Brilliantly painted alebrije handicrafts in Arrazola
Visiting Oaxaca, Mexico, is a great adventure. There are restaurants to visit, crafts to buy, galleries to see, museums to explore, archaeological ruins to climb, neighborhoods to walk and people to meet. Oaxaca is also home to hidden charms that some tourists neglect to see. The valley surrounding the city of Oaxaca de Juarez is a rich assortment of villages, each with their particular traditions and attractions. This article introduces the region and summarizes some of the villages' highlights.
Instructions
1. Buy a map. As you're relaxing in Oaxaca city's zocalo, or the center of town, sipping a cup of Oaxacan hot chocolate, break out the map and start studying your options. Some of Oaxaca's villages are so close to the city center that regular city buses access them every 15 minutes. It can be educational and diverting to pick a region and visit three or four villages in the area in a day.
2. Choose your region. San Bartolo de Coyotepec specializes in black pottery and the nearby Ocotlan de Morelos has a Friday market and a museum dedicated to surrealist painter Rodolfo Morales. San Agustin Etla has winding mountain roads, the Centro de Artes de San Agustin museum and library, and the palapas and pools of Vista Hermosa. Tlacolula has a sprawling outdoor Sunday tianguis, or market, around its stunning church, and is near the fascinating archaeological ruins of Yagul. Teotitlan del Valle is internationally renowned for its natural-dyed rugs and also has a church with a courtyard in which indigenous dances are often performed. San Martin Tilcajete and Arrazola are famous for their alebrije wooden crafts.
3. Select a mode of transport. City buses, second class buses, executive buses, taxis and collective taxis cover your basic excursions. For something more tailored to your tastes, leave the driving up to someone else. Sign up for a village tour, sold in offices in town, or hire a driver or a taxi to take you around. These options allow you to be ushered around by a local and a fluent Spanish-speaker. However, make sure you are allowed to broaden your visits beyond the vendors that give the tour operator a commission for taking tourists only to their studios.
4. Slow your pace! Village life is entirely different from the buzz of an urban center. Take time to greet locals and chat with artists about their wares. You can try to time your visits to coincide with village market days, which can be charming, offering all manner of handicrafts, housewares and delicacies particular to the region. Some villages have popular restaurants that are attractions in themselves, such as the Hacienda Santa Marta's Sunday buffet near San Agustin Etla.
5. Listen to the languages. Many of Oaxaca's villages are populated with people from indigenous backgrounds. You might hear Triqui or Zapotec instead of Spanish or English. Many villagers are happy to teach you a word or two in their native language so that you can practice greeting each other. If you sit in the village square or near the town market, someone will surely approach you to converse.
Tags: Agustin Etla, archaeological ruins, Oaxaca villages, your visits