This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel.
Oaxaca de Juárez is a relatively small city for Mexican standards, but it has a lot of activity going on!
Although most travelers get to Oaxaca by bus on their way from other Mexican cities, you can also travel here by plane. The local airport connects the city mostly to Mexico City, the so-called "DF" ("Distrito Federal," or Federal District). The city center is small and you can get around most touristic areas downtown by foot. There are also buses and "collectivos" (small vans that provide shared transportation) that can take you inexpensively to most nearby areas in the city's greater area, as well as the neighboring towns.
While in Oaxaca, dig in into some local culture, as artistic and cultural events seem to take place here a lot -- you will often see the posters and flyers for exhibitions, movie screenings, and art competitions on cafes' notice boards! The local specialty when it comes to food is "alambre," which can be a combination of meats or vegetables served with a bunch of flour tortillas for you to make your own roll. And in true Mexican style, this comes topped with a really big amount of melted cheese!
Accommodation is found mainly around the downtown area, the "zocalo," where most touristic activity is concentrated. Oaxaca de Juárez hostels and guesthouses are plentiful, as are cafes, restaurants, bars, and even internet cafes to keep you connected!
Oaxaca is also the ideal city to base yourself to explore nearby tourist attractions such as Hierve el Agua (the impressive petrified cascades) and Monte Alban (archeological ruins dating back to Aztec times).
Written by local expertz for Oaxaca City
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