10 free things to do in Oaxaca City

14.05.2024 - 22:33 / lonelyplanet.com

Inexpensive lodging and affordable street food mean Oaxaca delivers plenty of bang for your buck – add a plethora of free attractions to the mix and the colorful city is about as budget-friendly as they come.

Cultural activities abound in Oaxaca, many of which won't set you back a single peso. Scores of free museums, galleries and workshops showcase locally produced arts and crafts, such as intricately designed black pottery, hand-woven Zapotec rugs and surreal mythical animal sculptures.  

Downtown, Oaxaca spoils budget travelers with its walkability, ubiquitous street art, stunning baroque architecture and public squares full of music and dance. 

Here's how to experience this splendid corner of southern Mexico on the cheap.

Local artists have transformed the streets of Oaxaca into an outdoor gallery, with brilliantly painted murals and satirical stencils adorning the walls of the historic centers of Jalatlaco, Xochimilco and the Centro. All three neighborhoods lie within walking distance of one another, so you can easily explore them on a self-guided walking tour that costs absolutely nada.

In Jalatlaco, look for the Day of the Dead-inspired murals along the streets of Aldama, 5 de Mayo and Hidalgo, while in the weaving district of Xochimilco, a barrio dating back to the 15th century, vibrant works color the cobbled blocks of Calle Alavez. 

Named after the revered Mexican photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo, this former residence of Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo displays free exhibits of weird and wonderful images captured by contemporary talent from Mexico and abroad. From time to time, it also shows works from its permanent collection of some 100,000 photographs, including pictures by Álvarez Bravo, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Graciela Iturbide, Mary Ellen Mark and other highly influential figures in the world of photography.

Toledo founded Centro Fotográfico Álvarez Bravo and the nearby Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca, which also hosts free expositions. 

Oaxaca famously produces some of the highest-quality folk art in the nation, so even if you have no intention of buying anything, you should definitely peruse the spectacular wares. Shops and galleries, many along the Centro's Calle Alcalá, sell everything from barro negro (polished black pottery) and alebrijes (brightly painted mythical animal sculptures) to hand-crafted textiles and palm-leaf baskets. 

The exquisitely designed copal-wood alebrijes on display in Voces de Copal fetch a pretty peso, but it costs nothing to look, while nearby gallery Mano Mágica features hand-woven Zapotec rugs and artwork by Oaxacan masters such as Toledo, Tamayo and Morales.

With over 10,000 Oaxacan and international textile pieces, many more than 100 years old, the free Museo