First time in Oaxaca: 3 days of adventures

Hello there! Whenever I travel to a new place, I try to read about all the pros and cons, check out a couple of vlogs, blogs and reviews about it, so I know what to be prepared for. However, Oaxaca exceeded my expectations. Our 3-day trip turned into one of the most exciting adventures of the year.
What we did:
Visited Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca
The only way you can enter the park is by guided tour (Spanish and English availible). We took the one in Spanish and it cost MXN50 per person (about $4) and an hour to see and hear about every plant in the garden.
***Make sure you bring a bottle of water and a hat since it’s really hot and sunny (free hat are also availible in the garden).

Took a trip to the town of Tule to see a famous Árbol del Tule
Tree of Tule holds the widest girth award and is also one of the largest trees in the world. It is more than 2000 years old with the trunk circumference of 119 ft and diameter of 38.1 ft. So, it was a must for us on this trip.
To get there from Oaxaca, take a maroon taxi that says “Tule” from in front of the Pitico grocery store on the edge of town (east of the Mercado de la Merced). It is as cheap as MXN11 per person one way.

Spent a day in Hierve el Agua
The trip from Oaxaca to Hierve el Agua is a day-trip because it takes about 2 hours to get there and another 2 to come back if you chose to go by public transport like we did. The entrance fee is MXN25 per person. It also requires some walking to get to the pools, so make sure you wear comfortable shoes, bring a swimsuit and flip flops.

Visited a couple of local markets: Mercado Benito Juarez and Mercado 20 de Noviembre
When you start planning a trip to Oaxaca de Juares, you will see that its markets are recommended by every single traveler because of high-quality food that is cheap, fast and delicious. Their markets bring tourists and local together. I had some veggies, guac, and traditional drink 🙂

Explored the city
There is one thing about Oaxaca that I particularly like: no matter where you’re walking and where you’re heading to, there is always a beautiful church, museum or street to look at. And don’t get me started on all the stores with handmade items! To be honest, I made this long “must see” list and we stopped following it on the 2nd day of our stay in Oaxaca.

Enjoyed opera at Teatro Macedonio Alcala
People of Oaxaca are extremely talented, and this theatre is not an exception. We listened to opera dedicated to the former president of Mexico, who was born in Oaxaca, Benito Juares.
Even if you’re not interested in opera, I highly recommend visiting the theatre.

Tried some traditional food: memelas, tlayudas, Huitlacoche Corn Fungus Tacos, Oaxacan Empanadas, tamales oaxaceños, grasshoppers, quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), and my husband ate his way into meat selection of Mercado 20 de Noviembre while I had a blast eating traditional freshly baked bread.
As well as:
Oaxacan coffee, traditional drinks including “Tejate” and “Agua de chilacayote”, hot chocolate, mezcal, and Mezcaritas, as well as beer made in Oaxaca.

Where we stayed:
There’re plenty of hotels and hostels in Oaxaca, but we chose one of the Airbnb apartments and it was hands down one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever stayed.

Where we ate:
Other than eating from the markets, we also tried these places that we absolutely loved.
Breakfast
Boulenc
PAN:AM
Had coffee at Blasón and Newbie

Lunch and Dinner:
I Love Tlayudas
El Destilado
Tomas Inn

XX,
Gena