🌵 Oaxaca City: Top Attractions

The ancient ruins of Monte Albán are probably the most famous tourist attraction in the region. This Unesco world heritage site was founded in the 6th century BC and functioned as a capital for the Zapotec people for 13 centuries. The first thing I wanna say about Monte Alban is that it’s extremely easy to get to since it’s on a low mountain range that’s very close to Oaxaca City. My friend and I hailed a taxi on the Didi app and spent a total of 160 pesos to get up the hill. If you want a cheaper option, take the bus outside of Hotel Rivera del Angel. They cost 58 pesos and depart every hour from 8:30 to 3:30. They can also take you back down until 5pm, which is how we got back to Oaxaca. Upon arrival, you will buy your tickets either at the ticket booth or some handy machines they have to the side of it. I used the machines, they worked perfectly and the entry was 90 pesos. It is quite sunny up there, so make sure to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and water. Next you can consider hiring a guide. I spoke to a guy named Juan and he said a private guide for my friend and I would cost 700 pesos, which we were not willing to pay. I told him I’d wait a bit to see if he could find other people to split the costs with. He ended up finding 4 other people and we each paid 150 pesos for the tour, which was the perfect length. Juan was also very knowledgeable and had good English. I highly recommend visiting Monte Alban since it’s so easy to get to. it’s also a huge space so it never feels crowded and obviously it carries some significant historical importance. Besides being a beautiful, well-kept site, It also really manages to transport you back in time. All in all, a total win for a popular tourist hotspot.

This is a set of natural rock formations that resemble cascades of water falling off a cliff. It also contains a number of small mineral pools as well as 2 man-made pools for swimming. Getting to Herve El Agua is a little more challenging but also provides great adventure. The first thing you should do is catch a bus to the town of Mitla. It costs 20 pesos and you can catch it either at the 2nd class bus station or along Jose Vasconcelos Boulevard (Highway 190), after it leaves the station. Just stand on the correct side of the road and wait for a bus with a big MITLA sign. The town is about 40km away, so this bus ride takes about an hour. You can tell the driver you’re planning on visiting Hierve el Agua and he’ll drop you off where all the trucks are waiting for passengers. Once you get off the bus, all of the truck drivers will be yelling out Hierve El Agua to try and get you on their truck, which departs once it’s full. They pack it to the brim, so do not expect a comfortable ride. It’s also a 1-hour bumpy and windy road up to the top, but it does have some pretty spectacular views. Prices my vary for this truck. Mine had about a dozen people on it and everyone paid 75 pesos. While on the truck, you will also have to pay an additional 15 pesos to get into the general area and then 50 pesos for entry. That’s 160 pesos total for the day so far. I did enjoy visiting Hierve El Agua and the views are spectacular from up there. I would think twice about visiting during the rainy season or even a cooler day since I’ve heard it can get pretty cold up there. Luckily, it was a beautiful, sunny day and we were also able to enjoy the pools, which I think are the highlight of the attraction, and there are lots of great photo opps too. Not much shade up there so you should also bring anything that will protect you from the sun or keep you hydrated. Upon leaving the site, the food area is another attraction of its own with tons of delicious food and drink options. I was happy to see they’re also not really overpriced, even though they’re right in front of a tourist spot. To get back to Oaxaca, you just follow the same exact process. A truck back down the hill for the same price and then a bus back to Oaxaca from Mitla.

Lucha Libre is one of Mexico’s favorite past times. This is a rite of passage for anyone visiting Mexico and I had lots of fun going to watch it. As far as I’ve noticed, they put on one show a month at a place called Arena Pepe Cisneros. If you want more information, I’ll link their Facebook Page here. You can also contact them on WhatsApp: +52 951 117 3642 Front row seats cost around 350 pesos and second row seats are 300. The only difference I noticed between them is that when you’re in the front row seats, the wrestlers brawl right there in front of you and often fall all over the crowd and the seats, giving you a much more immersive experience, let’s say. Keep that in mind for front row. We sat in the 2nd row and it was pretty much the same thing but without the wrestlers falling all over you. Some people might even prefer that option. I also did not buy the tickets in advance and just purchased whatever they had left at the time, which was the 2nd row. The 3rd option for adults is the general seating at 250 pesos and they charge 50 pesos for children. You can see really well from the general seating area too since it’s not exactly an arena but a Circus-style tent with a ring underneath and fold-up chairs around it. You can get beers and some food for reasonable prices and the show is probably 2 to 3 hours, with multiple fights. Although this may not be the same quality of Lucha Libre you may get in Mexico City, for example, I still found it to be very much worth it. In Oaxaca, the Lucha Libre really has a community vibe, it was really endearing to see the children going to watch some of their heroes in their favorite masks and the athletes put on a glorious spectacle. In the end, you can even jump in the ring yourself and I couldn’t resist emulating one of my childhood heroes, the Ultimate Warrior. So definitely give Lucha Libre a go when in Oaxaca City.

If you’re looking for a beach getaway when in Oaxaca, you should definitely head down to Puerto Escondido. First let’s talk about how to get there since it is 258km away, with some of the worst roads I’ve seen in 9 years of solo travel around the globe. If you’re not on a budget, you can fly there but the only airline that offers direct flights is AeroTucan and they seem to only operate during high season. Those tickets should cost around 130 dollars. Other airlines fly to Puerto Escondido but stopping in Mexico City. The 2nd most expensive option is taking the 11h bus ride, which is probably best as an overnight thing. That’ll cost you 700 pesos and the ADO line is the most comfortable. You can buy tickets on their website, which I will link below. Option number 3, which I find the most appealing if you have the time, is taking a van from Oaxaca to San Jose Del Pacífico, a town nestled high in the mountains and known for its surplus of magic mushrooms. You can stay in a private cabana with incredible views. There are plenty of options like that around town or you can stay at Rancho Viejo, which is seemingly the only hostel in the region. Dorm beds go for 20 dollars and the facilities are absolutely incredible. Amazing showers, beds and breath-taking views from the balcony. I would suggest staying there 2 nights, since 1 didn’t seem to be enough for me. When you’re done soaking up the mountain air, you can take a van to San Pedro Pochutla and then a bus from Pochutla to Puerto. Breaking up the trip like this made it much more manageable than doing a direct van ride from Oaxaca to Puerto, which takes around 7 hours. Unfortunately we did do that 7h van ride from Puerto back to Oaxaca and it was one of the worst rides I’ve ever had in my life. It was packed to the brim and the road was extremely windy and bumpy. Luckily I knew how bad it would be so I took some motion sickness pills, which I highly suggest, but it still wasn’t enough to save my trip. If you do the van ride, just make sure you don’t get the back seats. If that’s all that’s available, take the next van.