Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages: Mezcal, Weavings and Weekly Fiestas
Indigenous markets, ancient crafts, mezcal distilled in family courtyards and a patron saint festival every week: Oaxaca's villages are Mexico's beating heart.
Oaxaca is one of Mexico's most beloved cities — its cuisine, its baroque churches, its markets — but the true pulse of the region beats in the Zapotec and Mixtec villages scattered across the surrounding valleys. Each village has a craft specialty, a weekly market and a patron saint festival complete with fireworks and brass bands.
The valley markets
Each day of the week, a different village holds its market (tianguis). The most famous is Tlacolula's (Sunday): a labyrinth of stalls selling chapulines (toasted grasshoppers), mole negro, textiles and ceramics. But Ocotlán (Friday), Zaachila (Thursday) and Etla (Wednesday) are just as lively and attract far fewer tourists. The church in Tlacolula has a side chapel — the Capilla del Santo Cristo — considered one of the masterpieces of Mexican indigenous baroque.
The crafts
San Martín Tilcajete and San Antonio Arrazola are the villages of the alebrijes — fantastical creatures carved from copal wood and painted in psychedelic colours. Teotitlán del Valle is the village of rugs — hand-woven on wooden looms, dyed with cochineal, indigo and moss. San Bartolo Coyotepec is the village of barro negro — glossy black ceramics shaped without a potter's wheel. In each case, you visit the artisan's workshop, not a shop.
The mezcal
Santiago Matatlán is the «mezcal capital of the world». The artisanal distilleries (palenques) are family courtyards where agave is roasted in underground ovens, ground with a stone wheel pulled by a horse and distilled in copper or clay stills. The tasting is a ritual: mezcal is poured into the palm of the hand and rubbed to release its aromas before drinking.
How to organise visits
From Oaxaca: colectivos (shared minibuses) for all the villages depart from the Abastos market. Distances are short — 20 to 40 minutes. Alternatively, cycle to the closer villages (Teotitlán, Tlacolula). Best time: October–December (dry season, Día de los Muertos in November, Night of the Radishes on 23 December). Oaxacan cuisine — mole, tlayudas, tasajo, chapulines — is considered the finest in Mexico.
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages?
The recommended time is October, November, December, January, February and March, when it is less crowded.
Is Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages crowded?
Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages is a very quiet destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages?
Oaxaca's Zapotec Villages is located in Oaxaca Valleys, Mexico.
