The former convent of Santo Domingo is an exceptional setting for an equally exceptional museum. The art objects, crafts and weapons on display provide an extremely interesting panorama of the different civilisations that have lived in the State of O..

Built on the summit of a levelled hill above Oaxaca, Monte Albán and its magnificent proportions are best seen from building E in the low-angled light of the early morning or late afternoon. The Zapotecs occupied the site from the 5C BC, making it th..

Sitting on a sidewalk café under the portales (arcades), on a bench in the shade of the ficus trees or on the steps of the elegant music gazebo, take the time to observe all the activity at the Zócalo, its scores of balloon salesmen, shoe shiners a..

Painter and native son Rufino Tamayo endowed the city of Oaxaca with his personal collection, to our great enjoyment. The collection at the Museo de Arte Prehispánico Rufino Tamayo is remarkably rich, covering every period and region of the various M..

Don’t be mistaken - this house was never lived in by the conquistador Hernan Cortés since it was only built in the early 18C. But who cares! It’s worth seeing if only for the façade, flanked by finely worked columns and a wrought-iron balcony. A cont..

The façade of the Church of Santo Domingo de Oaxaca represents St. Hippolytus and St. Dominic, the founder, supporting a church onto which the Holy Spirit is descending in the form of a dove. The three female figures on the pediment embody faith, h..

The Monte Albán Museum can be explored before or after visiting the site. It contains the originals of the steles whose copies can be seen in their initial location, including the striking Danzantes with Olmec features or the steles of Captives. Am..

The most emblematic image in Monte Albán, the “Dancers Wall” is part of building L (south platform) and dates back to the period when the Zapotecs flourished (4C-5C AD). These stone steles in rows (the originals are preserved in the museum) show ba..

The Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre markets south of the Zócalo feature a wide range of regional products for sale, including the specialities that have given Oaxaca its culinary reputation: cheese ( quesillo ), dried meat ( tasajo ) and, more..

Market-lovers should check out Abastos Market, a perfect example of its kind. Its different sections are laden with pyramids of vegetables, dazzling fruits, chickens propped up for viewing, and pots and pans. Saturday is the big day here when village..

Contrary to the other buildings on the central platform of Monte Albán, oriented according to the cardinal points, this mysterious mound is turned 35° to the southwest and is arrow-shaped. It may be an observatory. The back is covered in warrior-them..

The image of the Virgin of Solitude appeared miraculously to a shopkeeper on his way to Guatemala, and the fervent worship it generated resulted in the Basilica de la Soledad. Dating back to the 17C, it boasts a richly ornamented Baroque façade.