The colours!!! It's amazing to think that such bright, vibrant shades can all come from natural sources.
Saskia,
Forget the food (OK, ignore that) - Oaxaca is also Mexico’s craft capital. We can arrange visits to artisanal villages such as Teotitlan del Valle where you will see local craftsmen in action and learn how they weave carpets using natural plant and animal dyes to create the unmistakably colourful Oaxacan patterns. The town also specialises in making hand-made beeswax candles and decorative paper flowers.
Key Stats
Best Time To Visit
Sep - Jun
Flight from London
10:50 hrs
Time Difference
GMT -6 hrs
Other villages worth visiting include San Bartolo Coyotepec, San Martin Tilcajete and Santo Tomas Jalieza, each of which is famous for a particular craft, namely ceramics, carved wooden animals (alebrijes) and finally bags, belts and rugs respectively, often using techniques unchanged for centuries.
Back in the city of Oaxaca itself, there are fun markets to explore for the produce from the various villages, and for the full over-arching Oaxacan experience we can always weave arts and crafts interests into an itinerary that includes culinary encounters in the city and cultural visits to nearby Monte Alban, the capital of the ancient Zapotec nation, and other Zapotec sites.
