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Driving to Oaxaca


cologal

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Ajijic-Cuernavaca and Cuernavaca-Oaxaca are both easy drives. I believe that there are still driving restrictions in place around the DF and Mexico State so you might want to look into that depending on the route you choose. Lots of places to stay in both places - depends on your budget. We have stayed at the Quinta Real in Oaxaca a few times and really enjoyed it; will probably take this route and stay there again when we drive down this fall.

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south direction Mexico then just before Atlacomulco take the Arco Norte direction Tula Puebla ( It may say Queretaro but then you have a choice of North to Queretaro or south to Puebla, past Puebla take exit to Oaxaca and then straight to Oaxaca it is 11 to 12 hour drive..easy .

Forget the Cuernavaca route. The fastest easiest without much traffic or restriction because of the Hoy no Circula is the Arco Norte Puebla route.

Best markets etc depends on what you want to see or what you want to buy.

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In Oaxaca city, there are a couple of excellent restaurants which I highly recommend:

  • La Teca, Calle Violetas 200A, Col. Reforma. If you are staying in the center of town, you will need a taxi to get there. This restaurant is a DO-NOT-MISS.
  • Origen, Av. Hidalgo 820, Centro Histórico.
  • Pasillo de la Carne Asada, Mercado 20 de noviembre, Centro Histórico. Try the puesto called 'Irving' (Local 204). Order your meat by weight; three of us ate half a kilo, plus sides and tortillas. Remember to order roasted onions and be sure to get as many sides as you can eat. There is nothing like this anywhere in Jalisco.
  • Breakfast at the Hotel Parador José, Calle Colón 306. Order enfrijoladas con cecina, fruit, and coffee. Out of this world and very inexpensive. In January, I stayed at the Hotel Colón, two doors down the street, where there is no restaurant, and ate breakfast here all but one morning of my weeklong stay.
  • Mercado de la Merced has a lot of different food stands inside. I like Rosita; get the chilaquiles in a little olla. Ask for fresh orange juice from the stand next door; your waiter at Rosita's will bring it to you.

    Where you stay will depend on whether you want to be right in the heart of the city, slightly outside the main part of the Centro Histórico, or out in the boonies. I have stayed at the 5-star Camino Real on 5 de mayo (lap of luxury, somebody else was paying), at the Hotel Colón (quiet and clean but not luxurious), and at the Casa Colonial B&B and lordy, it was awful, just awful: no owner in residence, filthy, flooded room during rainy season, horrid live-in dog that the staff did nothing to control (it repeatedly jumped on our bed, leaving its muddy footprints), etc. In January I reserved a room via internet at the Casa Pavo Real; when I arrived, I was shocked at how dirty the place was and how disordered. They did not tell me until I asked to see 'my' room that I would be sharing a bath with the entire floor the room was on; all of the other guests were men. I moved to the Hotel Colón.

    In September I will be staying at the Hotel Posada del Centro, Independencia 403, Centro Histórico.

    The A#1 DO-NOT-MISS restaurant in the state is Restaurante Tlamanalli, in Teotitlán del Valle. It's open only for comida (1PM - 4PM) and is considered to be one of the best--if not THE best--restaurant in Mexico. Teotitlán del Valle is the home of many of Mexico's rug weavers; visit their workshops in the morning and then eat at Tlamanalli. An FYI: one of the town's major festivals, the Feast of Our Lady of the Nativity, is on Sept. 8. The festivities start on the 6th and it's liable to be crowded.

    Read here: http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2014/04/abigail-mendoza-ruiz-and-restaurante-tlamanalli-food-for-the-gods-in-teotitl%C3%A1n-del-valle-oaxaca.html
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I agree with BMH.... take Arco Norte.

Less cryptic directions are:

Take cuota 15D out of Guadalajara towards DF. After about 400 km, 15D ends outside Atlacomulco joining 55D. 55D north is signed as to "Puebla, Pachuca, Queretaro" and begins Arco Norte.

Basically follow this road, which will become 57D after a bit, all the way to just outside of Puebla where you will join 150D. Continue east on past Puebla on 150D for about 75km. There, take cuota 135D to Oaxaca.

Note: Arco Norte, being 'fairly' new doesn't/didn't have many Pemex stations so make sure you get fuel where you can.

Note2: All of this can be seen quite easily using Google Maps.

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By the way the best craft is found in the artisan´s home in their village and that is what makes the trip fun, going from village to village to find the great artisans. There are mots of upscale shops and shops selling artisania and I donot have a favorite. You can alao find lots of things at the abastos, that is where I buy the metates and molcajetes for the people from Chiapas who say the metates from Oaxaca are better than the ones we can buy in Chiapas.

Everyone recommends the Sunday Market in Tlacolula.

It is ok but if you have been to a few markets in Mexico I think it is underwheming , if you have been to markets I would skip it. It is very indigenous but then so are most markets in SOuthern Mexico

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Travel advise for a trip to Oaxaca by car. Best safest route, best markets for arts and crafts, places to stay and stops on route.

I meant to post this Oaxaca markets link yesterday--you might find it helpful.

http://www.planeta.com/ecotravel/mexico/oaxaca/oaxmarketdays.html

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