City Overview

Population: 244,727 inhabitants in the city.
Location: Oaxaca State is located in the south-east portion of Mexico.

Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial city located a little over 300 miles south of Mexico City. The city owes its fame to the beauty and harmony of its architecture, the richness of its cultural traditions, the wide variety of its typical foods, and its soft temperate climate which is spring-like throughout the year. Its name comes from the Indian word Huaxyácal. In Oaxaca you will find an incredible mix of both Spanish and indigenous culture.

The center of Oaxaca is made up entirely of colonial buildings and churches. You can spend days just walking through the narrow streets of Oaxaca visiting all the old buildings and admiring the lovely courtyards located within them. The zocalo, the most important part of any Mexican town, is especially interesting. Surrounding the area are many sidewalk cafes and restaurants where you can sit in the sun and enjoy watching the activities in the plaza. The area is always full of vendors, locals, tourists, and during the nights, there are always bands playing.

From the zocalo, the city proceeds in an orderly manner on streets extremelyclean and full of flowing traffic. Close by, one of the main streets is closed to cars. It connects the zocalo with the Santo Domingo Temple and it known as "Andador Turistico" (Tourist Boulevard). The Contemporary Art Museum is located here as are many of the old colonial houses, various galleries, restaurants, and some of the most distinguished jewelry and handcraft stores in the city. At the end of the Tourist Boulevard stands the exceptional Santo Domingo Temple, a splendid example of Mexican baroque architecture.

If buying local arts and crafts are something you are interested in, Oaxaca is the place to go. In and around the city there are markets where you can buy pottery, carvings, paintings, rugs, plus much more! The main market day in Oaxaca is on Saturday. Merchants from all over the area bring in their goods to sell. Every other day of the week, the surrounding towns have their own markets. Each town specializes in a certain good. Trips to these markets are a wonderful way to get to know this fascinating region of Mexico.

In and around the city itself, there are many different archaeological ruins, all of which are very well worth a trip. The most famous of which is Monte Alban, an ancient ceremonial complex on a mountain top overlooking Oaxaca.

Finally, for those interested in something even more relaxing, Oaxaca is just a few hours away from the beautiful tropical beach areas of Huatulco and Puerto Escondido.

Without a doubt, Oaxaca is an ideal place to learn Spanish and experience Mexico!

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