15 Best Things to do in Oaxaca (Mexico)

Here’s a list of the 15 best things to do in Oaxaca (Mexico), along with famous landmarks, museums, and other points of interest.

Oaxaca might not be one of the largest cities in Mexico, but it’s an interesting destination known for its rich culture and history.

Night of the Radishes

Should you be in Oaxaca on December 23, you absolutely must attend the Night of the Radishes. In what must be one of the strangest celebrations in the world, this evening is dedicated to giant, elaborate carvings of radishes, each vying for the top prize in the competition.

The origins go back to the effort by market vendors to sell more produce by carving and sculpting with it. The official contest began in 1897. There are also fireworks and other events that night.

Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca

The Cultures of Oaxaca Museum was founded in 1831 when it was housed in one of the rooms in the Convent of San Pablo. The existing museum was installed and put into place in1994, with the mission to preserve and spread the cultures of Oaxaca and their physical patrimony.

Currently housed in the former Santo Domingo monastery facilities, it is full of detailed, fascinating displays that recount the entire history of the region of Oaxaca.

Be sure to reserve a few hours as there are many treasures to see, such as the Mixtec treasures, found in a Zapotec tomb and consisting of silver, turquoise, coral, bone, pearls, jade, amber and loads of gold.

Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman

This former monastery and church took 200 years to build, beginning in 1575 and finishing towards the end of the 1700s. A monastery until 1857, the building was later used by the military during wartime.

At the end of the 20^th century, it was restored and is now a gorgeous religious monument dedicated to Christianity, with an interior that uses more than 60,000 sheets of gold leaf.

Mercado de Benito Juarez

The Benito Juarez market is Oaxaca’s oldest market. Opened in 1893, it takes up an entire city block, and you can find loads of fresh produce and handicrafts. Street vendors sell Mexican food, juice, and other items.

Be sure to try Chapulines, an Oaxacan delicacy—grasshoppers! Open every day from 10am to 8pm. Remember to bring Mexican Pesos, which is the local currency in Mexico.

Monte Alban

Monte Albán was the royal city of the Zapotec people. Located just a few miles outside of Oaxaca, it dates back to 500 BC. It is a popular site to visit, in part thanks to the many well-preserved ruins it holds.

You can see plazas, tlachtli courts, pyramids and a huge graveyard. The site is listed as a Mexican UNESCO World Heritage site by UNESCO.

Hierve el Agua

“The water’s boiling” is the name of this curious rock formation about 70 kilometers outside of Oaxaca. That’s because this looming rock structure looks like a waterfall frozen in mid-air.

The truth is, however, that the optical illusion is caused by nothing more than mineral deposits from nearby calcium carbonate and magnesium streams dripping over time down the limestone cliffs.

See these natural wonders, which rise up as high as 90 meters, and make a day trip of the trip to the natural park.

Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art

The artist Rufino Tamayo was an artist and collector of Mesoamerican art, and he amassed so much that he decided to donate it to his eponymous museum so that Oaxacans everywhere could enjoy it.

Tamayo was a modernist artist but always connected with Mexico’s indigenous populations in his work, which is why he felt so compelled to collect them. His artifacts rang from sculptures unearthed from ruins to artifacts from the Mayans and the Zapotecs.

Rufino Tamayo museum — Photo: Santiago Castillo Chomel / Shutterstock.com

Convento de Cuilapam

The Cuilapam Convent, six miles outside of Oaxaca, is a now-abandoned convent with incredible Renaissance and Gothic influence. Built in the 16^th century, by the Dominicans, the complex holds a basilica, convent, and cloister.

The stonework of the site blends Christian themes with indigenous elements, which is an interesting trace of the evangelization of the indigenous people.

The site also holds a museum of ancient religious artifacts, dating back to the 1500s. The murals are also of special note.

Auditorio Guelaguetza

The Guelazguetza Auditorium, perched on a hill in the north of Oaxaca, was built in 1974 and is an 11,000 seat outdoor theater. The theater was built to hold the Guelaguetza dances, a tradition that celebrates the feast of the corn.

They marked two weeks of celebration in the old days and have evolved to incorporate Catholic elements as well. The Lunes del Cerro are the Mondays in July in which the dance of the Guelaguetza is presented, and are worth a visit.

auditorium oaxaca — Photo: ItzaVU / Shutterstock.com

Panteon General

The shady, tranquil cemetery, also known as San Miguel, is full of some of Oaxaca’s most important figures. Founded in 1829, the cemetery was used to bury bodies from the smallpox and cholera epidemics.

It features an array of architecture, tombstones, and other forms, whose design ranges from Baroque to modernist. There is bustling commerce around the cemetery, from flower shops to stonemasons.

Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca

In an effort to preserve some of the incredible botany of Mexico for visitors to observe, the Jardín Etnobotánico collects specimens to exhibit on its 2.3 acres of land, located next to the former monastery of Santo Domingo.

The variations of cacti alone are worth the trip, planted in a space that was once occupied by a monastery and then as a home base for the military.

Oaxaca has the most biodiversity of anywhere in Mexico, and is said to be the site of squash and corn domestication. The garden, designed by Francisco Toledo, tells the story of Oaxaca through plants, and the guided tours of the garden are well worth the time.

Post Mortem Chapel

Deep within Oaxaca’s general cemetery lies an unfinished church, which has a curious draw on visitors. It was to be built in the mid-1850s, but political problems meant that it was never finished and the plans were lost.

It holds an empty tomb dedicated to the forgotten dead, a popular place to leave flowers and a prayer in the cemetery.

Mezcaloteca

This bar is so loved by visitors and locals it makes the must-do in Oaxaca list. What looks like another hip drinking hole is actually mezcal heaven.

This drink, most similar to tequila, is made in Mexico and Mezcaloteca is the place to learn about it. The staff here is very knowledgeable, and you can even do a mezcal flight to taste different styles and producers.

Explore the Zocalo

In Mexico, the zócalo is another word for the town square. In Oaxaca, the square’s formal name is the Plaza de la Constitución, and it has been the heart of the city since it was founded over 500 years ago.

Visit it, as it is in the heart of all the city’s monuments and interesting sights. Lined with cafés and shops in colonial buildings, the center of the zocalo holds a park that is the site of concerts and other events.

Designed in 1529, the zocalo is always filled with people, travelers, locals, and hustle and bustle.

Amate Books

Founded over two decades, ago, this bilingual bookstore has become an institution in Oaxaca. Owners Henry Wangeman and Rosa Blum opened the shop as a meeting point between Oaxaca and the outside world, and it has grown to be its own landmark.

Formerly located on Calle Alcala, the bookstore was forced to close during the Coronavirus crisis, but its owners assure it will open in a new location after the crisis.

The shop has plenty of English-language books for those looking for something to read while visiting, but they also have perhaps the world’s largest collection of books about Mexico in English.