Getting There:
Both Delta Airlines and Continental offer flights from U. S. cities to Oaxaca, with a change of planes in Mexico City. The other way to do it is to fly to Mexico City with another carrier, then connect with a Mexicana Airlines flight for the final leg to Oaxaca. The connecting service from Mexico City is about $150 each way.

If you've got the time, and want to see some of Mexico's great mountain scenery, I recommend taking the bus. First class, air-conditioned bus service operated by ADO leaves every hour from Mexico City's TAPO bus station (Metro station San Lazaro). The six-hour trip through the beautiful Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains costs about $27.

Another option is to spend your first night in Puebla, south of Mexico City, on the way to Oaxaca. You can take the Estrella Roja bus to Puebla. It leaves right from the airport, so you don't have to worry about navigating your way through Mexico City. The food in Puebla is great, and so is the architecture! Soak up the scenery, buy some talavera, get a good night's sleep, then continue next morning to Oaxaca, another 4 hours down the road. ADO Bus lines to Oaxaca leave the Puebla "CAPU" Station at 7:25, 10:45, 12:50, and 14:45. Double-check the schedule when you first arrive in Puebla.

When to Go:
Nestled about a mile above sea level, Oaxaca enjoys a year-round, spring-like climate with warm, sunny days and crisp, cool nights. If you are going for Day of the Dead, the spirits return only for November 1 & 2, but there are lots of activities in the week leading up to the holiday, including art exhibits, lectures, theatrical performances, street processions and the juried altar competition. The weeks surrounding Guelaguetza in July are also particularly good times to go. Don't worry about being there in the Summer. The breeze and frequent afternoon showers keep the climate very pleasant. At Guelaguetza, and again in December, during the Radish Festival, the zocalo is filled with food stalls and handcrafts booths. You can eat and shop 'till you drop; then do it all over again the next day!

Getting Around:
With its cobblestone streets, and several "no traffic" zones, Oaxaca is a wonderful city for pedestrians. Most of the important sites are within walking distance of the downtown hotels. For information about guided cemetery tours, ask at Hotel Camino Real, at Cinco de Mayo 300, or at La Mano Magica gallery. You can also book tours of the nearby villages, as well as of Monte Alban and other archeological sites, at Viajes Turisticos Mitla, located in the lobby of the Hotel Meson del Angel, on Francisco Javier Mina 518.

To get to the villages, the fastest and cheapest way is by "collectivo" or shared taxi. There is a parking lot filled with these maroon and white sedans down by the Mercado de Abastos, just past the railroad tracks, southeast of the Zocalo. Look for the name of the village on the windshield, or on the blue sign at the curb where the car is parked. Cars leave from here to Arrazola, San Bartolo Coyotepec, Zaachila, Ocotlan, etc. When they have 5 passengers all going to the same destination, they depart. Rides cost generally 50 cents to one dollar a person.

Getting to San Martin:
Note: The collectivo stop to the woodcarvers village San Martin Tilcajete is in a different location. It is at Calle M. Arista #107, about 5 blocks south of the zocalo. These collectivos only run about once every 45 minutes or so. Price is 10 pesos. The trip takes about 35 minutes. It is by far the best way to get to San Martin. The other way is to hop the bus going to Ocotlan. It leaves from Calle Migues Cabrera, near the corner of Zaragoza. Ask the bus driver to let you out at the crossroads to San Martin, and you'll have to walk the last mile into the village. It's a safe, scenic and peaceful walk. Once you are through shopping, and you're tired, hungry, thirsty and laden with bundles, ask the villagers where to catch the collectivo to bring you back into town. It leaves from within the village, so you won't have to walk back out to the highway. If you need advice while you are in San Martin, check with Obdulia and Delfino Gutierrez, near the church, across from the zocalo. He is a good woodcarver, friendly guy, AND he speaks English.

Where to Stay:

Casa Linda Bed and Breakfast - This is a beautiful private home nestled in the hills, five miles northeast of Oaxaca city. The house, full of Mexican folk art, is a testament to the creative spirit and skill present in the artisans and craftsmen in the Oaxaca valleys. Casa Linda is a sanctuary. I highly recommend either staying here, or contacting the host, Linda Hanna, to take part in one of her guided tours of the nearby villages. She can bring you to meet artists that you could never find on your own! Meanwhile, her guesthouse is a welcoming, comforting and exclusive private home in the privacy of the Oaxaca countryside. Nestled in a fertile valley in Southern Mexico, with surrounding villages famous for their crafts and arts, your stay here will bring you lifelong memories and an unparalleled insider’s peek into the traditions and art steeped in these ancient hills.
Follow this link to Linda Hanna's web site, folkartfantasy.com.

Los Golondrinas, Tinoco y Palacios 411, phone 951/514-2126, is a popular, small hotel whose lovely patio is one of the nicest breakfast spots in Oaxaca. In this garden-like setting, water gurgles in a nearby fountain, while you sit surrounded by towering yellow and red canna lilies, bleeding hearts, yellow trumpet-shaped Mandevilla and chrysanthemums. Breakfast served daily from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. only. Reserve ahead for single and double rooms or honeymoon suites.

Suites del Centro, Avenue Hidalgo, # 306, about 3 blocks west of the zocalo. This is a more upscale choice, all suites, with kitchens. Newly renovated, with a beautifully designed lobby, lots of talavera tiles and towering plants. The young front desk manager, Nora, is hip, friendly and helpful, and speaks excellent English. Check the Suites web site for more details.

Hotel Aurora has the biggest beds I've ever seen in a Mexican Hotel. It is located on Bustamente N. 212, 2 blocks south of the zocalo. The surrounding streets are fairly noisy, but inside, this newly-renovated hotel is quiet. The location is especially convenient if you will be spending a lot of time in the markets, or catching busses and collectivos to the outlying villages. Singles are 300 pesos. E-mail address is: hotelaurora@ixp.net. Phone is 951/516-4145.

Casa de Luz Maria, Avenida Morelos 1002, telephone 951/516-2378, is a small bed and breakfast in a modern, private home. The location is superb, the rooms, though a bit run-down, open out to a grassy, sunny courtyard perfect for sunning or quiet reading. Plus, you get to have breakfast every morning with the chatty hostess, Luz Maria Gonzalez, one of Oaxaca's most lively and fascinating residents. Last time I checked, doubles cost $45, breakfast included; reserve in advance.

Hotel Principal, Cinco de Mayo 208, telephone 951/516-2535, is an authentic hacienda style building. The hotel features 23 rooms surrounding a white-washed, open courtyard decorated with wrought iron railings and clay pots planted with geraniums and bougainvillea.

NOTE: All phone calls to Mexico from the United States should be proceeded by the digits 011-52, in addition to the numbers given here.

Where to Eat:
Mariscos Los Jorges, Pino Suarez 806, facing Parque Jaurez, telephone 951/ 3-4308. Open every day, 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. only. This tourist-free restaurant is considered by many locals to serve the best seafood in Oaxaca. It is all shipped in fresh daily from the nearby Oaxacan Pacific coast. Your choice of eleven different shrimp entrees, $11.75 each; 10 different fish filet entrees, $5.25 each; Crab tostadas (3), $4.00; Octopus and squid entrees, $7.50 each; Seating is outdoors in a lush, quiet courtyard; many entrees are baked in a wood-burning oven.
La Flor de Oaxaca, Armenta Y Lopez 311, telephone 951/6-5522, popular with middle and upper class Oaxacan families, just one block east of the zocalo. Open Tuesday - Sunday, 8 am - 10 p.m. For over 30 years, this small, family restaurant has specialized in traditional Oaxacan cuisine. Entrees include Chuletas de Res o Cerdo (pork or beef chops) each prepared three different ways $3.50; Enchiladas with black or green sauce, $3.00; and Chicken with Mole Negro, Mole Coloradito or Mole Amarillo, $4.00 each.
Le Jardin, on the zocalo at Portal de las Flores, the perfect spot for people watching while enjoying sandwiches, hot chocolate, margaritas or dessert. Enjoy live Mariachi music here most evenings. There is a particularly nice restaurant upstairs.
La Olla Cafe, located at 402 Reforma, just two blocks east of Santo Domingo Church, telephone 951/516-6668. This small restaurant offers a wide range of traditional Oaxacan and vegetarian meals. Everything is cooked to order; delicious sandwiches are served on home baked whole wheat bread, and even the mayonnaise is made on the premises. La Olla Web site.
Restaurant Morelos is my favorite spot for comida corrida. It's located north and east of the zocalo, at Calle Morelos #1003. You get tortillas, soup, rice, beans, choice of 5 daily entree specials, gelatin dessert, a pitcher of fruit drink and a basket of excellent tortilla chips, all for 30 pesos. They also have an extensive breakfast menu, freshly prepared, and a good prices. This restaurant is open 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; closed Sundays. They serve beer!

Day of the Dead Lecture:
Galeria La Mano Magica, M. Alcala 203, halfway between the zocalo and Santo Domingo church. Lecture "The Dead Come to Life in Mexican Folk Art," given by Mary Jane Gagnier de Mendoza at 9:30 a.m. on October 30 and 31, and November 1. Lecture in English, tickets approximately $10.00 each, must be reserved in advance at the gallery. Annual "Dia de Muertos" exhibit of contemporary art opens on October 30, with a reception beginning at 7:30. La Mano Magica also has a shop selling regional folk art and exquisite Uriarte Talavera pottery from Puebla.

Shops for Woodcarvings and Day of the Dead Handicrafts:
Artesanias Chimalli, Calle Garcia Vigil 513, has a large selection of woodcarvings, and Day of the Dead ceramic skeleton figures. They also have a good collection of tin, and ceramic Trees of Life from other parts of Mexico.
ARIPO, Garcia Vigil 809, an artists' cooperative in a rambling colonial building, featuring first quality local handicrafts, especially textiles, handmade tin and wooden toys, picture frames, and pottery.
Artesanias Teresita, Calle Murguia (just north of the zocalo) is a small shop that sells nothing but woodcarvings. But you'll find carvings here by renowned artists whose work is hard to get elsewhere. The proprietor, Victor Vasquez, speaks English. He generally gets new pieces in almost every day, so check back often.

Tourist Information:
In the United States, contact the Mexican Government Tourism Office, 1200 NW 78th Avenue, Suite 203, Miami, FL 33126. Telephone (305) 718-4091. Web: www.mexico-travel.com. When in Oaxaca, the Tourist Office is one block north of the zocalo, at Av. Independencia #607. Office provides maps of the city and outlying areas, and a schedule of all Day of the Dead activities. Some English is spoken. Telephone 6-0123. E-mail address: info@oaxaca.gob.mx