Colours of Oaxaca
It’s a delicate dance balancing past and future, yet Oaxaca pulls it off effortlessly.
Beautifully preserved, the UNESCO-protected city has an eclectic mix of indigenous and colonial styles covering more than four centuries of art and history.
The bright facades of Oaxaca’s distinctive architecture – chapuline green, mimosa yellow, azure blue, carmine red – lift you as you wander the streets on the hunt for your next street taco or sip of mezcal.
Step inside these colourful buildings and you’ll discover many of them have been sympathetically converted into modern boutique hotels, contemporary art centres and world-class museums.
The epicentre of mezcal, Oaxaca state accounts for 70% of total production in Mexico. As I stumbled from one mezcaleria (mezcal bar) to the next in search of the perfect copita, I found it at Mezcalillera: a tobalá joven grown at high altitudes in Santiago Matatlán.
Whether it’s black pottery from San Bartolo, earthy woollen textiles from Teotitlán del Valle or brightly coloured alebrijes wood carvings from Arrazola, it’s easy to lose hours wandering the vibrant markets and cobblestoned side streets shopping for exquisite handmade crafts and clothes.
Here’s a few recommendations for where to shop, eat and stay in Oaxaca.
SHOP
KŪN, Calle 5 de Mayo 409 A @kun.oaxaca
Curated collection of eclectic objects including handmade Oaxacan clay ceramics, colourful Huipils and unusual decorative masks.
Piedra de Rio, Calle Murguía 304 @piedraderio.oaxaca
You’re bound to fall in love with the clay serve ware that you see in all the trendy Oaxacan restaurants; this store has unique pieces at affordable prices.
Huizache, Calle Murguía 101
Fill your bags with genuine, high quality Oaxacan handicrafts direct from local craftspeople. Over two floors you’ll find incredible styles of huipils, rebozos and blouses as well as jewellery, folk art and hand painted alebrijes.
Objeto Buffet, Calle Miguel Hidalgo 1208 @objeto.buffet
Sells beautiful clay pots, vases, ceramics, and ornamental and utilitarian objects mostly modern with a nod to pre-Hispanic culture.
Marcanto Store, Av. Jose Maria Morelos 802
Concept store showcasing womenswear, accessories and homeware from independent designers from Mexico, India, Peru and beyond. Post shopping there’s a tranquil courtyard where you can grab a cocktail, Golden Milk or kombucha from Bocaflor.
FOOD & DRINK
Levadura de Olla, Calle Manuel García Vigil 304 @levaduradeolla
Thalía Barrios Garcia’s restaurant focuses on healthy ancestral food from her hometown San Mateo Yucutindoo. The traditional Oaxacan drinks are as excellent as the food, and the cocktails, the best I tried featuring mezcal, pulque, corn whisky and kalanca.
Sabina Sabe, Avenida 5 de Mayo 209 @sabinasabeoaxaca
You’ll be lucky to get an actual spot inside the lively bar here, but there’s plenty of seating in the bar areas around it where you can also eat. The mezcal menu is extensive (if a little overwhelming) but you can’t go wrong with the cocktails.
Mezcalillera, Calle Murguia 403-A @mezcalillera
Head to this small informal bar/shop for a mezcal tasting with knowledgeable staff. You’ll get to try brands from rare distillers and learn about the production process and different magueys used to make them. Return home more clued up and armed with your favourite bottle.
STAY
Hotel Los Amantes, Calle Ignacio Allende 108 @hotellosamantes
Three colonial houses make up this beautifully restored hotel by architect Joao Boto Cairo, just round the corner from Santo Domingo cathedral. Modern artworks curated by artist Guillermo Olguín adorn the walls. Across the road they also run a tiny atmospheric mezcaleria, where you can knock knees with fellow mezcal aficionados while a guy strums on a guitar in the corner.
