12 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Oaxaca - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Oaxaca

San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Mexico

Hierve El Agua

This beautifully deceptive waterfall is something far different from what it appears to be.

Santa María del Tule, Mexico

El Árbol del Tule (The Tule Tree)

The stoutest tree in the world.

San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Mexico

Column of Death

A mysterious pillar in an ancient burial chamber is said to predict how long you have to live.

Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca (Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca)

A 16th-century monastery boasts a lush array of plants native to Mexico’s most biodiverse region.

Post Mortem Chapel

The ruins of an abandoned church mingle with the graves at Oaxaca’s General Cemetery.

La Pozontlería

One of the city's few vendors selling the Sierra Norte's ancestral beverage lies within a hidden farmers market.

Panteón General (General Cemetery)

This graveyard boasts a medley of diverse and imaginative funeral architecture.

Casilda Aguas Regionales

In a busy Oaxaca market, a nearly century-old drinks stand still serves family recipes from giant clay pots.

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Unique Food & Drink in Oaxaca

Oaxacan Mole Blanco

The fairest and rarest of them all.

Tejate

Oaxaca's favorite morning beverage is an ancient blend of cacao, corn flour, and water.

Caldo de Piedra

On the riverbanks of Oaxaca, cooks make “stone soup” with hot rocks and fresh fish.

Night of the Radishes

At this Oaxaca contest, artists turn purple produce into stunning depictions of saints, buildings, and La Pietà.

See all 8 things to eat in Oaxaca See all 8 things to eat in Oaxaca

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Immerse yourself in the complex cultural identity of Mexico City through its street food, bustling markets, and well-seasoned history of gastronomic traditions.

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Stories About Oaxaca

The structure of these ancient ballcourts varies a bit, but at each site there's a consistent pattern: a playfield framed by two embankments.

An Ancient Ballcourt in Oaxaca Expands a Sport’s Footprint

3,000 years before the Aztecs, Mesoamericans were already playing ball.

by Isaac Schultz

Julián Isidro's father, Robustiano Isidro Dominguez, rotates pasillas above a heat source.

Saving the Prized Chile That Grows Only in Oaxaca’s Mountains

Farmers growing the smoky pepper had no idea chefs were paying top dollar for it.

by Isabel Torrealba

September 19, 2018