A day in Oaxaca de Juárez

Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico

Dawn - Monte Albán mountaintop

Cool morning air meets me on this flattened mountaintop above the pale valley. I climb toward the grand ceremonial plazas of the old Zapotec capital. This site was the pre-eminent political capital of the Zapotec world, with monumental platforms and carved stone stelae looking over agricultural fields and distant ranges.

Morning - Jardín Etnobotánico

Tall columnar cacti and ancient agaves crowd the winding paths in the warm light. I follow those landscape routes past endemic flora arranged by local artists. The garden sprawls across former military grounds attached to the monastery and shows the ecological ties between plants and human communities.

Morning - Cobblestone streets

Uneven stones press under my shoes while the morning city grows warm around me. I move through the cobbled streets in lightweight clothes and sturdy walking shoes. Residents dress for this warm climate in breathable shirts and trousers, and visitors should choose modest, lightweight clothing for the same streets.

Midday - Catedral Metropolitana

Solid stone fills the open square in front of the cathedral. I cross the paved ground before Oaxaca's principal church. The facade was built to withstand frequent regional tremors, and carved wooden altars plus classic religious artworks reflect centuries of devotion inside.

Midday - Zócalo

Laurel shade cools the crowded square while I eat mole negro. The slow-simmered sauce of dried chillies, seeds, spices and chocolate comes over chicken. This tree-lined square is the social heart of the city, where locals and travellers gather under the laurels.

Afternoon - Santo Domingo walls

Massive stone walls rise close and cool beside the temple. I pass along the heavy defensive stone of Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. This complex pairs the walls with exuberant gold-leaf inside, and the adjoining former monastery holds archaeological treasures from nearby mountain tombs.

Afternoon - Santo Domingo interior

Overhead, gold leaf covers the nave in thick, bright ornament. I stay beneath it inside Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The interior is covered in this exuberant gold-leaf ornamentation and vast arched corridors link the adjoining former monastery spaces.

Afternoon - Former monastery court

Quiet shade lies across the stone of the old monastery court beside the church. I cross this peaceful courtyard between the vast arched corridors. These former monastery spaces now house a regional museum holding archaeological treasures unearthed from nearby mountain tombs.

Golden Hour - Ceremonial platforms

Gold light fills the valley while I move across the ceremonial platforms. I take in the grand plazas and carved stone stelae of Monte Albán. From this flattened mountaintop the view runs over surrounding agricultural fields and distant mountain ranges.

Night - Zócalo laurels

Sones carry under the laurels as I cross the square. I pass street musicians and the shoeshine boxes that line the stone paths. This tree-lined square is the social heart of the city, where locals and travellers gather in the shade.