Oaxaca for a week - enough to do?
 

Planning a trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca in April 2012. Right now it looks like we'll be in Oaxaca for seven days ... will there be enough to do and see to keep us occupied? We enjoy museums, ruins, small villages, walking, dining, etc.

Had hoped to head over to the coast for a few days, but the airfares are prohibitive, and I don't want to spend a couple days in transit there and back. Now I'm wondering if a full week in Oaxaca will be too long.

Given your broad range of interests, I think you will find seven days well-filled.

There are two major ruin sites, Monte Alban and Mitla, but the valley has many others. See Archaeological Mexico. http://www.amazon.com/Archaeological...4030378&sr=8-1

There are a number of villages in the area famous for their crafts, principally weaving, pottery and woodcarving. Also artisanal mescal production.

There are walks to and from these villages, and also to the archaeological sites. Plenty of hills to explore.

There are more than enough restaurants to fill seven days.

But if you think seven days is too much (consult a guidebook first), you might consider spending four or five days in Oaxaca, then taking the bus to Puebla for two or three nights. Puebla is yet another attractive colonial city with a few good day trips. It is four hours from Oaxaca and two hours from the Mexico City airport (direct buses available).

FD

Hidden along the beautiful coast of Oaxaca, you'll find Bahias de Huatulco, a jewel ... beaches exploring-tourism Huatulco, Oaxaca www.mexconnect.com/articles/632

Lots to do beach wise too always find plenty to do...

If you can't find enough to do in Oaxaca in 7 days, you're just not trying. 2 weeks would be better.

Once you get there you'll realize what a foolish question that was ;)

There is plenty to do in Oaxaca for a week. One thing you might consider doing is taking a cooking class. The last time I was there, I stayed for about a week, and this was a great way to spend a day. We did the full-day class because it has a market tour, which was amazing! http://www.seasonsofmyheart.com/cook...es_school.html

I would get a tour book, you will have plenty to do, the centro, the regional museum, markets, Monte Alban, Tule, Teotilan de Valle, Santana de Valle Yagul, Mitla, Hierve del Augua, market days in Tlatoclua, Zachilla, and Ocotlan, crafts in Arrazola, ceramics in Coyotepec and Atzompa, then you can head further a field to the museum in San Jose el Mogote or up in the mountains to Guelatao or Ixtlan or north to the Coixlahuaca to rarely visited and astoundingly huge Spanish ex-conventos, or your can just spend a week in Oaxaca City itself. This is one of the culturaly richest places in the world you will not have problem fginding things to see and do for a week or in my case 20 years.

Thanks for the helpful replies ... I have been reading about Oaxaca, and I don't think we will have any difficulty finding enough to do over a week's stay!

p.s. This is not my first trip to Oaxaca, but the last time I was there, it was the early seventies I was a 23 year old having plenty of fun traveling throughout Mexico and Guatemala on a shoestring.
My idea of interesting travel has evolved a bit since then ;)