Places for a family to stay in Oacaxa
 

Hi,

We are two adults and an 11 year old going to Oaxaca in a few weeks. We are hoping to find an apt or suite accommodations that would give us two sleeping areas. Also would love a pool option if possible. Hotels or B&B with adjoining rooms could work too.

We realize this might be hard to find so any accommodation suggestions welcome. We do not mind being a short car ride from the city center.

thanks,
glosean

How about a condo or small house from vrbo.com? Oaxaca is a wonderful place! Have fun!

I stayed in the Holiday Inn in Oaxaca last October (I was using hotel points and that hotel was an excellent use of points). Very nice hotel, good and friendly service, w/a nice breakfast included. It is about a 5-6 min. level and nice walk north of the cathedral/zocalo- and there are very nice shops and restaurants on that walk. We felt safe walking that path at night also. They have a very nice large outdoor pool that is heated when that is needed. I think pools like that are somewhat rare in Oaxaca so perhaps check it out online.

Check out the reviews of Villa de Campo on tripadvisor. It's an apartment complex with pool about 4 blocks north of aforementioned Holiday Inn. We checked it out earlier this year when we were in Oaxaca and got a tour from a renter. A nice little apartment. Grounds and buildings seemed well maintained, good location, and reasonable price. Many returning renters! We actually stayed in an apt directly across from Santo Domingo church. Ours had only one bdr though. That landlord might have others that are larger. If interested I'll dig up their contact info.

Also contact Casa Arnel. A hugely popular and lovely (but simple) B&B. They have a website. Family owned. BUT they also have I think 2 apts.

You may not be able to nail anything down in two weeks - but there is lots of housing there for rent and, if you speak a little Spanish and don't mind putting in the time - you could no doubt find something when you get there. How long are you staying? Also google and check out Casa Machaya - just outside town, but sounds nice and bills itself as child friendly. Owner posts alot on tripadvisor oaxaca forum. In fact, check out that forum, as it is more active for Oaxaca than this one. . ..

I stayed at Casa Adobe B&B last year and it was wonderful. They have rooms but they also have a studio apartment with a kitchen and they have a weekly or monthly rate for that. It is located in Tlalixtac, a small town just outside of Oaxaca - about a 10 minute taxi ride and 10 or 15 minutes on the bus. The owners are very gracious and even invited me to dinner a couple of times while I was there and also took me shopping local market. For a real treat - the road in front of the B&B goes right into Tule so you can take a walk and just walk to Tule and see the Tule tree. It is basically a farm road and wanders through the countryside. I did the walk and then took a taxi back to the B&B.

Thanks everyone. Checking on your suggestions. Please do send me the apt information across from the Church. Would appreciate it.

I have found a charming house rental on vrbo.com and the Casa Raab B&B both in Elta. Seems that is a 20 min or so car ride into center of city. Here is the challenge for us. Two part time dwellers (US/Oaxaca) have given us different perspectives. One says having staying in the foothills and then going into town via taxi or rental car is better; the other says staying within walking distance to Zocalo even just 10 - 15 min away is best. If in the foothills, is rental car the best option? Would help with flexibility on day trips unless anyone recommends having a driver/guide is better.

Would love to get the pros/cons of experienced travelers there. I am inclined to do a couple of days in the city and then move on to the country although my husband wants to stay in one place. I hear there is a nice local scene around the Casa Raab - Etla area although it would be nice if there is a small village or gathering place (eatery/bar) within walking distance if we do not want to be in the city center every night.

I am finding the hotels/guest houses not very impressive in city center except for the expensive ones. Pool helps when you are bringing just one child who needs some fun besides seeing the sights but having separate sleeping space is also a plus.

Looking forward to more information sharing.

regards,
glosean

Glosean:
I would think you'd be better off being within walking distance to the zocalo. You can come and go when you want, return when you want, w/o depending on cabs or trying to find parking when you go into town if you rent. If you want to do day trips to the surrounding villages, you can rent a car for that. Keep in mind that if you're like many, most of your activities will end up in el centro. Traffic & parking can be brutal, especially with some of the street renovations in the centro historico. I did a google map search the other day and it looks like some of the main arteries are under construction. You also have to figure in the occasional blockage due to political demonstrations. If it were me, I'd book downtown and dedicate X number of days there, and only then consider renting a car to go elsewhere. But even then, just hiring a cab for a day as your guide can be a lot of fun and a lot less stressful, and cheaper. Any decent hotel can recommend a driver, and most taxistas would be thrilled to be hired for the day for not too much $$. Again, your hotel can help.

I don't know what the rates might be now in this place, but they used to give excellent deals depending on the time of year. I've known several people who stayed there both long & short term. It has a lovely pool in a garden setting. The location is wonderful -- on the tourist pedestrian street, a nice little walk down to the zócalo, past Sto. Domingo in one direction, to El Llano park in another, or cross the periferico and wander around Xochimilco. http://www.paradorstodomingo.com.mx/

Even though the views are breathtakingly beautiful out in the Etlas, you'll get horribly tired of that drive very quickly -- like after the 1st time you make it.

ditto parador santodomingo. But it is very popular and gets booked quite a bit in advance. Since you're going in the off season, you might get lucky.

Thanks. The foothills sound inviting but appreciate the practical information about transportation and traffic. Have checked out the parador santo domingo. We are hoping for a separate sleeping area for our son if possible. Just to let others know, santo domingo has offered to move one of the beds into the living room space for us. Very accommodating. Read a review on trip advisor that rooms there tend to be drab. Any comments on this?

Considering a few days in the country side. Wonder if we plan those days to be day trips outside of city - villages; the springs, then location is not much of a problem.

We know this is rainy season but what does that mean in reality? Can we be stuck inside for the better part of a day? Is driving around more problematic?

thanks,
glosean

I just noticed this thread and thought I would pass along the link to this house that I was considering for the future:


http://www.alicechristov.com/oaxaca/info.htm

I would want to be in the historic center. For me going back and forth from Etla wouldn't float my boat. Not a pleasant drive as you enter town. Lot's of buses going in and out. There has on occasion been a military check point, not my choice unless you wanted to stay out in the country. I stayed at Las Golondrians twice in the last few months on business in Oaxaca. It is inexpensive, clean, charming inside and secure. They put on a great breakfast as well. You might want to check that out.

Let me spell it right: las Golondrinas and give you the link:

http://hotellasgolondrinas.com.mx/

Dude: Can you offer your opinion on the location of the house in the link I posted: Hauyapan? The site gives the distance to downtown Oaxaca as 15 minutes by car...

Parador Sto. domingo is the closest apt./hotel close to downtown w/pool. I've not stayed there, but I've seen the rooms and they are not the most luxurious, but the location is great and they have the pool you want. Their website gives a pretty good representation of the rooms; they're fine. If you want luxury, go for any of the many hotels, but you'll not get the other things you want. But hey, most of the time you spend in the room will be when you're asleep and you won't care.
As far as the rainy season, you never know, but a typical day may have a brief pm shower and/or some light rain off and on throughout the day, but it won't keep you in the room. Typically. It's not like Central America.
And here's the thing about staying in town or not. Your days may be out of the city, but you'll spend the nights in town, eating, walking, listening to music, etc. So much easier and more convenient to stay downtown. You won't regret being close to the zocalo.

As always, Baldone pinpoints what is important about visiting Oaxaca.

Glosean, about the "drabness" of the Parador Sto. Dom. rooms --

As I said, I know people who have stayed there, so I've snooped it. It's not that it's drab, but that the furnishings are extremely neutral -- sandy-brown bedspreads and the like. The kitchens are a very nice size and equipped with a coffee maker and other necessities.

I looked at the address in Google Maps. I used to have friends in Infonavit which is about as close to that as I have been. This is a guess only, that it would probably take a little bit longer than 15 minutes and certainly would with any kind of traffic. At least from as far as I have been up that way that I think it would be easier to get in to town than from Etla. I do think you are going to find a short car ride a bigger hassle than you think. If you rent, parking is an issue and you always have to worry about the security of a vehicle when you use it to visit outlying villages. If you use taxis it will get old after a while. Our first trit to Oaxaca was 20 years ago. At that time we stayed at Hotel Mission de Los Angles. That is on the other side of the Pan Am highway twoard where you are talking about it, but not as far. Although we enjoyed it, since that time whether on business or for vacation we/I have always stayed in the historic center and just find it easier and more fun to be able to walk everywhere and participate in everything that is going on. So I think you need to decide whether you want a bit more seclusion or spend a lot of time on the Zocalo, around Santo Domingo etc.

Great information everyone thanks so much. Seems in town is what makes sense. parador santo domingo seems a good choice with a kid although wonder how much in pool he will have given the weather.

Two more questions - we have been offered a rental in the "colonia reforma" have not seen any info about this district - distance to zocalo; safety; transportation; amenities so please send your experiences.

Also, Casa pereyra is another place we found with a studio that seems reasonable and nice looking even though there is no pool. Has anyone stayed here?

glosean

Reforma is another 10-15 minutes out of the historic center (on foot) and is quite safe. You'll have to cross a very busy 6 lane street to go downtown. I'll ask this: why are you so hesitant to stay en el centro? You seem intent on not doing so in spite of all the advice to the contrary from people that live in or have been to Oaxaca. You need to define what you really want to do. Is it a money thing? Do you want to be more isolated? Is there some sort of fear factor? How are your Spanish skills? If you want to experience more of the local (non-touristy) culture, and speak the language well, stay farther away from the zocalo. If you want to see all the typical stuff Americans want to do, stay in the downtown. And that's not a bad thing. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Whatever you decide, you'll find that Oaxaca is probably the premier destination for people that want to experience all that Mexico has to offer. You will love it.

Glosean, click on this map: http://www.placesonline.com/north_am...oaxaca/map.asp then notch up the slider until you can see the individual streets. See the word "Yalalag" to the upper right of that little orange square covering the -ca in Oaxaca? Colonia Reforma is roughly west & north of Yalalag (Yalalag is only @a 2-block neighborhood, & Las Flores Norte bleeds into Col. Reforma).

Colonia Reforma has long had a quasi-ritzy reputation which really isn't all that deserved as parts of it are pretty scruffy or close to loud traffic. It should be safe, though, and parts of it are quite nice, although not particularly interesting. It's definitely not within comfortable walking distance to the zócalo, as you'll determine from the map. Transportation would be taxis or buses.