Oaxaca City is a colorful and vibrant 16th-century colonial town and UNESCO World Heritage site. Its historic center spans 247 blocks with 1,200 UNESCO-listed monuments. This self-guided walking tour takes you to the top 9 historic sights, passing by atmospheric pedestrian promenades, side streets, and outdoor markets. PS. Click the menu in the top left of the map below to also see Oaxaca’s best museums, markets, and shops!
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Xochimilco Aqueduct
On Rufino Tamayo Street, in the north of the historic center, are the picturesque arches of an aqueduct built with green Cantera stone in the mid-18th century. Just across is Plazuela de la Cruz de Piedra, a lovely square surrounded by colorful buildings (and my favorite pottery shop, Cooperativa 1050°!).
Calle Macedonio Alcalá
If you keep walking through Plazuela de la Cruz de Piedra down Calle de Xólotl, you’ll reach Calle Macedonio Alcalá, Oaxaca’s main cobblestoned pedestrian corridor. It’s lined from start to finish with beautiful shops, museums, galleries, cafes, restaurants, and street markets. It’s also where you’ll see local celebrations taking place for everything from weddings to school graduations and quinceañeras!
Templo de Santo Domingo
Further south down Calle Alcalá is Oaxaca’s signature Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán. This baroque church, with its ornate and gilded interior, is the city’s finest. It was built under the Dominican order starting around 1575 and named after the order’s founder, Spanish monk Santo Domingo de Guzmán. Saint Dominic’s family tree is depicted on the ceiling above the church’s entryway.
Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca
Inside a former 16th-century convent next to the Templo de Santo Domingo is the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca. It’s the city’s top museum and one of the best regional museums in all of Mexico. The architecture inside and views of the church and botanical gardens are as worthwhile as the museum’s great collection. The artifacts and treasures discovered in nearby Monte Albán are a highlight.
Teatro Macedonio Alcalá
Down Calle Alcalá, passing the vibrant outdoor art market at Parque Labastida, turn left on Avenida de la Independencia and you’ll come across the stunning Teatro Macedonio Alcalá a block later. Built in 1909, the theater has an incredible French-style interior and hosts a variety of great performances and events.
Photo Credit: Teatro Macedonio Alcalá
Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción
At Calle Alcalá’s southern end, a block from the theater, is the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Asunción (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption). This Roman Catholic baroque cathedral was built in 1553 and, following several earthquakes, reconstructed in the 18th century. My favorite part of the cathedral is its exterior, with beautiful carvings that contrast against the building’s green Cantera stone.
Zócalo
Beside the cathedral is the bustling Zócalo, Oaxaca’s main public square. It’s shaded from the sun by laurel trees planted in the 1870s and lined by cafes that spill out from the archways of historic buildings. If you’re in town on a Sunday, the State Band of Oaxaca plays a free concert in the plaza around noon!
Photo Credit: LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Palacio de Gobierno
The Government Palace is on the Zócalo’s south side. The historic building with a marble interior has beautiful murals inside, including one of former President Benito Juarez, a native Oaxacan and Mexico’s first indigenous president. It isn’t a must-see sight, but is lovely to walk through if you have the time.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is a ten-minute walk northwest of the Zócalo. This late 17th-century baroque church is dedicated to Oaxaca’s patron saint. Check out the church’s chandeliers held by sculpted angels and the small museum next door. What I liked most about this church is that it’s a local favorite off the main tourist circuit, so you get to see more of authentic Oaxaca!
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