This Vibrant Mexican City Is One of the Best Cities in the World for Food Lovers-Here's How to Plan a Visit

"Travelers often come for the rich cuisine-think mole, tlayudas, and smoky mezcal-but it's the warmth of its people that makes it unforgettable."

"Oaxaca is the heart of Mexico, and we have it all: 570 municipalities, 8 regions and 14 dialects, all the micro climates, and almost all of the ingredients that makes our food unique in the world. We have the mountains, we have the ocean-we have it all,"

"It is a quintessential and magical destination that combines culture, nature, and adventure, with a year-round spring-like climate due to its idyllic location nestled into a fertile valley of the Sierra Madre Sur Mountains,"

"It offers a charming, pedestrian-friendly UNESCO World Heritage Site city center with impressive architecture, museums, markets, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, while the surrounding valleys harbor incredible Indigenous villages that conserve century-old artisan traditions, dress, language, culture, and lifestyles."

Oaxaca de Juárez combines ancient Zapotec traditions with contemporary creativity, producing a celebrated culinary scene featuring mole, tlayudas, and smoky mezcal. The city offers colorful festivals, bustling artisanal markets, striking colonial and regional architecture, and welcoming locals. A pedestrian-friendly UNESCO World Heritage city center contains museums, restaurants, shops, and nightlife. Surrounding valleys host Indigenous villages that preserve century-old artisan techniques, dress, language, and culture. Nestled in a fertile Sierra Madre Sur valley with nearby mountains and ocean, the city enjoys a spring-like climate and abundant local ingredients, providing layered experiences for culinary, cultural, and nature-minded travelers.

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