Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Oaxaca City
Got two hours? You'll need it for the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures, housed in the beautiful monastery buildings adjoining the Templo de Santo Domingo. This鈥
Must-see attractions in Oaxaca
Puerto Escondido
Legendary 3.5km-long Zicatela is the best-known surfing spot in Mexico courtesy of the tempestuous surfing waves of the Mexican Pipeline. The heart of the鈥
Zipolite
Zipolite's beach is huge, running for a good 1.5km and dispatching massive waves. It's famous for its nudity; you'll see people randomly swimming,鈥
Puerto Escondido
Small is beautiful at Carrizalillo, set in a sheltered cove west of the center that's reached by a stairway of 157 steps. It鈥檚 popular for swimming and鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Halfway between the western edge of Parque Nacional Huatulco and Puerto 脕ngel awaits some of the most precious coastline in Oaxaca. The water can be鈥
Oaxaca City
Gorgeous Santo Domingo is the most splendid of Oaxaca鈥檚 churches, with a finely carved baroque facade and nearly every square centimeter inside decorated鈥
Mazunte
This rocky cape, jutting out from the west end of Mazunte beach, is the southernmost point in the state of Oaxaca and a fabulous place to hike at sunset鈥
Puerto Escondido
The 6km-long Manialtepec Lagoon, beginning 14km west of Puerto Escondido along Hwy 200, is an essential spot for bird enthusiasts and a fascinating place鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
This long, sandy beach, 14km west of Santa Cruz Huatulco, is backed by a fishing village, and in contrast to Huatulco's other settlements, there's鈥
Oaxaca City
Traffic-free, shaded by tall trees and surrounded by elegant portales (arcades), the 窜贸肠补濒辞 is the perfect place to start soaking up the Oaxaca atmosphere鈥
Puerto 脕ngel
The coast east of Puerto 脕ngel is dotted with small hidden beaches, none of them very busy on weekdays. Playa La Boquilla, on a gentle bay about 7.5km鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
The oddly named 'rabbit bay,' 3km east of Tangolunda, has a long main beach divided by a small rocky outcrop into the western Playa Arenas and the eastern鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Cacaluta is a 1km-long slice of paradise that's protected by an island, backed by dunes and usually deliciously deserted. The Mexican road-trip movie Y T煤鈥
Oaxaca City
A top-class museum, even by Oaxaca's high standards, showing off a wondrous collection of pre-Hispanic art donated by the city's most famous artist,鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Three kilometers west of Santa Cruz and easily walkable along a roadside pavement, Maguey鈥檚 fine 400m beach curves around a calm bay between forested鈥
Oaxaca City
Historic, romantic, dignified and safe, wonderful Calle Alcal谩 (traffic-free since the 1980s) is what Oaxaca is all about. It runs north from the鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
One of Huatulco鈥檚 loveliest and most interesting day trips, this 鈥榓gro-ecotourism鈥 operation includes a large organic fruit orchard and a gorgeous 500m鈥
Puerto Escondido
Casa Wabi, a sprawling artists' residency that occupies a wonderfully airy building designed by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando, runs tours three鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Inaccessible by land, Chachacual has two beaches: the easterly Playa La India is one of Huatulco鈥檚 most beautiful scimitars of sand and one of the area鈥檚鈥
Oaxaca City
In a city of provocative graphic art, this workshop and gallery is a key agitator. Founded by the art collective Asaro (Asamblea de Artistas鈥
Oaxaca City
At the center of this gallery's workshop is an exceedingly rare 8-ton J Voirin lithography press, which prints both acrylics and woodcuts. Works on鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
La Entrega lies toward the outer edge of Bah铆a de Santa Cruz, a five-minute motorboat trip or 2.5km walk/drive along a bendy road from Santa Cruz. This鈥
Oaxaca City
In former monastic grounds behind the Templo de Santo Domingo, this garden features plants from around Oaxaca state, including a staggering variety of鈥
Oaxaca City
Wander northwest of the historical core and you鈥檒l ultimately encounter this arched aqueduct rendered in typical green cantera stone that runs the length鈥
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca鈥檚 sentinel hill with stairs, statues, a park and 鈥 of course 鈥 views makes a robust early-morning run or walk. It starts on Calle Crespo at the鈥
Parque Eco-Arqueol贸gico Copalita
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Granted, it's no Monte Alb谩n, but this pre-Hispanic site 600m north of La Bocana village is your only true glimpse of history in made-in-the-1980s鈥
Catedral de Nuestra Se帽ora de La Asunci贸n
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca鈥檚 cantera stone cathedral is suitably massive and old, but in a city as culturally rich as Oaxaca, it is arguably only the third most impressive鈥
Basilica de Nuestra Se帽ora de la Soledad
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca doesn鈥檛 lack distinguished churches, but many locals rate the Soledad as their favorite. The original baroque facade dates from 1690; while the鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Just east of Bah铆a Maguey, this lush 250m beach has calm waters good for snorkeling, and no crowds because there's no vehicle access and no restaurants鈥
Mazunte
With a wonderful and very appropriate setting overlooking the ocean, this two-part turtle center ushers visitors on a walk around a collection of outdoor鈥
Oaxaca City
A 19th-century wonder of marble and murals, the State Government Palace occupies the 窜贸肠补濒辞's southern flank. The large, very detailed stairway mural 鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
About 1.5km east of Playa Conejos, just before the Parque Eco-Arqueol贸gico Copalita, lies Hutatulco's most low-key beach. Less pretty than other spots,鈥
Puerto Escondido
The sheltered bay of Puerto Angelito has two smallish beaches with shallow, usually calm waters: the western Playa Angelito and the eastern Playa鈥
Bah铆as de Huatulco
Tangolunda, 5km east of Santa Cruz Huatulco, is the site of most of the major top-end hotel developments. The long, wide, spotlessly clean beach is鈥
Oaxaca City
The simple house of bookbinder Antonio Salanueva, who supported the great 19th-century Mexican leader Benito Ju谩rez during his youth, is now an鈥
Oaxaca City
You鈥檒l find art by leading figures such as Tamayo and Morales, plus a fine selection of handicrafts and rugs, at this commercial gallery founded by the鈥
Centro Cultural Comunitario de Teotitl谩n del Valle
Teotitl谩n del Valle
A new cultural center with exhibits focused primarily on, you guessed it, all things weaving. Definitely worth a peek if you want to learn more about鈥
Instituto de Artes Gr谩ficas de Oaxaca
Oaxaca City
In a beautiful colonial house and founded by Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo, IAGO offers changing exhibitions of graphic art as well as a superb arts鈥
Centro Fotogr谩fico 脕lvarez Bravo
Oaxaca City
With a taste for provocative social commentary, this contemporary gallery displays weird and wonderful work by local and international photographers.
Museo de Arte Contempor谩neo de Oaxaca
Oaxaca City
Exhibitions of first-rate contemporary Mexican and international art in a beautifully revamped colonial house.
