Oaxaca, México — Una vez al año, a finales de julio, Oaxaca florece—no solo en color, sino en ritmo, movimiento y espíritu. La Guelaguetza, uno de los festivales culturales más reverenciados de América Latina, atrae a bailarines, músicos, chefs y buscadores de todo el mundo. No es un espectáculo. Es una ofrenda—de tradición, identidad y alegría comunitaria.

¿Pero qué sucede cuando la música se apaga? Ahí es donde comienza este santuario costero.

To think about Oaxacan gastronomy s to think about dishes that combine the most exquisite flavors of Mexico. Classic Mexican ingredients like corn, chocolate and chili make each dish a unique experience for the palate. Thanks to the authenticity and variety of its ancient recipes, Oaxaca is one of the states most renowned for its cuisine and today Oaxacan food is even a UNESCO declared World Heritage Site. 

So, if you like your food, you will not hesitate to try these 5 typical Oaxacan dishes that are sure delight anyone and leave them with a full stomach and a happy heart. 

Those who visit Oaxaca will tell you they never want to leave. A colonial city full of ancient treasures, great tourist attractions and truly unique and unparalleled gastronomy. Yet, if there’s one thing that really makes Oaxaca the perfect destination for travel, it would have to be its beaches. Puerto Escondido, Huatulco bays, Zipolite and Mazunte are some of the most beautiful and pristine beaches, full of golden sand and turquoise water, that you will find on the Oaxacan coast… truly idyllic scenes.

So, let yourself be carried away by the gentle sea breeze and escape to the 4 best beaches of Oaxaca. mejores playas de Oaxaca.

On the Oaxacan coast, you will find many stunning beaches with turquoise seas, golden sand and unparalleled landscapes. Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, Zicatela, Zipolite and, of course – Mazunte, are just some of the idyllic places hidden in Oaxaca; places full of mysticism and unforgettable sunsets.

Among the best beaches that Oaxaca has to offer, Mazunte is perfect to rest and meditate; its rustic and relaxed atmosphere will allow you to connect your mind and soul with nature. In Mazunte, Oaxaca there are several places where you can enjoy this experience, such as the various spa centers or boutique hotels with spas that offer services such as massages, meditation sessions, yoga and other activities and workshops. The relaxing effects and positive contributions for the body and mind, make this place a very attractive plan for your next visit to vacation.

It doesn’t matter if you go alone, with friends or your partner, the important thing is that you relax and let yourself be pampered. Therefore, we recommend the following 3 activities to do in Mazunte to destress and connect with yourself:

If you’re a lover of eco-tourism, of enjoying nature in a place that cares about the environment, then a visit to Mazunte, Oaxaca is a must. A small, charming, coastal Oaxacan town, within a short distance to other beaches such as Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, it has everything you need for an amazing vacation.

Mazunte combines a stunning rainforest setting with the natural beauty of its beaches, providing a friendly and picturesque environment with unforgettable sunsets that are sure to blow you away. It is not only unique because of the majesty of its landscapes, but because it is a destination that bets on sustainable tourism by focusing on the preservation of flora and fauna. Mazunte has numerous eco programs, such as releasing the turtles, crocodile conservation at the eco-tourism center ‘La Ventanilla´, and the elaboration of natural cosmetics products to promote sustainable development, at the Natural Cosmetics Factory.

With more than 300 miles of beautiful coasts and beaches, Oaxaca has become one of the most affluent areas for surfers from all over the world, and all thanks to the ideal conditions that this place holds, like strong and incredible waves, amazing environment and perfect weather to perform this extreme sport in all levels, from small and smooth waves for beginners to great walls that will test your abilities as a pro. 

Even if the main season of the year for surfers is between April and October, throughout all the year you can enjoy different activities according to the temporality so you won’t have to fight to find something cool to do, something amazing to discover or to visit in your stay.

That’s why we commend ourselves to do this list with all the best places from Oaxacan Coast to do surfing, where you can learn and practice all you need to become one of the best surfers of the world.

Mazunte & San Agustinillo’s beaches in Oaxaca have become one of the favorite places for tourists around the world thanks to the beauty of their beaches, the incredible natural environments from the Pacific coast, people’s warmth and simplicity and due to the enormous variety of choices at anyone’s disposal.

And both of these hidden treasures of the planet aren’t just Magical Towns ‘Pueblos Magicos’ for tourists, there’s also a remarkable fishing community that make their living selling mollusks (purple snails, oysters, clams); fishes (tunas, billfishes, goldfish and sharks); crustaceans (lobsters) and sea turtles to all visitors. A region that sustains itself thanks to its commitment to the environment and the sustainable development existent since 30 years ago.

So if you’re looking to get out of those common crowded places on your next vacation season, willing to explore new horizons, plus staying active and having lots of fun, check out this traveler’s guide that we’ve made for you. 

Oaxaca isn’t just some place to enjoy all of its natural environments, beaches, little towns, customs and traditions, it is also a place with a huge variety of Mexican cuisine dishes, besides being one of the most delicious of all country. That’s why we introduce to you a small list with some of the dishes from this region. It doesn’t matter where you are staying inside this state, you can always find some of these gorgeous things from Mexican cuisine at a very low cost.

The Day of the Dead is a popular ceremony that invokes the ancestors’ spirits to invite them to live in the underworld, Therefore, people try to pamper their ancestors so that their souls can visit their relatives.

Currently, in Oaxaca the Day of the Dead celebration begins with the acquisition of the products that will be placed as an offering on an altar. From dawn, the markets or ‘Plazas de Muertos’ are installed and dressed in the smells and the colors characteristic of the season.

There, people can find among other characteristic products: the black mole, the Oaxacan sweets among which the canned pumpkin, the tejocote apples and the nicuatole (a kind of pre hispanic corn jelly), accompanied by milk or water based chocolate, the great diversity of ‘dead breads’ that exist throughout the state, the delicious mezcal and the huge handmade tortillas.

Located on the beach of Mazunte (word derived from Maxontetia, which in Nahuatl means “please lay eggs here”), The Living Museum of the Sea Turtle is an initiative of the Mexican Turtle Center and was created in 1991 to raise awareness about the importance of caring for this species, considered in danger of extinction, in a place known as an area of ​​sea turtles, where previously people used to traffic indiscriminately with these animals and their eggs.

The museum has six species of sea turtles, six species of freshwater turtles and two species of land turtles, with more than 500 specimens of these species, among which the lora turtle, hawksbill and golfina stand out, the latter has its main nesting centers on the beaches of Oaxaca.