Blog

MEXIKO

Oaxaca: The Culinary and Cultural Heart of Mexico

There are places you visit. And there are places you carry with you, long after you’ve returned home. Oaxaca belongs to the second category.

The city in the highland valley of the same name in southern Mexico, at around 1,500 metres above sea level, has for decades been a well-kept secret among travellers seeking Mexico beyond Cancún and Chichén Itzá. And yet it has never become a mass phenomenon – too complex, too distinctive, too rich. Those who arrive with time and an open mind find here one of the most culturally dense experiences in Latin America.

A Cuisine That Moves the World

In 2010, Mexican cuisine became the first national cuisine ever to be inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. And within Mexico, Oaxaca is the epicentre of that culinary recognition.

It comes down to the mole. Not one mole – but the seven of Oaxaca: Negro, Rojo, Coloradito, Amarillo, Verde, Chichilo, Manchamanteles. Seven different sauces, each with twenty to thirty ingredients, each the result of centuries of development. The mole negro – the darkest and most complex – contains cacao, more than a handful of chilli varieties and spices whose interplay defies any chemical formula. It tastes like nothing else in the world.

Alongside that: tlayudas (large, crispy maize tortillas with beans, cheese and meat), chapulines (roasted grasshoppers, nutty and salty-crunchy), tejate (a cold cacao drink of the Zapotecs) and a street food culture that reinvents itself at every turn on the Mercado Benito Juárez.

Tip for travellers from Switzerland, Germany and Austria

Those who eat well eat in Oaxaca: the city centre has many restaurants that have attracted international attention. But the most authentic meals are those found at market stalls – for a few pesos, on a plastic chair, with a front-row view of the market hustle.

Mezcal: More Than Tequila’s Wild Brother

In Oaxaca, mezcal is not a trend. It is tradition. While tequila comes from a single agave distillate, mezcal can be produced from more than thirty different agave species – each with its own flavour, each with its own maturation period of seven to fifty years.

In the Tlacolula valley, an hour east of Oaxaca city, you can visit family distilleries where mezcal is still produced in clay pots over wood fires. These small operations are called palenques. Some have been in the same family for generations. The maestro mezcalero knows his agaves by name. Visiting a palenque is not a tourist programme – it is an invitation into a world that has, despite international hype, remained remarkably grounded.

Those who discover mezcal this way drink it differently afterwards.

Monte Albán: The Zapotecs’ Vantage Point

Eight kilometres outside Oaxaca city lies Monte Albán – and those who arrive there understand immediately why the Zapotecs chose this ridge. The ground has been levelled flat, even though you’re standing on a mountain. All around, the land drops away into wide valleys. Temples, a ball court, an observatory, palace complexes – all oriented so that the eye keeps returning to the horizon.

Monte Albán was, from 500 BC to AD 700, one of the largest urban centres in Mesoamerica. The Zapotecs, one of the oldest advanced civilisations on the American continent, left their script, their calendar and their monumental architecture here. UNESCO World Heritage since 1987.

Go early in the morning – before the tour buses arrive. For those first hours, the wonder is almost entirely your own.

The Villages Around Oaxaca: Where Tradition Lives

Oaxaca city is the entry point. The real thing happens in the villages of the Valles Centrales – the central basin that stretches around the city.

Teotitlán del Valle: a village that has been weaving rugs for centuries – with natural dyes from cacti, cochineal beetles and indigo. The weavers are happy to explain the process to those who ask and listen.

San Bartolo Coyotepec: the village that produced black barro pottery long before it appeared in New York design shops. The potters work at eye level.

Tlacochahuaya: a small village with a colonial church whose interior is so richly painted that you forget why you came in.

Hierve el Agua: The Impossible in Stone

Oaxaca has a natural phenomenon you have to see to believe: Hierve el Agua – translated as ‘the water boils’. No, it does not actually boil. It bubbles. And over thousands of years it has deposited petrified water that today hangs over a mountainside like frozen waterfalls. At the top: natural mineral pools with a view into the valley. Below: a cascade of white limestone that no architect in the world could design.

The drive there passes through mezcal agave fields and mountain villages. The journey is part of the experience.

When to Go to Oaxaca?

The best time to travel is October to April (dry season). Those who travel in early November will encounter the Día de Muertos – one of the most impressive festivals in the world, particularly vivid and visually overwhelming in Oaxaca. In July, the Guelaguetza festival takes place: a major indigenous dance celebration where groups from all regions of Oaxaca present their traditional costumes and dances.

Oaxaca as Part of a Mexico Circuit

Oaxaca is located in southern Mexico and fits well into a circuit connecting Mexico City with Chiapas and Yucatán. Typical itinerary (approx. 3 weeks): Mexico City (4 nights) – Oaxaca (4–5 nights) – San Cristóbal de las Casas / Chiapas (3–4 nights) – Mérida / Yucatán (4 nights) – Tulum / coast (2–3 nights).

Swiss Tropical Tourism plans Mexico circuits for travellers from Switzerland, Germany and Austria – bespoke, carefully curated and with accompaniment when desired.

▸ FAQ

Q: What makes Oaxaca such a special destination?

A: Oaxaca brings together, in a small space, a UNESCO-recognised cuisine, mezcal craftsmanship, living indigenous cultures (over 16 ethnic groups), archaeological sites such as Monte Albán and a relaxed colonial-city atmosphere. It is one of the most culturally rich destinations in Latin America – without mass tourism.

Q: What is the difference between mezcal and tequila?

A: Tequila is made exclusively from the blue Weber agave and is limited to certain regions of Mexico (mainly Jalisco). Mezcal can be distilled from over 30 agave species and comes primarily from Oaxaca. Mezcal is smokier, more layered and, in its artisanal form, a product with deep cultural roots.

Q: How long should one spend in Oaxaca?

A: At least 4–5 days to get to know the city and some of the surrounding villages. Those wanting to experience the Día de Muertos or the Guelaguetza should plan for 6–7 days. Oaxaca requires no rushing – it rewards slowness.

Q: Is Oaxaca safe for European travellers?

A: Oaxaca city is considered one of the safest destinations in Mexico. The city centre, tourist districts and surrounding villages are entirely accessible. As everywhere, we recommend caution at night and the use of recommended accommodation and guides.