Oaxaca
A sixteenth-century grid of portals and courtyards in a Zapotec valley, a mountaintop city of pyramids above it, and two kitchens with a MICHELIN star.
- Arrival
- Oaxaca International · OAX
- To the city
- About 8 km south of the centre
- Private jets
- Customs at OAX, open by day
- Best time
- October to May
The city
Antequera, and the mountain above it.
The Spanish founded the city in 1529 as Antequera, in a valley of the Zapotecs, and laid it out in square blocks around a central square lined with portals. On the hill above, Monte Albán was the Zapotec capital for more than a thousand years, its terraces and pyramids cut from the mountain itself. Both were inscribed together on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.
The MICHELIN Guide Mexico gives a star to two kitchens in the old centre, both cooking traditional Mexican food. From October to May the valley is dry and sunny, with afternoons of 25 to 30 °C; from June to September most months bring over 90 mm of rain.
- Monte Albán The hilltop capital of the Zapotecs, its great plaza ringed by pyramids and terraces above the valley.
- Santo Domingo de Guzmán The Dominican church and former convent at the top of the old town, its interior covered in gilded carving.
- The Zócalo The central square of the 1529 plan, with arcades on all four sides.
Arriving
A daytime airport in the valley.
Oaxaca International lies about 8 km south of the centre at Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán. Its single runway of 2,450 m sits at about 1,520 metres, and the airport is open from about 5 am to 7 pm local time.
- Mexico City 50 min
- Houston 2 h 15
- Bogotá 4 h 00
- Barcelona 12 h 30 long-range jet
- Lagos 14 h 15 long-range jet
When to go
October to May.
Warm and dry for most of the year: from November to March there is barely any rain, and highs run from 26 to 29 °C; April and May are the warmest months, at 30 °C. June to September are the rainy months, with 90 to 140 mm each.
- 26° J 4
- 27° F 5
- 29° M 11
- 30° A 31
- 30° M 77
- 27° J 140
- 26° J 92
- 27° A 103
- 25° S 125
- 26° O 51
- 26° N 10
- 26° D 5
Where to stay
Courtyards in the old town, suites in the foothills.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Pug Seal Oaxaca Twenty suites around a courtyard painted with murals, most of them turned away from the street.
- Grana B&B Fourteen rooms in an eighteenth-century residence, breakfast at a shared table and a roof terrace facing the mountains.
- Hotel Casa Santo Origen Eight suites at the foot of the Sierra, each named after a region of Oaxaca and opening onto a balcony or patio.
Where to dine
The best tables in town.
From the MICHELIN Guide Mexico 2026.
- Los Danzantes Oaxaca One Michelin star Mexican $$$ Macedonio Alcalá, Centro
- Levadura de Olla One Michelin star Traditional Mexican $$ Manuel García Vigil, Centro
- Criollo MICHELIN Guide Traditional Mexican $$$$ Av. Francisco I. Madero
- Crudo MICHELIN Guide Fusion $$$$ Oaxaca
- Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante MICHELIN Guide Contemporary Mexican $$$ Constitución, Centro
- Nois MICHELIN Guide Mexican $$$ Oaxaca
Elsewhere in Mexico
More reasons to come.
- Mexico City Polanco, Roma, and the murals of the historic centre.
-
Los Cabos
The arch at Land's End, the golf courses, and the Sea of Cortez.
-
Tulum
Jungle hotels along the beach, and cenotes inland.
- Punta Mita Two golf courses and a handful of resorts, at the northern tip of Banderas Bay.
- San Miguel de Allende The pink spires of the Parroquia, and an art scene in the highlands.
- Mérida Restored haciendas around the old capital of the Yucatán.
Flying to Oaxaca?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.