markets as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Stewed barbacoa meat peeks out from the top of a bowl of broth at the Tlacolula Market.\" class=\"wp-image-5208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-oaxaca-market.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Amazing goat barbacoa at the Tlacolula Market.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Barbacoa meat wrapped in a corn tortilla and served on a paper lined plate at the Tlacolula Market in Oaxaca.\" class=\"wp-image-5209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/barbacoa-tlacolula-market.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Goat barbacoa taco at the Sunday market.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though Tlacolula is the most popular Oaxacan market for tourists, I would definitely recommend coming here. It was <strong>large but manageable<\/strong> and still very local. My favorite area was at the end when we got to the meat section. In the center of the aisles, grills were ready for you to cook your purchased meat immediately! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"734\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-1024x734.jpg\" alt=\"Women, many dressed in traditional clothing, gather around to cook food on the grills set up in the Tlacolula Market.\" class=\"wp-image-5200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-1024x734.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-698x500.jpg 698w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-250x179.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-768x550.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-960x688.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-558x400.jpg 558w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market-585x419.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tlacolula-market.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Woman tend to meats on the grill at Tlacolula Market.\" class=\"wp-image-5224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/oaxaca-market-tlacolula.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Wednesday Market: Etla<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many chefs from Oaxaca flock to this market for the <strong>specialty made cheese<\/strong>, quesillo, which is sold in ropes. Other specialties include <strong>pan amarillo<\/strong> (yellow bread) and <strong>tasajo<\/strong>, a Oaxacan specialty of thin, salty beef regularly found as a topping on tlayudas. Yummy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Friday Market: Zaachila<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since we were visiting Oaxaca during Day of the Dead, it was suggested to visit Zaachila to see a special art being created with colorful sand, glitter, and flowers along the sidewalk surrounding the cemetery. It also happened to be market day in Zaachila, which made it all that more special. I\u2019ve since learned <strong>Zaachila is<\/strong> <strong>also known for barbacoa<\/strong> which we ate at Mercado Gastron\u00f3mico de Zaachila. It\u2019s a great place for a snack before the market!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sierra Norte: Hike the Pueblos Mancomunados<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_6517d2-9d\"]{font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_6517d2-9d\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_6517d2-9d\"]{font-size:13px;}}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading_6517d2-9d wp-block-kadence-advancedheading has-theme-palette-4-color has-text-color has-theme-palette-7-background-color has-background\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_6517d2-9d\">Keep in mind, most of these communities remain closed through 2021. It&#8217;s important to check before you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mountains northeast of Oaxaca are <strong>one of the most biodiverse areas<\/strong> in Mexico. In an effort to protect their rich natural habitat, these mountain villages together decided to close their gold and silver mines. Instead, they <strong>created a cooperative<\/strong> called Pueblos Mancomunados to promote the ecotourism of the region.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can purchase tours from groups within the city itself at a premium price (we were quoted $250+ per person!) But if you are adventurous and know even a touch of Spanish, it\u2019s possible to visit by public transport, rent a cabin, and hire a guide for much less. And by going to the towns directly, <strong>you put more money in the pocket of the people <\/strong>that make up these communities. Win-win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another tour that we simply ran out of time for, but it\u2019s high on my list when I return to Oaxaca (which I\u2019ve been dreaming of!) You can <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quepasaoaxaca.com\/discover-the-sierra-norte\/\" target=\"_blank\">read about all of the pueblos in this guide<\/a> which details the things that make each village unique as well as their culinary specialties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spudontherun.com\/2018\/03\/08\/pueblos-mancomunados-oaxaca\/\" target=\"_blank\">this post<\/a> gives a detailed account of getting to Cuajimoloyas by bus as well as their personal experience there. I believe <strong>direct buses now travel from the second class bus station<\/strong> located next to the Abastos Market to the towns of Cuajimoloyas, Llano Grande, and Benito Juarez.  <br><br>Whichever way you decide to visit, I definitely recommend you hire a guide for the hikes since the trails are not always well marked. <strong>English guides are available<\/strong> and they will be able to point out the native flora, including many plants used for medicinal purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind the <strong>altitude and the temperatures<\/strong>. While warmed by the sun in the day, temperatures at night drop considerably. Fortunately most cabins have a fireplace and for a very modest fee someone will build a fire for you and supply extra wood for the evening. If you make this journey, I\u2019d love to hear your experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Public Transportation in Oaxaca<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For the purpose of this article, I\u2019m talking strictly about <strong>public transport from Oaxaca City<\/strong> to the surrounding towns and between the towns so that you can create your own tours. There is a separate bus system within the city itself that I found much more confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Buses and shared taxis<\/strong>, or colectivos, are the two main ways to get around using public transportation in the Oaxaca region. This was the first time I had seen shared taxis and I love the concept. In this area, they are <strong>small red taxis with the final destination printed across the top<\/strong> of the windshield.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From my experience, the colectivos will drop you off anywhere along their route just like the buses. While they usually cost a little more, they are still quite affordable and often faster. If you\u2019re flagging one down along your route, the driver will hold up fingers to indicate how many spaces he has left in the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TIP:<\/strong> In an effort to maximize capacity, a sixth seat has been added between the driver and front passenger. Yes, it\u2019s tight and as uncomfortable as you\u2019d expect. Thus, if it\u2019s available, I suggest choosing the backseat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also motorcycles that have been transformed into three-wheel covered transportation. These are mostly used to go between two small towns but sometimes I&#8217;d see them on the edges of Oaxaca city going to a nearby town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Covered three wheeled motorbikes take passengers from the Zaachila market to other small towns nearby as part of Oaxaca's public transportation.\" class=\"wp-image-5250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-667x500.jpg 667w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-250x188.jpg 250w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-760x570.jpg 760w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-960x720.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca-585x439.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/public-transportation-oaxaca.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where do you find the buses and colectivos in Oaxaca?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two main locations. The largest is the <strong>Abastos Market<\/strong>. In addition to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Second+Class+Bus+Station\/@17.0600747,-96.7385419,17z\/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x85c7226cd56e196d:0x66eeee7d191ba7fe!8m2!3d17.0600747!4d-96.7363532\" target=\"_blank\">Second Class Bus Station<\/a> where you can find buses to all the nearby villages, there are two areas that colectivos queue. On the East side of the market, colectivos can be found heading to towns south and east, such as Teotitlan del Valle, Tlacolula, Mitla, Ocotlan, and Zaachila. On the North side of the market, past the bus station is where colectivos line up that are going north and west to towns such as Etla and Atzompa. <br><br>However, the Abastos Market is a big cluster of people where you should be careful of your personal belongings. Rather than go directly to the market, we would often catch the colectivo along their route either on the Periferico if heading east or one of the major roads heading south out of town. If you are only one or two people this should not be a problem. With a larger group, you may find that the colectivos are already full.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The other area to catch colectivos is in<strong> the north of the city<\/strong>. On Chapultepec between the baseball stadium (<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Parque+de+Beisbol+Lic.+Eduardo+Vasconcelos\/@17.0701822,-96.7141484,18z\/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x85c72249df26d9b1:0xac88a77657dffc3b!2sOaxaca,+Mexico!3b1!8m2!3d17.0731842!4d-96.7265889!3m4!1s0x85c72231a0e1827f:0x141f472dbc3a401c!8m2!3d17.0701822!4d-96.7135102\" target=\"_blank\">map<\/a>) and the McDonald\u2019s you can find colectivos going east to towns like Tule, Teotitlan del Valle, Tlacolula, and Mitla. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are also a few bus outposts in town which I mentioned above with the corresponding day trip. They include a bus to Ocotlan, a bus to San Bartolo Coyotepec, and a colectivo to San Martin Tilcajete. <br><br>On a side note, I found most of this information with the incredibly helpful maps created by a current resident that generously left them for viewing at the Oaxaca English library. They are in the magazine section in a plain plastic sleeve. It also includes a colored detail of the Oaxaca City bus routes, but I still found it difficult to navigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope these details inspire you to create your own tours in Oaxaca as I think you\u2019ll find the freedom rewarding, not to mention a great taste of local life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Like this post? Pin it for later!<\/h2>\n\n\n<style>#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap > div:not(.added-for-specificity){grid-column:initial;}#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr));}#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap > div:not(.added-for-specificity){grid-column:initial;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:repeat(3, minmax(0, 1fr));}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap > div:not(.added-for-specificity){grid-column:initial;}#kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_5e2eb7-05\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-3-columns kt-gutter-default kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-row\"><style>.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_a2cf9c-1d\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"5 Amazing Tours From Oaxaca Mexico text overlays a vertical image of the tahona inside a mezcal factory.\" class=\"wp-image-5257\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-167x250.jpg 167w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-960x1440.jpg 960w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-267x400.jpg 267w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest-585x878.jpg 585w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/tours-oaxaca-pinterest.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_457db1-5c{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_457db1-5c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-2 kadence-column_457db1-5c\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-683x1024.jpg\" alt=\"5 Amazing Day Trips Oaxaca Mexico text overlays a vertical image of mountains as the sun streams across the corn plants in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-6429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-333x500.jpg 333w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-167x250.jpg 167w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest-150x225.jpg 150w, https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/day-trip-oaxaca-pinterest.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_930440-ea{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_930440-ea > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-3 kadence-column_930440-ea\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oaxaca tours manage to mix nature, history, and artisans in one, often with a mezcal tasting for good measure. The beauty of basing yourself in the city is the abundance of day trips from Oaxaca to the surrounding valleys. Click to discover the vibrancy of Oaxaca.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mexico"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":3,"label":"Mexico"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/mezcal-tour-in-oaxaca-1024x684.jpg",1024,684,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Julien Casanova","author_link":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/author\/julienne617\/"},"comment_info":4,"category_info":[{"term_id":3,"name":"Mexico","slug":"mexico","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3,"taxonomy":"category","description":"I love spending time in Mexico! It's why I called Cozumel home for over two years. But I haven't just stayed on this beautiful Caribbean Island. During my time in Mexico, I've traveled to Central Mexico, the Yucatan, Riviera Maya, and Oaxaca.\r\n\r\nAlong the way, I create informative travel guides and travel tips for traveling to Mexico. From Mexico City to Cancun and travel destinations in between. If you're planning to travel to Mexico, these in-depth guides will help you plan your perfect Mexico vacation.","parent":0,"count":46,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":3,"category_count":46,"category_description":"I love spending time in Mexico! It's why I called Cozumel home for over two years. But I haven't just stayed on this beautiful Caribbean Island. During my time in Mexico, I've traveled to Central Mexico, the Yucatan, Riviera Maya, and Oaxaca.\r\n\r\nAlong the way, I create informative travel guides and travel tips for traveling to Mexico. From Mexico City to Cancun and travel destinations in between. If you're planning to travel to Mexico, these in-depth guides will help you plan your perfect Mexico vacation.","cat_name":"Mexico","category_nicename":"mexico","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5175"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8336,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5175\/revisions\/8336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/culturestraveled.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}