Tourist Attractions

Located in the state with which it shares its name, Oaxaca de Juárez is one of the most important destinations in Mexico, owing to its cultural, artistic, and culinary legacies. A walk through its historical center -designated a World Heritage Site and called the Verde Antequera on account of the majestic green quarry structures- is all that's necessary in order to understand its popularity. The same is true for the Santo Domingo Cultural Center, notable for its former Dominican convent.

You can begin your visit at this attraction and continue with a stroll down the Macedonio Alcalá scenic corridor. The streets that branch out from it will allow you to discover important museums, such as the Textile Museum and Oaxaca’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MACO, in Spanish), founded by the well-liked Oaxacan painter, Francisco Toledo. The corridor is also a prominent place in which to purchase handicrafts and often offers the possibility of seeing them crafted live. Your stroll will be enhanced further by the colorful and vibrant restaurants and hotels lining the corridor.

If you’re wondering when the best time is to visit Oaxaca, the city’s best weather doubtlessly occurs between January and May, as well as between October and November.

Your list of things to do in Oaxaca should include a visit to the 20 de Noviembre traditional market and, in particular, its smoke aisle, where you’ll be able to purchase and cook cecina, tasajo, and tlayudas on the spot. Vendors, popularly known as “marchantes”, walk down the aisles, accompanied by baskets filled with quesillo, grasshoppers, chilis, and tortillas in order to round out the culinary feast. The Benito Juárez market isn’t far from there; you’ll find dozens well-priced of local handicrafts, including alebrijes, embroideries, cushions, and even Oaxacan mezcales.

You’ll find the cure to all your ailments at the downtown mezcalerías, as well as the perfect excuse to immerse yourself in Oaxaca’s nightlife. In Situ, Mezcaltitlán y La Mezcaloteca are compulsory if you’re interested in learning about the distillate, since they offer tastings and pairings. If you’re interested in seeing the land from which magueys originate, Mezcatours offers tours to different archaeological sites, such as Mitla and Monte Albán, as well as to the petrified waterfalls of Hierve el Agua.

Archaeology

Museums

The Regional Museum

Casa de la Ciudad

The Museum of the Casa de Juárez

The Rufino Tamayo Museum of Prehispanic Art

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MACO)

Graphic Arts Institute

Stamp Museum (MUFI)

Museum of Oaxacan Painters

Art Center of San Augustin

Bravo Photography Center

Oaxaca City Historic Center

ARIPO - Oaxaca Institute of Handicrafts

The Macedonio Alcalá Tourist Walkway

The Church and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo

The Arches of Xochimilco

The Macedonio Alcalá Theatre

The State Public Library

The Zócalo

The Alameda de León

The Central University Building

Plaza de la Danza and Jardín Socrates

Main Churches

The Church and Ex-convent of Santo Domingo

The Church and Ex-convent of Carmen Alto

The Church of the Preciosa Sangre de Cristo

The Cathedral

The Church and Ex-convent of San Agustín

The Church of San Juan de Dios

The Church and Ex-convent of the Compañía de Jesús

The Church and Ex-convent of San José

The Church of San Cosme y Damián

The Church of San Felipe Neri

The Church and Ex-convent of San Matías Jalatlaco

The Basilica and Ex-Convent de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad

The Ex-Convent of Santa Catarina de Siena

The Church and Ex-convent of Guadalupe

The Church of the Santísima Trinidad

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación

The Church of Nuestra Señora de las Nieves

Market days

Market days in Oaxaca are among the most famous in the country. Open air markets are moveable feasts traced back for centuries. They are often called a tianguis, an expression going back to the open air markets of the Aztecs.

The tianguis is different than the established markets — mercados — where vendors sell their wares each day.

Market days are social events for people coming into town from far away.

Domingo/Sunday: Tlacolula Nochixtlán	Lunes/Monday: Ixtlán de Juárez Miahuatlan Villa Alta
Martes/Tuesday: Atzompa Ayaquezco de Aldama	Miercoles/Wednesday: Tamazulapan Zimatlán San Pablo Etla
Jueves/Thursday: Zaachila Ejutla de Crespo	Viernes/Friday: Ocotlán San Bartolo Coyotepec Santo Tomas Jalietza
Sabado/Saturday: Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca City