If Oaxaca is a destination of interest, I recommend two excellent writings by Mike Beebe, posted here on the RS Travel Forum. Mr. Beebe writes with charm and eloquence and I am certainly not his equal.
Walkin' in Oaxaca - Rick Steves Travel Forum
Walkin' in Oaxaca: Part 2 - Rick Steves Travel Forum
Oaxaca City, in the southern Mexican State of Oaxaca has become famous as the place to be during Dia de los Muertos ("Day of the Dead") celebrations, held annually in late October and early November.
Our original plan was to be there at that time, but we changed our itinerary to one week earlier, arriving on October 22nd and staying until October 28th. There were a couple reasons for this, the most influential being an attempt to see and experience the build-up to the celebrations without being caught in the Mardi Gras atmosphere which has become something of a dilution of authenticity.
We flew from Portland on Volaris Airlines with a stop in Guadalajara, arriving in Oaxaca mid day. Our return was with American Airlines connecting through Dallas/Ft. Worth en route back to Portland. Both experiences were certainly acceptable. The Oaxaca airport is not far from town and taxi services and shared vans are available. Uber is not available in Oaxaca but a similar ride share company, "Didi" is. I downloaded the Didi app, but we did not make use of it.
Our hotel (Casa de los Frailes) is located in city centro less than a five minute walk to Templo Santo Domingo, in a friendly and safe neighborhood with cafes and shops nearby. From our experience, the centro city is very walk able and most attractions are easily reached. The zocolo and cathedral are major stopping points for walking travelers.
While it is certainly true that English is not widely spoken in Oaxaca City, in the smaller villages that surround, Spanish is not widely spoken, either. This is the land of indigenous people who speak languages thousands of years old. In several shops along our travel routes, there was no common language spoken. Artists spoke their native dialect, Mexican travelers spoke Spanish, we spoke English and everything worked out fine.
Our planning for this adventure was, in retrospect, a little overly adventurous. We visited a number of historic sites outside of the city (Yagul, Lambityeco, Monte Alban and Mitla) but, in doing so, we neglected the many wonders of the city - which was in daily preparation for the upcoming celebration. We merely toured the markets and strolled through the neighborhoods filled with street art while en route to somewhere else. Neglectful planning of which I take full responsibility. I should add that there is no shortage of writings on these historic sites. I liked Yagul the most.
Oaxaca is a foodie paradise. Some believe it offers the finest cuisine in Mexico. I cannot argue that.
Although one of the poorest states in Mexico, travelers will find nearly everything in more expensive than Mexico City or Guadalajara. Hotels, restaurants, public transportation, even street food costs more.....in some instances, quite a bit more.
Mezcal is a source of pride in Oaxaca, and gigantic distilleries compete with local producers for the opportunity to display their expertise. I proudly announced to our local tourguide (April) that I found a Mezcal back home that I really like - without the "smokiness" that seems so common from my tasting experience. April replied, "If you don't like the smokiness, you don't like mezcal." I guess I will have to stick with Tequila.
A cautionary word - based to some degree on necessity......Do Not Drink Anything That Isn't Bottled and Securely Capped and get use to not flushing toilet paper. It seems the sanitation systems are not up to that challenge. Strangely, when we arrived at Dallas/Ft. Worth on our flight home, I had difficulty finding the toilet paper bin in the restroom stall. I had become a creature of habit.....welcome back to the U.S.A.