Today we’ll begin tracing the long, colorful history woven into Frida’s clothing. Poring over photographs and recently discovered artifacts, we’ll begin to get a sense of how Frida used clothing to create her identity and express her Mexicanidad, drawing from her indigenous and European roots. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Blue House, Frida’s childhood-home-turned-museum in historic Coyoacán. The house is still full of Frida’s possessions, including some of her artwork, family photographs, letters, clothing, and more. After a self-guided tour, we’ll take a traditional headband-crafting workshop, then stroll through Coyoacán for a snack from one of the district’s many street stalls. Then it’s off to Xochimilco, where we’ll float through the famed canals that cut through ancient chinampas—the highly fertile floating farmlands now covered in dahlias, chilis, chard, and more. We’ll return to the city tonight, where you’ll have the evening to explore on your own.

Begin the day perusing the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection, home to “The Two Fridas.” This massive, double self portrait depicts two Fridas sitting next to one another, hands clasped—one dressed in a white European dress, the other in a traditional Tehuana skirt and blouse. We’ll get to see these two larger-than-life Fridas up close, and discuss the layered meaning behind them. Later, we’ll cross Reforma Avenue and head to the ethnographic halls at the National Museum of Anthropology where we’ll learn about the many ethnic groups that comprise Mexico’s cultural fabric. Tonight, we’ll head to the airport and fly south to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—the birthplace of Frida’s mother, Matilde—where we’ll settle in for the night and rest up for a full day tomorrow.

Welcome to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, home to endless mango groves, the famed Zandunga dance, and strong and enterprising women, or Istmeñas. For thousands of years, a matriarchal society has prevailed here; often women are the breadwinners of their families, control the pursestrings, and express their identity by wearing a kind of cultural passport: their distinct trajes, or outfits. These trajes, among Frida’s favorites, consist of a huipil (top), enagua (skirt), refajo (lace underskirt), and esplandor (lace headdress), and are often ornately embroidered with flowers. You might recognize Istmeña dress from some of Frida’s work (such as “My Dress Hangs There”); she also painted several portraits of herself in Istmeña attire. We’ll kick off the day visiting the home of Odalia, an expert embroiderer, for breakfast. After sharing a taste of regional tamales and a traditional welcome drink made from corn, Odalia will introduce us to the three traditional embroidery techniques commonly used when stitching huipiles, and we’ll try our hand at it ourselves during an embroidery workshop. After lunch, we'll have the chance to take a stroll and visit with filigree jewelers. Later, we’ll have the chance to attend a fashion show that traces the history of Isthmus attire through the ages, followed by a presentation of the region’s renowned Zandunga dance. Tonight, we’ll close out our time here with a community-hosted ceremony, or vela.

Today we’ll dive deeper into the three primary techniques used to embellish traditional Isthmus huipiles: hand embroidery, chain stitch, and a hook technique. We’ll head to an embroidery school that recently opened its doors to younger generations in the hopes of reviving the disappearing art of cadenilla, an increasingly rare form of machine stitching. In the afternoon, we’ll visit the market, the epicenter of life here in Juchitán, where you’ll have one last chance to purchase huipiles, hair accessories, and jewelry before we leave tonight. After a traditional lunch of estofado—a rich dish of simmering mole—return to the hotel for a relaxing evening on your own.

After saying goodbye to the Isthmus, we’ll begin the four-hour drive from Juchitán through Oaxaca’s Central Valleys, finally arriving in Oaxaca City. You’ll have the majority of the afternoon to relax at the hotel or explore the city at your own pace. (If you decide to do the latter, we highly recommend paying a visit to the Textile Museum of Oaxaca!) We’ll regroup in the early evening and head to dinner. Be prepared for a bounty of breathtaking regional mole sauces.

Today we’ll trace Oaxaca’s craft route, beginning in Ocotlán and winding through the Southern Valley. Ocotlán is a Zapotec town made famous by Rodolfo Morales, who was born here and returned later in life to paint. We’ll walk through the town, glimpsing the buildings Morales lovingly restored using the money he made from his artwork. We’ll also pay a visit to the mercado, stopping to meet the famed Aguilar Sisters who make charming collectible clay figurines of national celebrities like Frida. Later, we’ll visit San Antonino Castillo Velasco, where we’ll meet women who embroider intricate flowers on the blusas that gained international attention and wear in the 1960s. After stopping for lunch at La Azucena, we’ll visit the backstrap loom weavers of Santo Tomas Jalieza and explore the Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca. We’ll return to Oaxaca City in the early evening, so you’ll have some time to rest and relax before our farewell feast at a beloved local restaurant.

After a week of weaving our way through Mexico City, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and Oaxaca City—stitching together narratives of Frida, paint, and place—it’s time to say goodbye and head home. Alternatively, stick around for our three-day extension, where we’ll dive into the colorful history of the caracol purpura snail, an endangered sea snail that's brought plicopurpura pansa (similar to tyrian purple of the Mediterranean) to the skirts of Mixtec women for thousands of years. A fascinating creature in its own right, the caracol purpura has long been used as a source for purple dye, and we’ll spend the next couple days delving into its history, status, and current conservation initiatives, focusing on biodiversity and cultural diversity alike. Those taking the extension will spend the early part of today exploring the pre-Columbian archaeological site of Monte Albán, the first urban center Mesoamerica. In the evening, we'll head to Huatulco, home to rugged, rocky coastlines and sparkling blue bays. Over a late dinner, we’ll enjoy an introduction to the caracol purpura, hear about current conservation initiatives protecting it, and learn why the snail produces such a vibrant color.

At the bay of San Agustín, we’ll plop into a boat alongside several Mixteco caracol dye experts and our lanchero (boat captain), heading to Bahía India. Aboard the boat, we’ll have the chance to see how dyers extract this dye source from the sea (and from a marine mollusk!) using mechanisms they’ve used for thousands of years. We’ll return to San Agustín in the afternoon, where we’ll enjoy lunch on the beach before heading to Huatulco for a free evening to explore or rest beneath a beach palapa as the sun begins to set.

Today we’ll have the opportunity to meet the women who weave purple pozahuancos—skirts endemic to this region—with dyed caracol threads. While the men typically travel to the coast to dye the threads purple, the women will weave these singular threads into stunning pozahuanco wrap skirts. After an afternoon steeped in natural dyes, we’ll say our goodbyes and head to the airport. Until the next adventure!