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Our Week in Mexico - Oaxaca de Juárez & Puerto Escondido

Everything you need to know for a week in Oaxaca: itinerary, packing list, restaurants, cafés, money, safety, and transportation tips. Google Maps included!

· 14 min read
Our Week in Mexico - Oaxaca de Juárez & Puerto Escondido

After 10 years in the States, it was high time I visited Mexico. For years, I've dreamed of getting to see through my own eyes the works of indigenous makers, potters, weavers, and natural dyers. And the opportunity finally presented itself this fall.

I did a lot of research, talked to friends, and enlisted my foodie husband to plan (but not too much) our first trip abroad (besides visiting family in Europe) since our stopover in Iceland in 2015.

Here's what we did during our 4.5 days in Oaxaca de Juárez and 2.5 days in Puerto Escondido in early November.

Travel Tips

Mexico's the 28th country I got to cross off my list. I was a seasoned traveler in my 20s but needed to get back into "one bag" packing mode.

I've visited a few countries in South America, and this was my first time in Central America.

I'm proud to say that there is not much I would change as to what I planned or packed as you'll see when you read along.

Packing

We traveled with carry-ons only, but saved the option to check a bag on our return flight (spoiler alert: we did not need to).

Outlets are the same as the standard North American ones, so we didn't need to bring an adapter.

As for clothing, I packed:

  • Summer clothes for this early November trip, with a warm layer for the evening (and the air-conditioned bus): 4 dresses (long and short), the set pictured above, this linen vest and pant set, another pair of linen pants, 2 tees, 1 DIY tie top, 1 cotton sweater, 1 cashmere cardigan.
  • A pair of flip-flops for the shower and the beach (I wish I had packed these slides), comfy sandals for walking around town, a pair of nicer sandals for evenings out, and a pair of sneakers for excursions.
  • A swimsuit, but no beach towel (I could have used one of these).
  • A hat.
  • We left our warm jackets in our car when our friends dropped us off at the airport (thank you D and M), and wore our somewhat warm outfits as airport and travel outfits.

Hygiene/Beauty:

  • Travel-size hand sanitizer
  • Sunscreen in a refillable container
  • I put solid shampoo and soap in tins as these were not provided in our first Airbnb.
  • We did not bring refillable water bottles since we didn't know how often we'd have access to drinking water. So we bought bottled water upon arrival and refilled our bottles whenever possible.
  • I (thankfully) brought a first aid kit. I'd recommend packing Lomotil and electrolyte tablets if anyone's susceptible to suffering from Traveler's Diarrhea.

Money

  • If you haven't exchanged money before your trip, withdraw money at an ATM at the airport, before exiting into the public area of the airport. Alternatively, if you have a connecting flight in the country, withdraw cash at the first airport you land at in Mexico.
  • I read that, if the option is offered at the ATM, you should decline the exchange rate and let your bank apply it. Do your research.
  • Also, don't be surprised, the symbol used for Mexican pesos is also $ 😄
  • We paid by card for restaurant reservations we had made online. Otherwise, cash was our main means of payment (taxis only accept cash).

Safety

I'm a cautious traveler wherever I go. Here are some tips I follow everywhere I go:

  • Lock your luggage.
  • Keep your passport and credit cards in a safe location (safe, zipped pockets).
  • Keep copies of your passport and important documentation separate.
  • Withdraw money in a safe area (before exiting into the public area at the airport).
  • Stash your cash in various places on your body and your luggage, and keep a "spare wallet" with some cash easily accessible.
  • Look up your itinerary before leaving a place and try to memorize it, don't look at your phone/map at every street corner.
  • Wear a cross-body bag with a zipper.
  • Don't carry unnecessary valuables. Don't keep them visible.

Language

I speak Spanish fluently, so I had no issues communicating. I also compiled a glossary of regionalisms, local ingredients, and dishes by studying menus ahead of time.

Most people we interacted with also spoke English and menus were often bilingual at restaurants and cafés.

Just in case, the Google translate app is always on the homepage of my phone (the camera translator is pretty handy for menus).

Oaxaca de Juárez

Accommodation

We booked this Airbnb in Oaxaca de Juárez.

It was tucked away in a courtyard at the back of a café. Central, quiet, with great breakfast options across the courtyard.

Drinking water was available at a fountain outside the front door.

The hostess was the sweetest, I'd book with her again without hesitation. I know she has other units available as well.

Transportation

  • Colectivos (from the airport to your accommodation)

Buy a ticket from the booth right before the exit from the Oaxaca airport. Depending on which zone your accommodation is located, you'll pay a flat rate. You'll pay around 140 pesos per person to go to the city center.

The colectivos are lined up outside. Show your ticket, and tell the driver your address. He'll tell you which van to hop on, and he'll drop you off at your accommodation on his route.

Download the Didi app, it will start working once you're in Mexico. The app will give you an idea of how much a ride will cost. You'll pay the driver in cash.

It only works in central areas (not to come back into town from Monte Alban, for example).

  • Regular taxis

Flag taxis on the street or, more likely, they will honk to check whether you need their services.

Upon entering, always ask: ¿Cuánto me cobras para ir a ... ? (How much do you charge to go to...?)

Breakfast / Coffee

  • Marito&Moglie (Instagram) - My favorite. I went back there one afternoon when Octave wasn't feeling well. I even got their branded tee, my kind of travel souvenir!
  • Muss (coffee) / Amá Terraza (lunch) - They're located in the same building, Amá Terraza is a... terrace atop the building, the architecture and view are unbeatable.
  • Café Rústiko (Instagram) - That's the café we had to cross to get to our Airbnb, with great breakfast and lunch options.
  • Pan Con Madre (Instagram) - We stopped there for breakfast on our way to Monte Albán. The pastry selection was on point!

What's next on our list:

Restaurants

Our first (three) mole(s).

This might have been my favorite restaurant in Oaxaca City. Delicious menu, incredible service, breathtaking view.

The avocado toast was delicious but the location and the view were even more incredible!

We drove out of town to attend a real experience at Alfonsina, starting with a tour of the grounds.

I went back there for lunch when Octave needed some rest. I had a delicious shakshuka and spent some time reading my book.

We had a great chat with the server. Can you believe they had Octave's father's liquor on the menu?!

Having not been able to go for dinner the night before (it was packed) we came back for lunch and had a great experience. ¡El futuro es fermentado!

We ate our first chapulines (grasshoppers) there! They gradually shut the roof and turned on the lights as the night descended, the architecture was incredible!

My expectations were pretty high, and this was our last dinner before leaving the country. It was disappointing, our questions remained mostly unanswered, we expected more from a restaurant where most of the experience was seeing your dish prepared in front of your eyes.

What's next on our list:

Day Trips

What we did:

  • Monte Albán - a large pre-Columbian archaeological site.
  • Santa María Atzompa - we visited the Taller Ruiz López (see below) and the Mercado de Artesanías (above).

What we wish we did (but couldn't because one of us got sick):

  • Árbol del Tule, Santa María del Tule - a tree that has "the stoutest tree trunk in the world".
  • Teotitlán del Valle - a village renowned for its weaving wares since pre-Hispanic times.
  • Hierve el Agua - a set of natural travertine rock formations that resemble cascades of water.
  • Mitla - a Mesoamerican archaeological site.

That gives us many reasons to come back soon!

Shopping

  • Marchanta - where I almost bought a beautiful dress from the Mexican ethical brand Yakampot.
  • Colectivo 1050º, where we chatted about pottery.
  • Mercado Benito Juárez - A bustling covered market filled with local goods, produce, and food.
  • Mercado 20 de Noviembre

We would go through many street markets in the evening, I bought a beautiful embroidered tie top!

What's next on our list:

  • Mercado de Artesanías de Oaxaca

Activities

They have a wide variety of massages, including pre-Hispanic techniques. The (deep tissue) massage itself was amazing, but there was unfortunately construction outside the window which made for not such a peaceful experience. Contact them ahead of time and inquire about that.

What's next on our list:

  • Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca

It had unexpectedly closed to visitors the day we planned on touring it.

Art

Museums / Galleries

Not a museum per se, but a good introduction to the process and history

What's next on our list:

I saw on Instagram that there was an art opening one evening and decided to attend it.

I met some incredible people there (including a French-Algerian artist) and wish I could have stayed longer to explore the bustling local art scene.

Print

  • La Jícara - This might be my favorite place in town. As you know, I have a slight obsession with zines and this was the place to be.
  • IAGO - I stopped by one evening, but wish I had met earlier the friends we made a few days later as this place seems to also be a zine trove!
  • Cuatro Triángulos - This spot was recommended by our new friends, and we were greeted with shots of mezcal!

Pottery

  • Taller Ruiz López (Monday - Friday) - We went there on a weekend so we did not get to see many artisans at work, but an older lady gave us a quick tour and we were able to shop a few small bowls that we were able to safely pack in our carry-ons for the way back home.
  • Mercado de Artesanías de Santa María Atzompa - A few blocks North of the Ruiz López workshop. It was easier to flag a taxi from there.

Puerto Escondido

Literally, a "hidden harbor".

Transportation

There's a somewhat new highway that makes it easy to travel from Oaxaca de Juárez to Puerto Escondido in a little over 3 hours by bus. Bring a sweater for the air-conditioned journey.

There are bathrooms at the bus stations and on the bus. Book front seats if you have motion sickness, though the roads were super smooth.

Accommodation

Our first booking got canceled a few days after we booked it because of a storm so we ended up staying at this newer construction.

It seemed we were the only ones in the whole building, which we weren't mad about.

We'd come back for a nap and a swim after lunch before going on evening adventures.

Restaurants

  • La Morena

A popular destination for locals.

With tasty Middle-Eastern dishes.

A must-go. Not the easiest to find at the end of a dark gravel alley, but really worth the expedition!

Great location, wonderful service, excellent meal.

Cafés

Octave had had this café on his list since he watched this video. We went back 2 days in a row and got a chance to talk to the owner, Gustavo. Octave and he ended up geeking about coffee, sustainability, what it means to be an organic farm, and so much more. I hope we'll get to visit the farm and stay there one day.

  • Sandala Café

Good breakfast, but not on my list of recommendations, it was full of remote workers...

Beaches

We walked 40 minutes along the shoreline from Finca Las Nieves to Playa Carrizalillo.

  • Playa Carrizalillo

You go down many steps and end up on the most precious "secluded-looking" beach. We found a spot in the shade and I went to play in the waves, a beautiful morning, well worth the hike in the sun!

On our last day, we went to get breakfast by the beach, walked to Finca Las Nieves for a last coffee, grabbed croissants for the bus ride at French bar and restaurant Cyrill, retrieved our suitcases at the Airbnb, and took a taxi to the bus station.

In Oaxaca, we had our last dinner at CRUDO and headed to our hotel by the airport for a short night before our early flight.

There is so much more I need to see and learn from this wonderful place. While I prepare for my next visit, I'm following the work of all the amazing artists I met and discovered while I was there, I keep pinning locations on my map, and I read and reread all the cool zines I purchased on my trip.

¡Hasta pronto, Mexico!

Have you traveled to Oaxaca? Any tips you'd like to share?

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