Oaxaca (city)
Discover Oaxaca (city)
Oaxaca (officially Oaxaca de Juárez, pronounced Wa-HAH-ka) is the colorful, delicious, and culturally-rich capital of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Its historical city center, along with the archeological ruins of Monte Albán overlooking it, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This article also covers nearby villages in the Oaxaca Valley, including Santa María del Tule, Teotitlán del Valle, Tlacolula and Matatlán.
What to Experience in Oaxaca (city)
Taste of Oaxaca (city)...
Foodies regard Oaxaca as having the most fascinating and delicious regional cuisine in Mexico, with ingredients and cooking techniques that have been passed from generation to generation for more than a millenium. The state's agriculture supplies heritage varieties of corn, squash, tomatoes, cacao and other products that are produced locally on very small scale farms. Like most of Mexico, corn is the staple food, with corn tortillas called blandas accompanying most meals. Oaxaca is known for mole, a diverse set of savory sauces made from fruits, chili peppers and spices, thickened with nuts or seeds. Some moles take days to make involving more than 40 ingredients, featuring chili peppers such as pasillas Oaxaqueños, amarillos, chilhuacles, chilcostles, chile anchos and costeños. You will encounter the famous "seven moles": manchamanteles, chichilo, amarillo, rojo, verde, coloradito and the king of moles: negro. Don't limit yourself to these, as there are as many moles as there are abuelas in kitchens across Oaxaca. In addition to markets and street food, you can find a few restaurants in Centro offering a comida corrida (set lunch) starting around M$100. Oaxaca is most famous for mezcal and hot chocolate. The state also has a thriving coffee industry. Chocolate has had special importance here since pre-hispanic times. Aside from being a foodstuff, it was also used as medicine and even money.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Oaxaca (city).
Along Macedonio Alcala street are many tour operators with a range of destinations. Prices are from M$150 and offer full day trips to a selection of places such as wool rug makers, mezcal producers, Mitla, Monte Albán and Hierve el Agua. The tour cost doesn't include entrance fees or the often pricey restaurant lunch, so you may want to take your own food. Many businesses, restaurants, and hotels in Oaxaca accept major credit cards as payment, but it is still important to have cash on hand for other times, such as for taxis and smaller restaurants and businesses and street vendors. There are two ATMs at the Oaxaca Airport. The easiest way to access cash in Mexican pesos is to go to a bank and use an ATM to withdraw cash from your own bank account. Alternatively, the currencies of other countries can be exchanged into pesos at banks or various currency exchange booths, both of which are quite common in the central part of the city.
Climate
Located in the tropics but at an altitude of 1,555 m (5,102 ft) above sea level, Oaxaca has a tropical savanna climate. The dry season, from November to April sees very little rain, and night temperatures usually drop down to around 10 °C (50 °F) but on occasion down to freezing. Nevertheless, daytime highs average 27 °C (81 °F) even in the coolest month, December. Because of the altitude and latitude, it is advisable to wear sunscreen and reapply during the day. Daytime temperatures increase each month from January to April, which is the hottest month. After that comes the rainy season from May to October with somewhat cooler daytime temperature variation and warmer nighttime temperatures, but there are still 16 to 17 days of rain every month on average. The airport is about 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city center, a 20-30 minute drive. As you leave the arrivals area, there are two taxi agency booths where you can purchase a ride into the city.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe airport is about 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city center, a 20-30 minute drive. As you leave the arrivals area, there are two taxi agency booths where you can purchase a ride into the city. Other agencies, including the ubiquitous yellow taxis in the city, do not seem to take arrivals from the airport. To get to the airport via colectivo, get your ticket the day before at the office near the Zocalo at the Alameda de Leon. Take your airline ticket and they will book you a seat on the colectivo that will get you to the airport in time. Taxi companies typically offer fixed price airport transfers for M$350 (as of Feb 2026). You can also use DiDi for a better price. 17.06162-96.726162 Transportacion Terrestre Aeropuerto (near the cathedral), ☏ +52 921 511 5453, +52 921 514 1071. M-Sa 09:00-19:00, Su 09:00-13:00. This shuttle company offers probably the most reliable transportation to the airport, and will pick you up directly from your place of stay....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
The central, tourist-oriented part of town is well signposted and easily walkable by foot, although taxis are somewhat plentiful and buses numerous and cheap. You can pick up a free city map from one of several information booths, including one right outside the cathedral. The Spanish laid out a colonial town in the present grid pattern in the 16th century. Later development hasn't touched it much since the 1800s, so today it makes for a charming old-time Centro Histórico (Historic Center). The 375 hectares (930 acres) under the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation comprise a roughly 15-by-15 grid of square blocks surrounding the Zócalo (central plaza), bound by peripheral arterials. The entire area has colorful antique 2- and 3-story buildings with charming small businesses, lined by well-maintained sidewalks. This is especially true within a few blocks of the Zocalo and the Templo de Santo Domingo, 5 blocks north, connected by the pedestrianized Macedonio Alcalá Street.
Where to Stay
On booking.com you need to pick Oaxaca de Juárez. Some areas near the center are more busy and have more noise, and others may be a bit of a walk from where you want to spend some of your time. Rates can go up significantly during the winter high season and hotels fill up during national holidays and religious holidays, especially Dia de Muertos. Budget hostels can be found for around M$200 per night (March 2022). Oaxaca is a safe city by Mexican standards, although robberies are not unheard of, particularly after midnight. During the popular uprising in 2006, there was some anti-tourist sentiment, and as of 2026 you can still see some anti-Gringo (and anti-Israel) graffiti, but face-to-face hostility doesn't seem to be a thing. The tourist experience generally feels pretty friendly. There's a good reason why there are practically no buildings in Oaxaca higher than three stories: 25% of all earthquakes in Mexico are in Oaxaca state.
Money & Budget
Many businesses, restaurants, and hotels in Oaxaca accept major credit cards as payment, but it is still important to have cash on hand for other times, such as for taxis and smaller restaurants and businesses and street vendors. There are two ATMs at the Oaxaca Airport. The easiest way to access cash in Mexican pesos is to go to a bank and use an ATM to withdraw cash from your own bank account. Alternatively, the currencies of other countries can be exchanged into pesos at banks or various currency exchange booths, both of which are quite common in the central part of the city. It might pay to look around for the best rates of exchange. You may find that the banks offer a better rate but they might be slightly less convenient to deal with.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Oaxaca is a safe city by Mexican standards, although robberies are not unheard of, particularly after midnight. During the popular uprising in 2006, there was some anti-tourist sentiment, and as of 2026 you can still see some anti-Gringo (and anti-Israel) graffiti, but face-to-face hostility doesn't seem to be a thing. The tourist experience generally feels pretty friendly. There's a good reason why there are practically no buildings in Oaxaca higher than three stories: 25% of all earthquakes in Mexico are in Oaxaca state. Oaxaca is near the Tehuantepec fracture zone where three plates stick together, making it the perfect formula for big and dangerous quakes. An earthquake of 7.4 magnitude struck Oaxaca on June 23, 2020, damaging thousands of houses and causing 10 deaths.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Oaxaca (city)
a woman walking down a street past a red building
a large building with a clock tower on top of it
a view of a city with mountains in the distance
Oaxaca México
a close up of a multi colored blanket
a building with a courtyard and trees in front of it
an old yellow car with luggage on top of it
a small red car parked in front of a building
a group of people sitting on steps in front of a building
a wooden table topped with a bowl of food
a woman walking down a street past a red building
a large building with a clock tower on top of it
a view of a city with mountains in the distance