Mexico: The City of Oaxaca

The City of Oaxaca is a UNESCO heritage site known for its historic artist’s colony set in the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. It is also an ideal base from which we explore the archaeological sites of Monte Albán and Mitla and the extraordinary petrified beauty of Hierve el Agua. Ancestors of the Zápotecs and Mixtecs can be traced back nearly 11,000 years and following the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, Dominican missionaries founded fabulous churches, monasteries, and convents. Many buildings still exist and the baroque architecture of the Cathedral, the Church of Santo Domingo, and the Convent of Santa Catalina (now a hotel), have all been beautifully restored. A walk through the city reveals a shopper’s paradise of gold filigree and silver handcrafted jewelry, black pottery and hand-woven crafts. For more information check out episode 64 in the international category. See also my articles on Mexico’s City of Oaxaca, and Monte Albán, the White Acropolis.