Oaxaca Day trips

I think Tlacolula has a Sunday market. It's a relatively large town southeast of Oaxaca, on the way to Mitla. I always found it enjoyable, and there's a nice church too. All the outlying towns have markets, generally on different days of the week. Your hotel should be able to tell you which is when.

A couple of the best craft towns might be Teotitlan del Valle (rug weaving), just north of the same road toward Mitla, and Ocotlan (pottery, Josefina Aguilar sculpture, great restored church), directly south of Oaxaca. There's also Arrazola, down that same road but just south of Monte Alban, where they make alebrijes, the colorful wooden animals you see everywhere. Arrazola is a relatively prosperous village because those things are so darn popular -- we have about a dozen at home. You can get them everywhere, but the best choices (other than at Arrazola) are probably along the Alcala in central Oaxaca, stores like La Mana Magica and others.

One way to get around without a guide, if you're adventurous and have some basic Spanish, is to ride a collectivo, basically a shared-ride taxi from the Abastos Market near the center of Oaxaca. These cars leave when they fill up, usually pretty quickly. On each there's a sign indicating which village or town it's going to. Much cheaper than a private taxi, and can be fun. Of course they go both ways, but it's not a scheduled system. The Abastos Market is itself fascinating, not tourist-oriented but where regular people get food and other stuff. It's one of the places where pickpocket precautions are especially in order.

A bus service runs between one of the downtown hotels and Monte Alban, or a taxi could take you there. Not to be missed.

Your hotel should be able to help with logistics, lining up a driver or tout, etc. I'll be in Oaxaca in about three weeks, and I'll tell everyone to expect you! ;-)

Thank you for all the suggestions! It sounds wonderful and I can’t wait. I’d like to find a guide/driver, but it sounds like we’ll be able to manage if we don’t have it all together by the time we arrive.

Many thanks again.

Check En Via in Oaxaca. They are a nonprofit that does micro financing ti help women set up and run their own businesses. I was there at Day if the Dead so it might have been a little different, but they take you a village outside of town where you can meet some of the women and learn about what they do. You’ll of course have a chance to buy from them but there is absolutely no pressure to do so. (Although I did buy a beautifully embroidered apron and a weaving). You would have to get yourself to their site but then they take over driving and lunch was included. You’d have to contact them for current details but it was a very interesting trip.

Thank you! I’ll check out En Via, too.