15 Reasons Oaxaca, Mexico is Perfect for Your First International Trip



 Do you long to travel internationally but don't know where to begin? Are you inkling to visit a destination that is rich in culture? Are you looking for a place that has a myriad of activities to keep you entertained?

Oaxaca, Mexico has culture and entertainment, and a seamless transition from your airplane, through customs and  onto your hotel.

As a bonus, most of the entertainment is by street performers so there is no cost!

Perhaps fear of the unknown is keeping you from your travel dreams.

Do you want to begin traveling internationally but are apprehensive about what awaits you. You are intimidated by big airports and afraid that you won’t know what to do once you exit the plane.

Perhaps you feel intimidated about landing in a country where you don't know the language, or maybe you are concerned about safety.

We recommend Oaxaca, Mexico as the #1 destination for first time travelers.

Oaxaca, Mexico is safe, highly cultural, fun, small enough to walk everywhere if you choose, and serves an internationally celebrated cuisine.

A few of the reasons to visit Oaxaca.

  • small two room airport
  • seamless error-free transportation from airport to accommodation
  • variety of accommodations (I have 4 specific recommendations)
  • mild climate
  • safe walkable town
  • archaeological sites
  • strong and easily accessible expat community hosts weekly hikes
  • active town square (Zocolo) with free entertainment
  • high quality free of charge monthly cultural events
  • one tourist street Alcala) surrounded by a regular town
  • tourist vendors operate on the Zocolo and Alcala only
  • many parks offering respite with non-tourist vendors
  • inexpensive desirable souvenirs and clothing
  • internationally recognized food and drink options
  • volunteer opportunities for short or long term stays

For your first trip, you need an established international tourist destination with a small airport. 

You are concerned about navigating the terminal and reaching your hotel.

Xoxocoltlaln International Airport in Oaxaca, Mexico is the perfect airport to begin your international travels.

Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International Airport has a small and simple 2 room design.

Xoxocoltlaln International Airport in Oaxaca, Mexico is the perfect stress-free airport to begin your international travels.

The airport’s simple design and easy to follow directions, displayed in English, curate the perfect experience for a tentative international traveler.

The airport consists of two large rooms-the room before security and the room after security and you can see them both from anywhere you stand. There is no confusion about where to go. The language barrier doesn’t even come into play, plus, most airport employees speak several languages.

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Is my luggage secured and how do I retrieve my baggage?

Your luggage is safe. It is unloaded from the plane and placed in the first room. No one is going to get it except you. Keep your luggage tickets because you’re going to have to show them before you leave the first room, unless you are like me and travel with a carry-on only.

Suggestion for tentative travelers: Most flights to Oaxaca transport through either Mexico City or Texas, USA If you are flying from the USA, we suggest you take the route directly from Texas. This allows you to go through immigration at the small Oaxaca Xoxocotlan International Airport rather than the larger and potentially intimidating Mexico City International Airport.

Transportation to your accommodation is simple and inexpensive.

Taxi drivers have no need to clamor for your business because they aren’t allowed to take passengers from the airport. When you enter the second room, you’ll be shuffled into the van line. Here you will present the address of your accommodation and the ticket officer will direct you to the correct place to stand to wait for your van.

You don’t have to worry about being ripped off by unscrupulous transportation agents. The ticket prices are displayed in print and charged depending on distance from the airport.

Accommodation options

I have four recommendations of places that I have stayed in Oaxaca, Mexico. Choose your accommodation based on the degree to which you prefer to be immersed in the culture.

You can stay in a clean but very small room at a modern hotel, a bed and breakfast housed in a local community center or anywhere in between. We have personally stayed in all of the accommodations recommended here. Each has its own blog post. Click on the hotel name for more information.

The Oaxaca Learning Center

Hotel Las Mariposas

Hotel One

Meson de Penasco

Safe walkable town

Oaxaca is small enough that you can walk to most of the places you will want to go. Mexico gets a bad rap for being unsafe. Just like every country, some areas of Mexico are unsafe, but not Oaxaca. 1500 expats live here and I haven’t heard a single story about anyone having a problem.

I walk from my job to my apartment at 9 pm through dark deserted neighborhoods without fear. I ride in taxis and on city buses without fear. The taxi drivers are honest people just trying to make a living and they aren’t going to kidnap you. They are just driving you around, that’s it!

Any city whose economy is partially dependent on tourism must keep their streets safe, otherwise nobody would visit.

If you’re still concerned about jumping into a taxi, take the city bus. It’s full of regular people just going to and from work.

The plethora of transportation vehicles presents one of the few safety problems in Oaxaca. No, the taxi drivers are not dangerous and I’ve never had anyone attempt to rip me off in Oaxaca.

The danger is that the pedestrians do not have the right of way.

Coming from America, I didn’t know there was such a thing as cars having the right of way, but most developing countries operate with the system. The only second world country I’ve seen that allows pedestrians the right of way is Taiwan.

Archaeological sites 

One can find over 4000 different archaeological sites in and around Oaxaca  but the number one site is Monte Alban. This was one of the first cities in Mesoamerica. It was the ancient capital of the Zapotec tribe which still resides right outside Oaxaca.

Southern Mexico, for the most part, survived untouched by Hernan Cortez’s invading Spanish armies and is the home to many original tribes whose language and customs still persist today. Did you know that not everybody in Mexico speaks Spanish?

The expat community

The Oaxaca Lending Library is home to the 1500 strong expat community, offering weekly hikes along with many other cultural and charitable activities. You can drop in anytime and feel right at home.

The existence of this group is one of the main reasons that I suggest Oaxaca, Mexico as the perfect destination for your first international trip. Within this group you are likely to find an expat from your home country if you need help with navigating the city or unexpected medical needs. You can read my blog post entitled The Oaxaca Lending Library for more information.

Cultural events

  • Mole Festival
  • Mezcal Festival
  • Night of the Radishes
  • Oaxaca Strings International Music Festival
  • Day of the Taxi
  • Holy Week,
  • Guelaguetza (Statewide music and dance festival) in July
  • Días de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)  in November.

I’m not kidding there’s a festival in Oaxaca every month if not every week. And this doesn’t include all the free music, museums, art and parades that snake through the town every day. Periodic candy catches and mezcal tasting provide entertainment for all ages. Don’t worry about throngs of partiers reveling in the town. Oaxaca bills itself as a family destination.

Stress-free souvenir purchases

Choosing souvenirs to bring home to friends and family can be a major source of stress for travelers. The artists in Oaxaca relieve you of this burden. Everyone on your list will love the small carved and hand painted wooden animals called alebrijis. You can buy them for very little money and tuck them in between your clothes to bring home Or just bring home some bottles of mezcal with the floating worm.

The crafts of Oaxaca:

  • hand-woven blankets
  • hand-carved wooden animals named alebrijas
  • hand-embroidered blouses and shirts
  • mezcal gift sets

Some favorite Oaxacan food and drinks

  • Tlayudas
  • Empanadas de Mole Amarillo (yellow mole quesadillas)
  • Readily available juice fresh-squeezed from tropical fruits
  • Malteada de chocolate (chocolate drink served fresh and cold at the mole shop)
  • Popeye ice cream bars
  • Obelas  (bite sized caramel filled wafers)
  • True Queso Oaxaca (not the copies you find in American grocery stores)

Many of these items are found only in Oaxaca, especially Queso Oaxaca. I've seen cheese labeled Queso Oaxaca in other parts of Mexico, and in the USA. They are not the same cheese that is found here.

Volunteer opportunities 

  • Oaxaca Learning Center
  • Oaxaca Lending Library

These are the places we have volunteered but there are many others. Clicking on the names to learn more.  Short-term and long-term opportunities are available.

As you can see, there’s something for everyone. Can you think of a single reason not to come here?

We hope we’ve convinced you to come and experience the rich culture of Oaxaca, Mexico, our number one recommendation for tentative travelers, solo female travellers and especially first time travelers.

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