Hierve el agua, some petrified waterfalls formed by calcium carbon, natural and bluish in color as a result of stagnant water that makes it rich in minerals.
The Oaxacans they are wary of recognizing others not born on their land as Oaxacans. Being rooted in its territory and history does not allow it. We do not blame them, it is what has to be proud of yours What they do do without any suspicion is Open doors to all those who come to know it and live it. They do it without expecting anything in return and are able to decipher their good intentions from the first moment.
"There is a lot oaxaca to share and arises from a very interesting dynamic that has been installed here. Locals brag about their space and like to share it with people who value it”, says Luis Carbonell, architect and owner, along with his brother Mauricio and Cristina Mascarenas, from Grana B&B, at the historical Center from the city.
Delicacies in the Mercado de la Merced.
Luis and Mauricio are among those who like to call Oaxaca home. “We are not Oaxacans but we have lived here, our family has the same, we have friends... so we proclaim ourselves passenger guests of their lands that take a little bit and give another little bit”, he confesses. With Grana B&B they seek to continue exploring the roots of hospitality – they have already done so with Chaya, in CDMX – in a way that allows them to give their guests a home, “with warm food and a place to sleep”, in a design house that respects the aesthetics of the city and that prepares the traveler to discover the surroundings. “The original building was a mansion of a Spanish cacique in the 16th century and, over the years, housed a monastery that was connected by tunnels to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Oaxaca and the Santo Domingo de Guzman temple ”, He explains to us about a project with history that has managed to incorporate the crafts of the territory.
Grana B&B
“The city is very rich and interesting, but it is also built by its surroundings, like the people of Santa Maria Atzompa , which works with glazed green clay; either Teotitlan del Valle , with its textiles, San Marcos Tlapazola , Tlacolula de Matamoros...”, he continues. craftsmen who have dedicated a lifetime to the same work and continue with the tradition they have learned from their parents and grandparents.
"This has always been a focus of confluences of different stories that make it what it is today," explains Luis. "Since the Mixtec and Zapotec , there were dozens of indigenous communities that passed through here. The Zapotecs, Nixtecs... and even the Mayans . We are in a fertile and extensive territory, and that has called the attention of many communities that have turned it into a valley of confluence of energies. Moreover, there are those who say that there is a real magnetism that has attracted locals and travelers”, he concludes. And it is here that things are done with Calm down and thinking about it, without any desire to want to call hordes of tourists to burst it with fame, as its neighbors further north have done.
Oaxaca city streets.
Characters like Francis Toledo and artists of his generation have been some of those responsible for giving this place its well-deserved recognition in the world. The chef Enrique Olvera , restaurant owner Creole next to the Oaxacan Louis Arellano , he has done it more recently. And so, layers and more layers of characters are added that have come to nourish and be nourished by Oaxaca, while putting it in the global spotlight.
"His recent popularity is not something new, someone did not come and light a spark, everything has been a slow fire that has been cooking little by little," adds Luis. A fire that continues to animate new names, such as the restaurant teosinte and its indigenous cuisine. EITHER Alfonsine , where Jorge –with experience in the mythical Oaxaca and Pujol House , from Olvera– and his mother Elvia cook local products in a modest house ten kilometers from the city center. Homemade haute cuisine whose popularity has crossed borders.
Hierve el agua, some petrified waterfalls formed by calcium carbon, natural and bluish in color as a result of stagnant water that makes it rich in minerals.
The art It is another of the main attractions that attract curious people. Nothing new, but with artists who are starting to stand out like Paul Kobayashi and its spectacular concrete pieces, as well as its use of technology to make them; limited edition textiles rres studio made by local artisans or the pieces of Mary Ospina , made to measure with fine natural textiles. The art schools They have also consolidated in such a way that instead of exporting artists (which they also do), they are the ones who come from all over the world to learn and profess their work. The artistic residency Slowly or the neighborhood Jalatlaco , the Meatpacking District of Oaxaca (a place where cattle meat was worked and which is now a nest of art galleries), are two of the clear examples that blend in with conservation projects such as brother maguey , which promotes equitable transactions with the families that work with maguey and mezcal, and respect for what was, is and always will be oaxaca : a place that take care of yours and yours ... whether or not they were born here.
HOW TO GET
Mexicana / Aeroméxico Until last November 2020, 48% of the company's flights were in operation. From Madrid to the Oaxaca airport with a brief stopover in Mexico City.
WHERE TO SLEEP
-Grana / Labastida 118: The grana cochineal from the nopales gives its name to this charming design bed & breakfast located in a 16th century mansion. All the pieces you find, from the bathtubs to the chairs in the dining room, are made to measure and by Mexican artisans.
-Casa Antonieta / Av. Hidalgo 911: a cozy hotel inside a typical Oaxacan house – one of the first to be built – with its interior patio surrounded by arches and modern rooms without losing local charm.
-Hotel Sin Nombre / November 20, 208: one of the newcomers to the city and owned by the artist Elliott Coon and the architect João Boto Caeiro. At his bar, order a Gem&Bolt mezcal, Coon's side project.
-Casa Santo Origen / Huajal 100. San Felipe del Agua: Open since November last year, this boutique hotel 20 minutes by car from downtown has a swimming pool and eight rooms with a terrace to admire the spectacular and peaceful sunsets that await you.
WHERE TO EAT
-Teosinte: its owners do not reach thirty and are already on their way to becoming eminences of the indigenous cuisine , in addition to rescuers of the best homemade, tasty and contemporary Oaxacan cuisine.
-Maguey Archive: one of the mezcalerías that, yes or yes, you will have to visit (and taste). It is also the place where cumbia is celebrated to the beat of mezcal.
-Criollo: a short distance from the center and owned by the famous chef Enrique Olvera with Luis Arellano . In the restaurant, a menu with Oaxacan roots and a lot of technique; in the dining room, freshly baked sweet breads, and in the garden, a barbecue to organize taquizas among friends.
-Merced Market (Insurgentes, 104): stop by the ** Florecita fonda ** and try their bean memelas with pork cheese and avocado, accompanied by a good beer or an orange Jarrito. And while you're at it, drink a chocolate with yolk bread.
-Boulenc: excellent breakfasts with artisan bread and pastries, such as orange cake, tarragon danish, shells made with Etla butter... they are also the owners of Suculenta, a store that sells candles, vases, glassware, gourmet preserves and a selection of wines.
-Cactus Lonchería: good coffee and wonderful, filling sandwiches. Healthy, simple and fast.
-Alfonsina: It is reserved by WhatsApp. Mother and son cook home made recepies of her in a restaurant with no pretensions other than to feed the soul.
WHAT TO BUY
-rrrrrres: rugs made 100% with wool and by Zapotec families, thus valuing the craft processes ... and with that design that Instagram has been loving lately.
-La Chicharra Cerámica: mezcaleros, bowls, tequileros, plates, jugs... all elaborated by hand and as it is done in Oaxaca, with heart.
-Good Thing: the feeling of community and the commitment to a good environment is the mission with which Vera Claire showcases the Oaxacan artisans to create links with travelers and curious.
-In Situ: not everything you want to take from your trip to Oaxaca will fit in your suitcase. But you will see what you do, because the mezcal It is an obligatory souvenir and it goes with you yes or yes.