10 Best Places to Visit in Oaxaca, Mexico
Oaxaca is one of Mexico’s most beautiful cities. It is surrounded by tropical vegetation & the high mountains of the Southern Sierra Madre. You can say that it is the heart of Mexico.
The place represents the mixed displays of both Indian and Spanish elements. The UNESCO World Heritage site represents many excellent heart touching opportunities. The government has taken good care of those sights so that visitors from all around the Globe can visit there with joy.
Almost every place of the sites are full of unique attractions to look at and be picturized. You need not to worry about staying in the hotel and difficulties finding any kind of location as all the places are well decorated and located. The best places to visit in Oaxaca is described here.
Best Places to Visit in Oaxaca
Hierve El Agua
Nowadays Hierve El Agua is a top tourist attraction and a must see place in Oaxaca. In earlier times, the place was used to supply water to canals & terraces leading down into the valley.
It is located deep in a jungle covered area with mountains that offers a beautiful natural surprise. It looks like a frozen waterfall that is flowing from the side of a staggering cliff. This has a waterfall and series of small, natural pools. Swimming is allowed here. 2 mineral pools are yellowish in color.
Get there early before the tour buses show up. The easiest way is to sign up for a tour. The city is safe for any travelers. Hotels are available to ease you.
Museum of Contemporary Art & Textile Museum
It is a must visit and the most beautiful place in Oaxaca for lovers of art. A vast collection that showcases contemporary art across the World with usual local art.
Features an eclectic array of paintings of locals that include Rufino Tamayo & Francisco Toledo. And also creations in disciplines like sculpture, graphic art & pottery. There is a city’s Textile Museum called Museo Textil de Oaxaca. Shows colorful displays of traditional textile crafts.
You can also have films, workshops, lectures, and a well-stocked library of different issues. Guided tours are available here. A shop is located on site for selling examples of local textiles & related goods.
Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden
The Oaxaca Ethnobotanical Garden called Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca is situated on about 2.5 acres of land that is adjacent to the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán that is a famous place in oaxaca. It is worth adding to your travel.
The garden is created by a group of central artists who are known for their work with other Oaxaca cultural attractions. It sets out to explore the close relationship between humans and the plant life surrounding us.
This easy to navigate garden occupies a part of the old monastery grounds. An expanded variety of native species, medicinal plants, a rescue area and species used for centuries in traditional recipes belong here. Guided tours in the English language are available.
Cultural Center of Oaxaca
Centro Cultural Santo Domingo is often referred to as the Regional Museum of Oaxaca or Museo Regional de Oaxaca, one of the nicest places to visit in Oaxaca city. It is placed in the former convent Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
This attraction is regarded for its good collections that are related to native culture. And also for its secular exhibits from the colonial period. The ethnological collection has jewelry, costumes, ceremonial, masks & household implements. Those belong to the Indian tribes from the region.
The archeological exhibition is the Mixtec treasure trove of jade, gold, turquoise & other semi precious stones. necklaces, bracelets, earrings, breastplates and masks were made of those. Some historical documents from the old church including the refurbished old Spanish kitchen are the source of interest.
San Jerónimo and Santa María del Tule
The small village of Santa María del Tule is famous for the old Tree of Tule called El Arbol del Tule. This cypress tree is 40 meters wide & 42 meters tall that stands in front of a church & is estimated around 2K years old. Interesting town of Tlacochahuaya is home to the 1.6K century San Jerónimo Church.
It includes its richly decorated interior crammed full of colorful paintings and created by local Indians that portrayed their artistic ideas with paintings of flowers, stars, suns, birds & angels. Visiting the place is a must to do things in Oaxaca.
The Ex-Monastery of Santiago Apóstol
The small town of Cuilapan de Guerrero is located just 12 kilometers south of Oaxaca. It was famous for producing cochineal. It is a red dye made from one kind of insect. The town is a tourist spot now. Only part of the complex is still used by the church here.
The tomb of the last Zapotec princess & the daughter of the ruler Cocijo-eza is situated here. It is Oaxaca’s top attraction.
Museo Casa Juárez: Fit for a President
It is placed at García Vigil where much revered President Benito Juárez lived. The whole setup opens up into a large central courtyard. The activities include the museum’s portrayal of the daily life of both working and middle classes in the 19th century.
The Oaxaca Stamp Museum called Museo de la Filatelia Oaxaca is a fun little attraction and has collections of stamps & artworks from local surrealist artists. One of the best places to go in Oaxaca.
The Rufino Tamayo Museum
The Rufino Tamayo Museum called Museo Rufino Tamayo was presented to the state by famous Mexican artist Tamayo. It lies in an old palace beside the Zócalo. To display archeological objects from Mexico’s many Indian cultures, this rich collection of Pre-Columbian art was established.
Visit the Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca called Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca, or IAGO. It was founded by a Mexican artist called Francisco Toledo that contains fine paintings from across Latin America and a cultural center and a library with many precious manuscripts & a music library. It is the best place to visit in Oaxaca.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Solitude
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad or often called. The Basilica of Our Lady of Solitude. It is dedicated to the patron saint of Oaxaca. It was constructed of green Cantera, a stone unique to the area, between the 17th century.
Its attractive atrium built from limestone blocks is surrounded by a covered walkway. It is also notable for its figure of the Virgen de la Soledad. There is a large pearl on her forehead. Other places include San Felipe Neri, San Juan de Dios and San Agustin. Oaxaca’s best places to visit.
Monte Albán
Zona Arqueológica de Monte Albán, called the historic settlement of Monte Albán, is located eight kilometers west of Oaxaca. This is another beautiful place among the best places to visit in Oaxaca. The location is easily accessible by tour bus or taxi. It covers an area of about 40 square kilometers. It is on a man made platform 400 meters above the Oaxaca Valley.
The city was once home to some 35,000 people in its heyday. Gran Plaza measures 200 meters wide by 3,300 meters long and forms the center of the archeological ruins. A couple of large pyramids & a palace with an inner courtyard and cruciform tomb.
