3 DAYS IN SANTIAGO | JANUARY 2018
OPTIMAL TIMES OF YEAR FOR THIS ITINERARY: October through April (their summer!)
INTERACTIVE GOOGLE MAP: All of the recommendations on this itinerary (and extra bonus ones) are pinned in the map embedded here that you’re welcome to copy over into your own google maps and customize to your own liking. You can also click on any of the dots once in Google map view to read a little blurb about each spot. Yellow = lodging, Green = activity, Blue = food.
Day 1: Arrive in Oaxaca!
Recommended to fly into OAX airport. Snag a ticket from the one official taxi booth that will be obvious on the right hand side as soon as you leave baggage claim (just before stepping outside). I recommend this Airbnb (for 1 or 2 people) in particular because the hosts are amazing, the water is purified, there is both heat AND air conditioning (a rarity), and is in a super perfect location. But any other Airbnb close-ish to this one is also fine.
You likely had to take at LEAST two flights to get here, so you’ll probably be exhausted! Evening relaxed dinner stroll to Los Danzantes. You will likely be fine without a reservation to sit in the lounge area (or can make a reservation in advance for a table).
Day 2: Authentic breakfast, Spanish class, and rooftop evening
Morning: La Cosecha, or “Organic Harvest Market” on Google maps, is a cute local breakfast market where elderly women will serve you anything of your choosing! Fresh juices, smoothies, quesadillas, tacos, eggs, etc. - take your pick!
Afternoon: No matter what level of Spanish you are, whether it’s a conversational brush-up or a beginner’s guide to food, contact Becari Conzatti Spanish language school a week or so before your trip and schedule a private 1:1 lesson (only ~$11!). If you like it, you can always book more later in the trip!
Evening: Enjoy Casa Oaxaca’s beautiful rooftop restaurant - salsa and guac made right at your table, and traditional food while overlooking the church (reservation required).
Day 3: Teotitlan Day Trip + Famous Dinner
Half day trip: Teotitlan is only a ~35 minute drive from the city center, and will give you a flavor of the artisan communities in the area. Teotitlan is known for textiles and candles. We booked this Airbnb experience and loved meeting really authentic rug making artisans, candle-making artisans, and exploring the tiny small community (including the town’s art gallery). There are other artisan villages (example: Taller David Hernandez, known for alebrijes), which are a bit farther away.
Dinner: Save your appetite for an artisinal 5-course dinner at Criollo, a restaurant by Enrique Olvera, who is the chef behind the most celebrated restaurant in Mexico City (Pujol). Criollo is on an unassuming out-of-the-way stretch of Avenida de la Independencia in 2016. Be sure to try 1-2 of their mezcal cocktails, too! Set menu dinner for two + two cocktails each = $160 USD.
Day 4: Cooking School
Morning exercise: By now you’ve gotten a sense of the town; there are several running routes where you can get a solid 3 mile jog in with minimal stoplights / traffic. Many people also run laps around “El Llano” park.
Cooking school + market tour: Enjoy the market tour + cooking class at La Olla, a full day that begins with a market tour and ends with a lunch feast! The female chef is extraordinary and this is a super cute, authentic restaurant with a beautiful rooftop.
