The Colorful City of Oaxaca, Mexico
We recently spent several days in Oaxaca City, Mexico. This was our first trip. We’d read so much about how colorful it was, how amazing the culture and how good the food, we had to see for ourselves. This is the first part of our adventures in Oaxaca.
What makes this city so attractive is that there is so much color and art all around. This is especially true in the center where much of the historical and artistic sites are. After checking into our short term rental, we headed right for the famous markets. Mercado 20 de Noviembre is one that gets much attention and we were about to find out why.
The market sits just off the zocalo near the city center. This particular market is full of food stalls, most serving famous Oaxaca meats and a new dish we were on the hunt for called a Tlayuda.
When we first walked in it was very smokey with all those grills going, but it smelled oh so good.
It didn’t take us long to see that the best stands were the most crowded so we got in line and ordered our first Tlayuda. It’s bit like a Mexican pizza.
Tlayuda
It was bigger than a dinner plate. This dish is a traditional Oaxacan dish made with a very thin tortilla cooked on a comal, a stone grill of sorts. It’s then spread with a bit of beans and a topping of your choice.
It was delicious. The stall was chose was La Abuelita. Not only was the food good but they actually served you on tables so you did not have to look for a seat.
Next it was time to discover more of the mercado. There are actually two markets right next to each other in this part of town. Next to the Mercado de 20 Noviembre sits the Benito Juarez market.
Another important dish in Oaxaca is mole. There are many different kinds of mole. In the US, we typically know the deep dark mole, that has a chocolate base. But here we saw so many variations.
The official drink of Oaxaca is Mezcal, an agave based spirit, similar to tequila. However, mezcal is very different than tequila in how it’s processed and distilled, which creates a very unique smokey flavor. This stall sold all different kinds of Mezcal products.
As we walked out of the Benito Juárez we took one look at the delicious fresh pan (bread). It was a great first stop on our Oaxacan adventure.
Back out on the zocalo there was lots of lively activity and things to see. We did not rent a car, as all of the historical area is very walkable.
As we walked down the streets there were displays of art everywhere. This was inside a city garden.
It’s easy to become obsessed with all of the murals along the colorful buildings. The art in Oaxaca, as well as much of Mexico, is an expression from artists for a variety of reasons, that include political and personal.
The beautiful flags that fly above the streets can change with the seasons. We visited in the early spring and saw some Christmas themed flags still up. In some cases they represent coats of arms or other cultural symbols of the area.
We love to take walking tours to familiarize ourselves with a new city. In Oaxaca there are FREE walking tours every day. They are offered in English as well as Spanish. This particular tour met at the Teatro Macedonio Alcalá.
The theater was built in the early 1900’s and still has theater performances regularly. We did not enter but it was a beautiful building from the outside.
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption Oaxaca
Our next stop was this 500 year old church. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral. So much history of this country is wrapped around Spain’s attempt to concur the indigenous people of Mexico bringing their religion and customs to the area. Still today, you find a conflict between the original indigenous ways and the European ways now over 500 years in this country.
Our tour took us to the remnants of a 500 year-old aqueduct that used to run into the city. At one point the aqueduct was 4 kilometers long. Today, shops and restaurants sit along the it.
We wondered what the meaning of the funny scarecrow made of rags was about. We’d see them all around Oaxaca. They are an old costume of sorts called tiliches. They were from a group of people originally that lived outside of Oaxaca that were very poor. The mask was actually made of animal skin and the costume made of rags. They are now seen in festivals and parades all around the city.
Another view from below the aqueduct. Apparently there is a scene from the movie “Nacho Libre” that was filmed right in this spot.
We were close to the end of the tour when we stopped at this adorable bench. As I’ve said there is art all around this city in every fashion. This “kissing bench” says, “I left, but my love insists (stays)”. Everyone got a picture here.
The tour came to an end. Jesenia was a fantastic tour guide. Her first language is Italian! I would highly recommend Oaxaca Free Walking tours. Find the link: HERE. We tipped $15/pp which we read was mid range of the typical tip.
Afterward we stopped at a nearby market our guide had recommend. We had a delicious agua fresca made with some tropical fruit. We loved the start to our adventures in Oaxaca and recommend a stop in this colorful city of great culture!
Come and see our next post in Oaxaca where we visited the historical museum and ancient ruins: HERE.
