Oaxaca · Mexico
Where to stay in Oaxaca de Juárez
Oaxaca de Juárez is a city in Oaxaca, Mexico, home to about 259,000 people.
- Best months
- October to April
- Nearest airport
- OAX7 km · Xoxocotlán International Airport
- Currency
- MXNpeso
- Time zone
- America/Mexico City
- Language
- Nahuatl, Spanish, Yucatec Maya
About
About Oaxaca de Juárez
Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca (Valley Zapotec: Ndua), is the capital and largest city of the eponymous Mexican state of Oaxaca.
People have lived here since earliest times; the first settlements were Zapotec and Mixtec. The nearby sites of Monte Albán and Mitla were built by the Zapotecs and Mixtecs, and the former is regarded as a precursor to present-day Oaxaca. The Aztecs arrived around 1440, and the current name derives from Aztec "huax yacac", meaning "in the nose of the squash". In 1521, the Spanish led by Francisco de Orozco, came looking for gold. In the 19th century, it grew rich from the export of cochineal, the red dye.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Oaxaca de Juárez
See
Oaxaca's streets have a tranquil and organic feel to them. Much of the joy of an Oaxaca trip comes from simply strolling the streets of the Centro Histórico, sitting in a sidewalk cafe on the Zócalo, and soaking up the atmosphere.
- Zócalo
- Catedral Metropolitana
- Templo de Santo Domingo
- Jardín Etnobotánico
- Casa de Benito Juarez
- Museo Textil de Oaxaca
- La Casa de la Ciudad
- Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
- Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo
- Instituto de Artes Gráficos
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca
- Museo de los Pintores Oaxaqueños
Do
Just west of town is Monte Albán. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this is one of the most impressive ruins in Latin America. The Zapotec built this site around 500 B.C. Early in its history, it had about 5,000 residents, but by 100 A.D. it had about 17,000 people living there, making it one of the largest cities in Mesoamerica at the time. By the time the Spanish arrived, it had been in decay for a long while. Take a taxi or an hourly shuttle bus. Allow two or three hours to walk around.
- Monte Albán
- Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos
- Benito Juarez National Park
- Hoofing It In Oaxaca
- Guelaguetza festival
- Día de Muertos
- MOC Adventures
- Noche de Rábanos
- Arbol del Tule
- Teotitlan del Valle
- Fundacion En Via
- Tlacolula
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Oaxaca de Juárez to stay in
On booking.com you need to pick Oaxaca de Juárez. Some areas near the center are more busy and have more noise, and others may be a bit of a walk from where you want to spend some of your time. Rates can go up significantly during the winter high season and hotels fill up during national holidays and religious holidays, especially Dia de Muertos. Budget hostels can be found for around M$200 per night (March 2022).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Oaxaca de Juárez
13 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| BKL Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| Capital O El Andariego OYO Rooms | 1.5 km | |
| Capital O Oaxaca Dorado OYO Rooms | 1.1 km | |
| Capital O Parador Crespo OYO Rooms | 0.9 km | |
| Capital O Posada La Casa De La Tia OYO Rooms | 0.3 km | |
| Hostal Casa Del Sotano | 0.6 km | |
| Hostal Mixteco Nava Nandoo | 0.7 km | |
| Niyana | 0.7 km | |
| OYO Hotel Emperador OYO Rooms | 0.4 km | |
| OYO Hotel Huautla OYO Rooms | 2.7 km | |
| Posada de los Angeles | 1.2 km | |
| Posada Don Mario | 0.9 km | |
| Suites El Cielo Oaxaca | 0.4 km |
All 13 hotels in Oaxaca de Juárez, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Oaxaca de Juárez
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Oaxaca de Juárez are October to April. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; June is the wettest, with about 150 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Oaxaca de Juárez: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Xoxocotlán International Airport (OAX), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM, 137 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
The central, tourist-oriented part of town is well signposted and easily walkable by foot, although taxis are somewhat plentiful and buses numerous and cheap. You can pick up a free city map from one of several information booths, including one right outside the cathedral. The Spanish laid out a colonial town in the present grid pattern in the 16th century. Later development hasn't touched it much since the 1800s, so today it makes for a charming old-time Centro Histórico (Historic Center).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
OAX · Xoxocotlán International Airport
PXM · Puerto Escondido International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Oaxaca de Juárez
Eat
Foodies regard Oaxaca as having the most fascinating and delicious regional cuisine in Mexico, with ingredients and cooking techniques that have been passed from generation to generation for more than a millennium. The state's agriculture supplies heritage varieties of corn, squash, tomatoes, cacao and other products that are produced locally on very small scale farms. Like most of Mexico, corn is the staple food, with corn tortillas called blandas accompanying most meals. Oaxaca is known for mole, a diverse set of savory sauces made from fruits, chili peppers and spices, thickened with nuts or seeds.
Drink
Oaxaca is most famous for mezcal and hot chocolate. The state also has a thriving coffee industry. Chocolate has had special importance here since pre-hispanic times. Aside from being a foodstuff, it was also used as medicine and even money. It is most commonly mixed with hot water, cinnamon, almonds, and sugar into a concoction called chocolate de agua, served in large bowls with a local sweet bread roll.
Stay safe
Oaxaca is a safe city by Mexican standards, although robberies are not unheard of, particularly after midnight.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Oaxaca de Juárez: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Oaxaca de Juárez?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Oaxaca de Juárez are October to April. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; June is the wettest, with about 150 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Oaxaca de Juárez?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Xoxocotlán International Airport (OAX), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM, 137 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Oaxaca de Juárez?
peso (MXN).
Nearby
Destinations near Oaxaca de Juárez
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.