Zocalo de Oaxaca is the main square of the city center. It's the place where crowds of people will…read morejust hang out and sit. It's right next to the Catedral Metropolitana de Oaxaca Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. There will often be events in the square, including but not limited to performances, concerts, festivals, parades, and of course calendas. Throughout the area are restaurants, food stalls, drink stalls, and souvenir shops. Even though you might think it's a touristy area, you'll still see tons of locals exploring and relaxing here.

This is the spot to be at when in Oaxaca for Dia De Los Muertos…read more The Zocalo is a plaza in the center of the downtown area within an eyes view of the Palacio, the cathedral and the parade. During our time in Oaxaca we came here every day and each time we saw and did something different. We shopped here, had lunch and dinner here, went to the Cathedral, saw the Catrina contest, enjoyed the bandas ect. We all felt safe here, had zero issues.

Who doesn't like freebies? I do, and that's why this is one of my favourite holidays in Oaxaca…read more I know it's not the most important part of the holiday but it makes it quite exciting. So the basic story is that on the fourth Friday of lent people recreate a bible passage in which a Samaritan woman gave Jesus water from a well. So now every year there's people lineups waiting to get a glass of free "agua", which is not the same as a jugo (agua is somewhat of a watered down juice mixed with sugar or syrup). The beauty of this is the people don't deny the glass of water to anyone and the tables where the water jugs are, tend to be decorated with flowers to make it look like a well like in the bible.

Andador Turistico is a pedestrian-only corridor in the historic center of Oaxaca. The full street…read morename is Calle Macedonio Alcala and spans from the Catedral Metropolitana to the Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzman. The streets throughout this area (and a lot of the city) are lined with cobblestone. They also have street performers and vendors who will come up to you to ask if you want to buy fabrics or sombreros. The brick and mortar shops will also have figurines, magnets, ceramics, textiles, and others. Throughout the streets you can see the papel picado (the colorful sheets of hand-cut tissue paper strung together and hung on the streets). You will also occasionally see calendas parading through the streets (music and dancing celebrations). I really liked that there were no cars and I could freely walk on the streets. I wish there were more cities and streets like that!

We booked 3 tours on 3 different days. First they changed our schedule saying the weather wasn't…read moregood only to find that the tour continued without us and we were put on another tour. We were okay with the change at first given that we had 3 days tour. Next day we came in for the 2nd tour scheduled and they did not inform us that the scheduled tour is cancelled. We reached pick up point and we were told that the tour is cancelled. When we questioned they were on calls and talking to each other in Spanish but refused to speak to us. Ultimately we had to fight to get the money back and cancel rest of our tours. Very bad experience! They don't even deserve that one star!

The place, the food, the staff all AMAZING. Best non Mexican food I've had in Mexico period. Would…read moredefinitely recommend. Left with a huge smile on my face. Also I'm vegan and they were able to accommodate for me with lots of mouth watering options. 20/10

Wow great food & service! We've been here for 3 days in el Centro trying all the authentic…read moretraditional food Oaxaca has to offer. When my family suggested switching it up going Italian & pizza I was apprehensive. So we found El sol y la Luna and our server Jorge was so attentive and gave us great recommendations. We started with French fries that were homemade felt like home with 4 sauces. We tried two empanadas that Jorge recommended and they were full of flavor and must try cheesy fresh deliciousness. We order two pizza's pepperoni & bolognese with a lasagna for our family of 4. The cheese the sauce so light yet full of flavor we ate it all. My kids ordered the Nutella crepe for dessert and it was so authentic warm gooey Nutella goodness. Had a bottle of wine to pair with the meal it was perfect. Great food amazing service one of my favorite meals in Oaxaca. Thank you Jorge for a great dining experience.

I've visited Oaxaca twice for Dia de Muertos and I can't imagine a better place to participate in…read morethe festivities. The city is positively hopping with vendors and parades and the decorations and ofrendas are amazing! We usually go to the Pantheon General on the night of Nov. 1, where the locals are celebrating the lives of their dearly departed. Outside the Pantheon, it's very similar to a carnival/street fair atmosphere you'd experience in the states. All manner of bright lights and street food available. It's definitely a strange juxtaposition to the relatively somber, yet festive atmosphere inside the cemetery. The arcade walls are lit with votive candles and it's just beautiful. The city of Oaxaca is beautiful, no matter what, but during DDM, it's so wonderfully colorful and it's such a special atmosphere to in which to participate and experience.

Because the restaurant Ribaana offers mainly Istmeñan food (a region in the state of Oaxaca with…read moredelicious food!!) the theme of the party was Istmo. It was great to see so many people putting in the effort to dress up in the typical clothing of this area. The amount of people was exactly good for this location. There were two great DJ's, Istmeñan food, two local artisan beer brands and two local Mezcal brands. It was very well organised and a lot of fun talking, dancing, eating and drinking. I had a great time!