Alex & Ashley
Excursions
Mezcal Tours
Recommended Guides: www.mezcalistas.com/mezcal-tours-oaxaca/
One of our favorite things to do! Hire a guide to take you to the small villages near Santa Catarina Minas and Matatlan where Mezcal is made. It's an incredible experience even if you don't care that much about Mezcal itself. You can go deep on a full day Mezcal-only tour, or easily mix-and-match with any of the other tour options.
The Eastward Route
El Tule, Teotitlán, Tlacolula, Mitla, Hierve el Agua
El Tule is a massive cypress tree, possibly the largest in Latin America. Teotitlán del Valle is the "textile village" - learning about how the textiles are made is incredibly fascinating, especially when you learn where the red dye comes from! Tlacolula has an incredibly vast open market on Sundays. Mitla is our favorite archeological site to visit - the preservation of the patterns on the buildings is amazing. Hierve el Agua is one of the most scenic spots in the valley. It's a mineral spring that's created a "frozen" waterfall and has pools at the top you can swim in.
The Southward Route
San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martín Tilcajete, Ocotlán
San Bartolo is famous for it's "barro negro" silvery-black pottery you find all over Mexico. San Martin has several of the most well-regarded makers of alebrijes. We recommend the shop of Jacobo y María Ángeles where you can view some of the most spectacularly intricate examples and watch them being made. Ocotlán has a large open market on Fridays.
Monte Albán
Archeological Ruins
Just 5 miles from the downtown area. Once, the cultural center of the Olmec, Zapotec, and Mixtec people. (We actually haven't been to this ourselves.)