Oaxaca was Mr. Vacay’s pick: He had been to the Southern coast of Mexico once before, 20+ years ago, and he wanted to go back. We decided to split our time between the city and the beaches, and we set our intentions on learning about the region and RELAXING. These were the highlights of our trip.

Oaxaca (city)

We spent our first five nights in Oaxaca city and the neighboring pueblos. I was blown away by the volume and the quality of art in this moderate sized city. The surrounding pueblos are well-known for pottery and woodwork. But within the city, textiles and contemporary art seem to rule along with the traditional Mexican handicrafts. After a few days, you may even start to appreciate the city-wide graffiti as one more form of artistic, creative expression.

Must sees in the city:

  • The Zocalo – go for lunch and people watching. Restaurants, likely catering to tourists, line the square. The area is alive with pedestrians – people relaxing, friends meeting, and wandering vendors selling everything imaginable.
  • The expansive mercados – go for the flowers, meat, produce, mezcal, breads, and ice cream. And don’t miss the vendors that spill out from the mercados, lining the packed sidewalks and narrow streets.
  • The ruins of Monte Alban – go for the history lesson. It boasts a lovely museum collection of archeological finds. As an added benefit, you get to enjoy unmatched views of the city from the hill-top.
  • The Mono de Candela parades – go for the smiles, the laughter, the music, and the joy. I love a parade, so nothing made me happier than seeing giant, spinning, paper mache puppets dancing to live music in the streets. The first time we saw them was outside of our hotel. They were accompanied by hundreds of young adults, two bands, and dozens of different groups dressed in gorgeous indigenous attire, and all of them were grooving through the city streets – eat your heart out Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. The second time, they were surrounded by a post-wedding celebration (I’ve already warned the Mr., if we ever renew our vows, I want Mono de Candela partying in the street, with fireworks, Oaxaca-style). If you are in the city center on a Saturday, a wedding party should be easy to find near Santo Domingo church. Just listen for the raucous party and then follow your ears.

Beyond Oaxaca City

With a rental car and Google maps navigating some surreal unpaved back roads, we were able to check out the pueblos just outside of the city.

  • Santa Maria Atzompa – we went looking for loza verde ceramics, but a few other things stole our hearts. This small town retains its charm in the form of small ceramic workshops and colorful murals painted on street-side walls. We hit the jackpot at the Mercado de Artesanias, which houses stalls for each local artist. We left with pastillaje muñecas, which are red clay sculptures adorned with beautiful braid details, and barro zarate (or barro natural), named for precision cut clay pieces that are truly “au natural.” They dry light-pinkish-white without any varnish or enamel finish.
  • San Antonio Arrazola – for aljibre sculptures (and an ice cream break!). We wandered through the quiet streets until we came upon the home, workshop, and museum of Manuel Jiménez. We met his son, Isaías Jiménez, who is now the principal artist, creating the imaginative, colorful, and often mythical creatures well-known and loved in this area. They are wood carvings, but because of their soft gentle curves and tiny patterns, one (who ME?, no, of course not!) could easily mistake them for quilted and stuffed pillows.
  • San Bartolo Coyotopec – to see barro negro in its many forms. This is fine clay pottery that can have a dull gray or shiny black finish after firing. Some pieces are decorative, others are water-safe for household use. And all are one-of-a-kind. We were fortunate to see a demonstration by a local potter, the grandson of Doña Rosa. He talked about the history of his family trade while crafting a new piece using an age-old process. No potters wheel here. His tools, an upside-down bowl, a spinning plate, stones and leather, gracefully shaped handfuls of mud into works of art.

Puerto Escondido

We spent our last five nights at the beaches along the southern coast of the state. My takeaway from this area – sun-kissed relaxation.

Puerto Escondido has the laid-back, easy feeling of so many other beach communities. The demographic is young and foreign. Think students and tourists, looking for fun, sun, and surf. There are also gypsies and retirees, either vacationing or making a new home in warmer weather.

It’s obvious why people are drawn to this area. There are wide open beaches and incredible daily sunsets. If it weren’t for the summertime heat, I might be tempted to stay too. Huatulco seemed to be an area visitors never left. It is a developed cruise ship and tourist port. We only spent one night there, and while I loved Playa Chahue, the town in general wasn’t really our speed. But, it seems like Canadians have made themselves quite comfortable, waiving their flag alongside the flag of Mexico.

Back to Puerto Escondido, which was very much our speed. We spent our days by the pool or at the beaches – Playa Zicatella, Playa Carrizalillo, and Punta Escondido. The Mr. surfed while I alternated between lounging, beach-side massages, ocean dips, and loving on the countless stray beach dogs. The water is warm, the sand is hot, and these beach communities have mastered the casual comfort of palapas, beachfront recliners, umbrellas, and cold drinks.

Playa Carrizalillo may be my all-time favorite beach. The Mr. surfed (albeit notably small, uninteresting waves), and I swam in the cooling, clear, and tranquil bay. When we needed a bite to eat, we never had to wait long for someone to come along, offering ice cream, peanuts, tacos, or aguas frescas (sweetened, fruit infused waters). Mr. Vacay was happy, I was happy. Everyone, literally, was happy.

This is how I will remember the state of Oaxaca – artistic, warm, delicious, relaxing, and above all else, happy.