Since the last time I visited Mexico back in 2011, I had wanted to go to Oaxaca.
It was supposedly the food capital of Mexico, being the “land of the seven mole sauces” and producing the country’s finest chocolate, so of course this was one of the main reasons for me wanting to visit.
For two years I had talked about how when I made it back to Mexico, Oaxaca had to be on the list of places to visit. Many people hadn’t heard of it (and certainly didn’t know how to pronounce or spell it), but that didn’t deter me. Oaxaca was going to be the stuff of dreams. And chocolate – who could forget the chocolate?
So after all that waiting and all that hype, did Oaxaca live up to my expectations?
Well, yes and no.
Like everything in life, if you build it up too much, it is bound to disappoint.
Oaxaca is a very pretty city. Like many Mexican towns and cities, it is full of attractive churches and features the ubiquitous cobbled pedestrian-only street. It was a lot more gentrified than Mexico City; less rough-around-the-edges and had a big zocalo which seemed to always be alive with people celebrating one event or another.
And the food was…good. Not mind-blowing, but consistently good (if often more expensive than some of its neighbouring destinations). There were two great food markets, a grilled meat alley (yes, that’s right – a whole “alley”) and hot chocolate was being sold everywhere with a side of sweet bread.
But, for some reason, it just didn’t excite me. It was just a little bit “meh”.
Making Comparisons with Other Mexican Cities
Having come from San Cristobal, we had been warned that Oaxaca might seem quite quiet in comparison and apart from the family-oriented celebrations in the zocalo, this was correct. Everything was usually shutting by 10pm, even the large fast-food chains. When we researched good places to eat, there were two or three that regularly got mentioned, although none of them could be considered as budget-friendly.
Expensive and Only Ideal for Short Term Travellers
We spent a lot of money in Oaxaca and although we enjoyed a couple of rooftop meals and glasses of wine, it didn’t really seem like value for money. I was longing for the vibrance of Mexico City but with a more colonial feel. Unfortunately I didn’t find that.
What I did find was somewhere that unfortunately doesn’t really seem to cater to long-term travellers. We stayed in the city for two weeks, which was probably too long in hindsight and could find no good deals on accommodation. Any travellers who do pass through the city tend to stay for only a couple of nights and move on, usually spending their days out on daytrips to surrounding sights. I’m not sure whether this is because of the cost or simply because it doesn’t provide enough entertainment.
Overall, I kind of feel sorry for Oaxaca. It is a lovely city and is definitely full of promise, but for some reason it just doesn’t provide visitors with the exciting air of some of Mexico’s other better-known sisters. It left me feeling lacking, kind of like I’d been cheated out of something I’d looked forward to for so long.
I came away feeling glad that I’d visited, but all I really left with was a lighter purse and a tub of Mayan chocolate.
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