Savor Mexico: Discover Cuisine & Nature in Oaxaca & Chiapas - 15 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Mexico City

Welcome to Mexico City! Upon arrival at the airport, you'll be met by your private driver and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon, you'll have time to explore the city independently. Mexico City has a rich culture and history and plenty of things to see and do. If you want to immerse yourself in all the city has to offer, stroll through local neighborhoods such as Roma, where you'll find Art Deco architecture and excellent restaurants, or San Ángel, with its cobblestone streets, art galleries, and sidewalk cafés. 

Day 2: Discover Mexican Gastronomy at San Juan Market

Enter the heart of the historic center and discover the gastronomic roots of the Aztec capital with a visit to San Juan Market. Famous chefs and local shoppers head to the city's renowned food market for the best quality produce, meats, and specialty foods. Join your guide for a walk through the market's aisles, delighting your senses with the riot of colors and aromas. Taste exotic fruits, cheeses, jams, coffee, and other delicacies while learning about Mexican cuisine and the market's history. Continue around San Juan as you sample more traditional treats like pulque (a fermented agave drink), tacos, and tostadas.

 

After lunch, you'll have free time to check out the city's green spaces and relax. Visit Chapultepec Park, locally known as Bosque de Chapultepec, one of the largest city parks in Mexico and a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Sprawling across nearly 1,700 acres (686 ha), the park offers walking paths, waterways, and shady trees. The park is also home to a zoo, a castle, and several museums. Later, you can enjoy dinner at one of the city's many restaurants before returning to your hotel for the evening.

Day 3: Transfer to Puerto Escondido

Today you'll catch a flight from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido, famous for its beautiful sunsets. A driver will be waiting for you upon arrival at the airport to take you to your accommodation in the city. Located on the pristine Pacific coast, this laid-back beach town is known for its bustling, authentic center, cobbled streets lined with handicrafts, and a selection of breathtaking beaches, including Carrizalillo, Puerto Angelito, and Bacocho. Take a stroll through the downtown to get a feel for the region's distinct culture, or head to the Benito Juárez Market to find a wide variety of local products.

Day 4: Getaway to Manialtepec

Today's adventure takes you on a horseback ride through idyllic fields to reach the isolated paradise of Manialtepec Beach. Upon arrival, you'll be welcomed with a glass of mezcal and sit down to a lunch of the region's favorite dishes straight from the skillet of your hostess. After some free time to relax on the beach, explore the lagoon by kayak with a local expert, who will share the secrets of its remarkable diversity and rare flora and fauna. Enjoy a spectacular sunset before saddling up for the return journey by horseback.

Day 5: Free Day in Puerto Escondido

Spend your free day exploring the region's unspoiled beaches, and discover a paradise of golden sands, turquoise waters, and swaying palms far from the typical tourist track. Descend a flight of stairs to reach the small cove of Carrizalillo for tranquil, shallow water perfect for swimming, or rent a beach chair and umbrella with the locals on Puerto Angelito. If you're looking for peace, make a beeline for Bacocho and its seemingly endless stretch of white sand. As evening falls, make sure to catch one of the area's spectacular sunsets.

Day 6: Transfer to Oaxaca

Transfer to the airport this morning to catch a quick flight north to Oaxaca. Upon arrival, you will be picked up and taken to your charming hotel. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure, taking in all the colors and flavors that Oaxaca has to offer. Visit some of the museums in the city, such as the Textile Museum of Oaxaca or the Museum of Cultures, with exciting exhibitions that will allow you to delve deeper into Mexican culture. 

Stop by the Ethnobotanical Garden (entrance only with a local guide), or enjoy a mezcalería at an alfresco café. If you have a sweet tooth, sample the traditional hot chocolate drink that's a staple in Oaxaca. In the evening, hit up the town for a drink at a trendy bar, then grab a cup of esquite banquetero (Mexican street corn) on your walk back to the hotel.

Day 7: Hands in the Dough: Rural Cooking Workshop in Oaxaca

This morning's excursion takes you into the rural countryside of Oaxaca, where you'll discover the authentic flavors of Oaxacan cooking and learn a few traditional recipes for yourself. A Zapotec community will welcome you with open arms and teach you their culinary secrets as you prepare seasonal products harvested from family gardens and cooked over a traditional wood stove.

Your comidera (the community's best cook) will guide you as you try your hand at dishes like nicuátole (a custard-like dessert), handmade tortillas, empanadas, sopa de guías (pumpkin soup), segueza (corn mole), and atole (a creamy drink of maize, cinnamon, and vanilla). At the end of your cooking class, sit down for a convivial lunch to taste your creations.

Day 8: Visit Mitla, the Tule Tree, a Mezcal Distillery & Teotitlán del Valle

Start today with a visit to the millenary Tule Tree. With a circumference of over 148 feet (45 m) and an age of at least 2,000 years old, it remains one of the largest and oldest trees in the world. Continue to a local mezcal palenque (distillery) to learn how this traditional Oaxacan spirit is made, then head to the archaeological site at Mitla to discover the ceremonial center of the Zapotecs. Your day ends with a visit to a wool rug weaver's workshop in Teotitlán del Valle, where you can learn about the time-honored skills and wool-dying techniques that create these colorful symbols of the region.

Day 9: Tastes of Oaxaca Gastronomy Tour

As the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda once said, "Mexico is in its markets..." Discover what he meant today as you meet your local guide and head to the organic market at El Pochote, located in downtown Oaxaca. Taste a cup of freshly brewed coffee before sampling several regional delicacies such as roasted grasshoppers. Continue to Barrio de la Merced to explore the colors, aromas, and above all, flavors of this busy market and taste empanadas with various sauces. Your next stop is in La Reforma for tortillas and authentic Oaxaca Valley tacos, then save some room for a tasting of the famous local hot chocolate.

Day 10: Transfer to San Cristóbal de las Casas

It's time for a change of scenery as you set out on a road trip from Oaxaca City to San Cristóbal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas. It is an eight-hour drive, and as you pass through charming Mexican towns, you'll also appreciate the stunning natural landscapes. Once you've arrived and checked in to your hotel, take a stroll or rest up for all you'll experience over the next few days.

Day 11: Cooking Experience in Zinacantan

On your quest for food, this adventure introduces you to the rhythms of local life as you feel the sun on your skin, smell the smoke in the air, and taste the traditional dishes of a charming local town. Begin with a walk to the Tzotzil community of Zinacantan, where you'll be welcomed into a local house to meet your hosts and look at the kitchen, where you'll later prepare the food. If you visit during the growing season, you'll take an hour's walk to a traditional cornfield, learning all about the ancient cultivation cycles known as milpa. Harvest the produce for today's meal, then return to the house to get cooking!

Day 12: Excursion to the Sumidero Canyon & Chiapa de Corzo

Rise early this morning to embark on an unforgettable adventure into some of Mexico's most unspoiled nature. A transfer takes you toward Tuxtla Gutierrez to reach Cahuare, where you will board a motorboat and travel for two hours through the majestic Sumidero Canyon. This imposing natural formation was formed approximately 136 million years ago and reaches over 2,624 feet (800 m). At its floor, the mighty Grijalva River winds through lush vegetation. Pass dramatic waterfalls that plunge from the canyon's high walls to the river and caves carved by erosion over thousands of years.

 

Keep an eye out for the spectacular local flora and fauna, including crocodiles, ocelots, and spider monkeys. Continue to Chiapa de Corzo, one of the oldest cities in Mexico and home to the remains of a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican site. Located next to the Grijalva River, this magical town conquers travelers with its colorful traditions and beautiful buildings—like La Pila, a Mudejar-style red brick fountain, the church of Santo Domingo de Guzman, and the Museo de la Laca, devoted to the region's traditional lacquerware art. 

Day 13: Free Time in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, El Chiflón & Lagos de Montebello

Enjoy some free time and get to know the charming city of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Fall in love with its architectural beauty and lush surroundings as you discover highlights like the 16th-century Baroque church of Templo Santo Domingo, the golden Catedral de San Cristóbal de Las Casas, and the historic city gates of Arco del Carmen. You'll also have the option to connect with nature at  El Chiflón and Lagos de Montebello.

 

First, visit the beautiful waterfalls of the "Chiflón," surrounded by a valley of cane fields, mountains, and jungle. The main waterfall Velo de Novia is a lovely curtain of water 393 feet (120 m) high, formed by the San Vicente River that opens into turquoise pools ideal for swimming. You'll see the waterfalls of El Suspiro (The Sigh) and Ala de Angel (Angel's Wing), and continue to the Montebello Lakes National Park, where you'll find lakes and lagoons of different shades created by internal currents, the surrounding flora, and the refraction of sunlight. Swim and enjoy other lakes such as Lake Tziscao and Ensueño.

Day 14: Free Morning in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Transfer to Mexico City 

On the penultimate day of your trip, have a leisurely morning and take some time to browse the many local shops, and sit in a sunny square for a coffee or hot chocolate—both renowned for their quality in the region. Later in the day, your driver will be waiting to take you to the airport, where you'll catch a flight to Mexico City. Upon arrival at the airport, you'll be met by your private driver and transferred to your hotel.

Day 15: Depart Mexico City

Your trip comes to a close today with your departure from Mexico City. Your driver will take you to the airport, where you'll board your flight home or your next destination. Safe travels! 

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