Oaxaca 2026

Who's Coming

Your Group So Far

Two confirmed, two still checking. Here's where everyone stands heading into round two.

Toby

✓ Confirmed

Dates Aug 3–12 ✓

Vibe Oaxaca City, ruins, mezcal

Budget Mid-range ($1,500–$2,500)

Sandra

✓ Confirmed

Dates Aug 3–12 ✓

Vibe Huatulco beach + city time

Budget Splurge ($3,500+)

Note No hikes over 12 miles total

Audie

⏳ Checking Dates

Vibe Huatulco Coast

Budget Splurge ($3,500+)

Guest Maybe

Mateo

⏳ Interested, Checking

Dates Still checking

Vibe Everything — excited for it all

Budget Mid-range ($1,500–$2,500)

The Destinations

Where Will You Go?

Oaxaca is three trips in one — the colonial city with its mezcal and ruins, the Pacific coast with nine bays and 36 beaches, and everything in between. The question is how to split your 10 days.

Oaxaca City — Avenida de la Independencia

🏛 Culture & History

Oaxaca City

A UNESCO World Heritage colonial city with the best food scene in Mexico, vibrant indigenous markets, artisan workshops, and the finest mezcal on earth — all within walking distance of the historic center.

Monte Albán — 2,500-year-old Zapotec ruins overlooking the valley
Templo de Santo Domingo — gold-clad 16th-century church
Tlacolula Sunday Market — oldest continuously running indigenous market in the Americas
Santiago Matatlán — World Capital of Mezcal, walk agave fields and taste from the still
Tlayudas, mole negro, chapulines — eat absolutely everything

🌊 Beach & Ocean

Huatulco

Nine protected bays, 36 beaches, and a national park that keeps it beautifully unspoiled. No massive resort sprawl — Huatulco is what Cancún would have been if development had been handled with care from the start.

Bahía Maguey — golden sand, calm turquoise water, boat access from Santa Cruz
La Entrega — Huatulco's best snorkeling, coral reef just offshore
Playa San Agustín — remote, spectacular, worth the 45-minute drive
Cacaluta — filmed Y Tu Mamá También; restricted access keeps it pristine
Full-day bay boat tours through all nine bays with snorkel stops

🗺 Day Trips

Monte Albán & Beyond

Some of the best Oaxaca experiences are 30–90 minutes from either base. These are the excursions worth carving time for.

Monte Albán (half day) — Zapotec capital built 500 BC, massive stone plazas visible for miles
Santiago Matatlán — "World Capital of Mezcal," taste straight from the distillery still
Cascadas Mágicas de Copalitilla — Sierra Madre waterfalls into natural jungle pools, 50 min from Huatulco
Tlacolula Sunday Market — 2,000 years of continuous trading: raw cacao, live animals, unlabeled mezcal
Cacaluta Bay — the filming location for Y Tu Mamá También, restricted to protect the ecosystem

Where You'll Sleep

Rustic or Refined — What Kind of Trip Is This?

This is the biggest group decision. The accommodation defines the trip's vibe as much as the destination does. Here's what each option actually looks like — and what it costs.

Luxury hotels at Tangolunda Bay, Huatulco

⭐ LUXURY / SPLURGE

Private Pools. Ocean Views. Zero Effort.

$300–$700 / night

Quinta Real · Secrets Huatulco · Dreams Huatulco

These are the actual Tangolunda Bay resort hotels. Butler service, infinity pool above the Pacific, curated excursions, cocktails delivered to your chair. You pay to not think about a single thing.

Pristine Cacaluta beach — eco and rustic stays nearby

🌿 ECO / RUSTIC

Solar-Powered. Off the Grid. Completely Present.

$60–$180 / night

Terrestre · Camino Real Zaashila · mountain casitas

100% solar power, open-air casitas, hammocks as primary furniture, jungle sounds at night. Closest to the nature around you — and the best story to tell when you get back.

⭐ Luxury / Splurge

Five-Star Resort

Private suites, infinity pools overlooking the Pacific, full spa, butler service, on-site restaurants. Everything is handled for you — excursions, meals, transfers.

Quinta Real Huatulco · Secrets Huatulco · Dreams Huatulco

$300–$700+ per room / night

🏨 Boutique / Mid-Range

Local Character, Real Charm

Converted colonial buildings, rooftop terraces, tiled courtyards, exceptional breakfasts. You feel like a traveler, not a tourist. Best in Oaxaca City's historic center.

Small local hotels near the Zócalo · Casa Bocana (Huatulco)

$120–$300 per room / night

🌿 Eco / Rustic

Off the Grid, Into the Wild

Solar-powered lodges, open-air casitas, hammocks over the jungle, wild beach access. The Oaxacan coast has some of the most thoughtfully built eco-stays in all of Mexico.

Terrestre (100% solar off-grid) · Camino Real Zaashila (eco-certified)

$60–$180 per room / night

Things to Do

What Are You Most Excited About?

Tell us your priorities in the survey below — we'll build the days around them.

🤿

Snorkeling

Coral reefs at La Entrega and San Agustín

⛵

Bay Boat Tour

Full-day through all nine bays

🏛

Monte Albán

2,500-year-old Zapotec ruins

🥃

Mezcal Tour

Distillery visits in Santiago Matatlán

🍽

Food & Markets

Mole negro, tlayudas, Tlacolula market

🏖

Beach & Sun

Pacific beaches, swimming, zero agenda

🌊

Surfing

La Bocana — consistent summer swells

🌿

Waterfall Hike

Cascadas Mágicas in the Sierra Madre

🎨

Art & Crafts

Textiles, black pottery, alebrijes

😴

Doing Nothing

Hammock. Mezcal. Sunset. Repeat.

A Sample Itinerary

One Way It Could Look

City first, coast second — a classic 10-day split. Just a starting point. Your answers below will shape the real plan.

Day 1

Aug 3

Arrive Oaxaca City. First meal. First mezcal.

Day 2

Aug 4

Santo Domingo. Markets. Rooftop bar.

Day 3

Aug 5

Monte Albán morning. Tlacolula market PM.

Day 4

Aug 6

Full mezcal day in Santiago Matatlán.

Day 5

Aug 7

Transfer to Huatulco. Coastal dinner.

Day 6

Aug 8

Full-day bay boat tour. Snorkeling.

Day 7

Aug 9

Cacaluta or San Agustín. Private beach.

Day 8

Aug 10

Cascadas Mágicas waterfalls. La Crucecita dinner.

Day 9

Aug 11

Free beach day. Ocean. Sunset drinks.

Day 10

Aug 12

Last breakfast. Fly home tanned.