SUGGESTIONS FROM VILLAS LOS NOGALES

We hope these tips will be helpful for your stay in Oaxaca!

(We do not receive commissions from any of the places mentioned below. The suggestions have been fed back from the experience of our guests and our own. To add recommendations contact us directly or write us an email, they will be greatly appreciated.)

See our recommendations in Google maps.

FOOD SHOPPING

SUPERMARKETS:

Chedraui (The closest supermarket from VLN and to the Centro area) closely resembles a Walmart/ASDA/Carrefour with food. Chedraui Selecto is the expensive version, it is located in Colonia Reforma. If you are staying a long period of time in Oaxaca, and you want to eat specific or more international food, these is the place you should visit.

Soriana is very similar to Chedraui, but a little bigger. To get there you can walk, next to Chedraui, on the southeast side, there is a path where you can walk. It's about 20 minute walk. And very close to Soriana, there is Sam's Club, crossing the avenue and walking to the left. Car drivers are a little bit crazy in Oaxaca, so it's good to double-check no one is coming in your direction when you cross the street.

MARKETS:

We recommend the "Mercado la Merced" (a 7-minute walk from VLN) if you prefer shopping at the local markets. The market is more active on Sundays when vendors fill the streets and courtyard augmenting the indoor stalls. If you want to know more about markets, we recommend you to check our article about them.

Other markets around town:

Organic market El Pochote on Rayon street, near Xicotencatl. (About 7 minutes walking from VLN)

Mercado Benito Juárez (10 minutes walking from VLN) has "nieves" (ice-cream), and traditional "aguas" (horchata, jamaica, etc.)

La Cosecha, located on Alcalá street. This place is good to have breakfast, and it also has vegetables and other organic food. It is about 20 minute's walk from Villas Los Nogales.

ENTERTAINMENT

CINEMA

There are 2 movie theaters in Oaxaca. Cinepolis, located on Avenida Universidad, in the same area where Soriana is. And Cinemex, located in "Macro Plaza" and Plaza del Valle.

ART GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS

Museo de Los Pintores Oaxaqueños, located on Independencia street, right in front of the Alameda. It is a beautiful building with very interesting exhibits. In Centro Cultural San Pablo, you'll find a library, and also an art gallery with temporal exhibitions. They also organize concerts every week.

Museo de la Filatelia. This beautiful space has a permanent exhibition of Stamps, and also very interesting temporary exhibitions. Last but not least, Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca. This place is magical, it has a huge collection of books related to art, and literature. The collection used to be from Toledo, a very well-known artist from Oaxaca. There are 2 IAGO's, one located on Alcalá street, in front of Santo Domingo church, this one has books about art. And another one on Juárez Street, between Murguia and Morelos street, has books about literature.

CLASSES

Probably, you already search Airbnb experiences in Oaxaca, there are plenty of them and all look very good. Other options, not very touristy but still very interesting, are the ones offered by Misión Diletante, for people into arts, they organize different classes related to drawing, painting, ceramics, and more. The Instituto de Artes Gráficas de Oaxaca, mentioned before, also organizes many activities every month, all of them are free, and in Spanish, so if you want to practice, this is the perfect to know local people. Lastly, if you are planning to stay for a long period of time, Centro de las Artes de San Agustín, have many interesting courses related to art, design, literature and more. They ask for a submission that is reviewed and you need to be accepted. This place is about 20 minutes drive from Oaxaca but is very recommended to visit it, the building is beautiful and they also have temporary exhibits.

There are 2 amazing blogs that are doing a great job communicating the daily events in Oaxaca, one is called Oaxaca Events, and the other one is Que Pasa Oaxaca. You should definitely check them out!

EXERCISE

In Llano park and Conzatti garden, every morning and evening, many people go to exercise. If you like to walk or run, this is a good place to do so. Also, in Cerro del Fortín, there is a ridge where you can walk/run. To get there, are some stairs known as "Las escaleras del Fortín" on Crespo street, walking to the North-West. If you prefer a gym, the closest to VLN (7-minute walk) is Sport Center located on Primera Privada de Indepencencia street.

MONEY

MONEY EXCHANGE

To exchange money we recommend Elektra, on Guerrero street, or Centro Cambiario, located in Plaza Comercial San Agustín on Armenta y López street. There are some more on Alcalá street, but in our experience, they don't have good rates.

ATM

Inside Chedraui, there are 4 ATMs, outside La Merced Market, there is one ATM of Banorte.

On Hidalgo, the corner with Armenta y López street is located Banamex. On Morelos, corner with García Vigil street, there is a BBVA, and walking on Morelos to Porfirio Díaz street, in the corner, there is another Banamex.

TRANSPORTATION

Bus service is good although the driving can sometimes seem like an amusement park ride. Fares generally are 12 pesos, exact change is needed.

From Cuauhtémoc, corner with Emiliano Zapata- buses that say Arteaga on the window will get you a few blocks south of the Zócalo - get off at Bustamante or 20th of November. If you continue on you will get to the Abastos Market.

Also from Cuauthémoc, corner with Emiliano Zapata - buses that say Hospital San Felipe on the overhead sign - will take you north of the Zócalo, passing by Llano Park. In front of Chedraui are buses to Plaza del Valle (They use the inside lane) and buses to Mitla, Tlacolula, and Tule.

Colectivos are shared taxis that leave from 2 streets on the southern and northern sides of Abastos Market. You can reach nearly every Pueblo via a colectivo. The destinations are marketed on signs in designated parking spaces. Colectivos for towns that are south of the City leave from southern streets and colectivos for northern villages leave from the northern streets. The fare is about 15 pesos to 25 pesos per person and around five passengers are squeezed in.

TAXIS

There are sufficient official taxis that can be called or booked on Didi app. Price can vary depending on the distance, we suggest you book it on Didi to be sure of the price you are going to pay.

TOURS

There are several tour agencies in the center of the City, if you come only for 1 or 2 days, this can work for you. Their tours are normally fast and not very personalized. Sr. Roberto Gaviria is a tour guide, his service is excellent and he speaks English perfectly (WhatsApp: +52 1 951 157 0779). Another very recommended tour guide is Mario Come Oaxaca, you can contact him through Instagram.

RESTAURANTS

Our recommendation is going to be extended in another post because we have really good places to eat in Oaxaca, but if you come only for a few days or weeks, some of them are more worthy to visit than others.

Las Quince Letras. The best place to get a sense of Oaxacan food in all its extension is in one place. They cook exquisitely. Flavor in Oaxacan food is normally spicier, and Chef Celia Florian knows how to do it softer but still with the authentic recipe and very tasty.

Los Danzantes. This place is one of our favorites. Most ingredients they use are from Oaxaca, and they like to mix and reinvent new recipes, for example, a "lasagna" made with chapulines sauce and cheese from a village in Oaxaca (With all respect to the authentic lasagna).

Casa Oaxaca. With one of the most well knowns chefs in the City and in México. Casa Oaxaca has a variation of traditional food with an authentic chef's touch. The service is really good, and the terrace has a spectacular view.

Origen. Every place mentioned here has its own magic. Origen is also from a well-known chef, and the food is delicious. The place is very intimate. Located in an old house, it's tall and thick walls, and very beautifully design spaces make a fresh and calm environment.

Close to VLN, 2 minutes walking, is Peninsula, they have different options of food, not very traditional but very tasty, and good service. Inside Hotel Mi Casa, (8 minutes walk) there is a traditional restaurant with really tasty food. 4 minutes away from Villas Los Nogales, there is Los Muchitos, a very recommended vegan restaurant.

Tips are not mandatory in Mexico, but it is customary to tip waiters, chambermaids, bellboys, and travel guides. The average is from 10 to 15 percent of the total cost.

CAFES

Near VLN there are 3 really good options to visit. Café Yalalag is located on Santos Degollado Street, between Rayón and Colón. It is a small space with really good bread and coffee. They also have a Matcha frappe that is really good. In the corner of Carbonara and Manuel Doblado Street, you'll find Nuevo Mundo Café, if you want to work and drink a coffee, they have a good space to do so. And if you like to try new flavors, we recommend you to ask for a "Tejate frappe". La Fábrica de Café Brújula, located on Gonzalez Ortega street (a 4-minute walk from VLN) is a very good option, and they organize coffee degustations and other activities.

In the downtown area, there are many cafes, such as Brújula with a good internet connection and a lot of options for drinks, food, and desserts. Café Blasón is located on García Vigil, personal recommendation, they have our favorite Americano café and also a really good espresso, they are also located in Miguel Hidalgo in Jalatlaco. Last but not least, A.M. café, has really good customer service, and the mango smoothies are the best!

COOKING CLASSES

If you are interested in learning how to make Oaxacan food, there are many good options. Both Casa Oaxaca and Las Quince Letras has cooking classes. There are many "Cocineras tradicionales" that have classes and they even take you to the market to buy everything, this is the case of Nora Valencia (WhatsApp: +52 1 951 160 3946).

We hope this is helpful! we'll be sharing more suggestions in the future. Thanks for reading.