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Not long ago I was strolling in Oaxaca City’s beloved Jardín Etnobotánico with Alejandro de Ávila Blomberg, its founding director. I had a question: how to explain the region’s extraordinarily abundant biodiversity? It’s all in the soil, he replied. That diversity of biology and geology translates directly into an equally alluring diversity of cultures and traditions – of the food, the built environment, even the design. They’re the reasons Oaxaca is one of the most inspiring – and increasingly one of the more visited – states in Mexico.
I was born and live in Mexico City, but I have been visiting Oaxaca for as long as I can remember. When someone asks why I love it so much, I have two answers: its blue skies and its clear light. The architecture of Oaxaca City tells stories both ancient and contemporary. The centro historico streets and squares are full of colonial convents; as often as not they sit right next to exciting new restaurants, mezcalerias and design shops. The characteristic green stone – cantera verde – prevalent in the city’s older buildings is also used by contemporary architects; it takes on a subtle, surreal green tint after a light rain, an effect that has always fascinated me.
Other sites further afield draw me back time and again: Monte Albán – the grand, imposing Zapotec city perched atop a hill; and the more intimate Mitla, with its small courtyards and mesmerising geometrical structures and patterns. The glimpses they offer into Oaxaca’s pre-Hispanic history remain undiluted, despite Mexico’s rampant urbanisation having reached them both. At the more remote Yagul, a walk through the ruins transports the imagination; I can spend hours trying to conjure what life must have been like during the peak of civilisation here.
Natural wonders abound too. Hierve el Agua, a tableau of pools perched precipitously on cliff edges, is believed by some to be imbued with mystical healing properties. These natural travertine rock formations resemble cascading waterfalls frozen in time; the man-made pools offer an elemental connection to the region’s past.
Most convents and churches throughout Oaxaca date from the 16th century. They were built by Dominican friars, and their thick walls, vaulted ceilings and small windows are a great respite from the heavy air and heat outside, as well as being full of marvellous combinations of Spanish and indigenous elements in both their surface design and architecture. But the state is not just its history. Oaxaca City in particular, with its thriving architecture, design, art and gastronomic scenes, is in near-constant evolution. The Mauricio Rocha-designed Centro Cultural San Pablo is one of the newer seats of the Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú – responsible for many wonderful cultural and social projects and spaces around Oaxaca. There’s also CaSa, in San Agustín Etla, founded by Francisco Toledo, whom Paul Theroux described as “an artist, an activist, an organiser… the embodiment of Oaxaca’s vortex of energy”.
The design of Oaxaca has long been in international demand. Owners of the most beautiful shops in Mexico City, Los Angeles, New York and beyond have come here to source precious textiles, ceramics, jewellery and art. Some villages will specialise in a particular product: green glazed ceramic pots in Atzompa, black clay in San Bartolo, rugs in Teotitlán del Valle. (By all means go and visit these villages, and explore the local shops in town; but please don’t attempt to bargain – Oaxaca is still one of the poorest states in Mexico, and its artisans, like all Oaxacans, face daunting socioeconomic challenges.)
It’s a multicultural state, but not quite the multiculturalism one sees in the capitals of the US and the UK. There are at least 16 indigenous languages still spoken in Oaxaca, including Amuzgo, Chatino, Zapotec and Mixteco. You’ll also find a strong community of Mexican and foreign retirees and younger digital nomads, who bring all the same creativity, dynamism and tensions they do anywhere else in the world. Some might admit that the food is what first lured them here. Oaxaca’s culinary scene is considered to be the best in Mexico, a vast palette of flavours that reflect the region’s pre- and post-Hispanic heritage, and the outrageously good quality of the locally grown ingredients (there’s the soil again). It’s a wonderful destination for vegetarians. Run the gamut: there are market stalls, and street food stands with New York Times reviews to their names; you can go contemporary or opt for a more traditional (but no less interesting or delicious) place like Las Quince Letras, or Casa Oaxaca. It would take weeks to sample them all.
Zapotec culture thrives in the tranquil enclave of San Juan Guelavía, a town of 3,300. It’s less known than neighbouring Teotitlán del Valle and San Jerónimo Tlacochahuaya, with their vibrant weaving traditions and ornate baroque churches. But in the squares and streets and markets of San Juan Guelavía are real glimpses of the past. In the clear light you find something far removed from the bustle of modernity: a place that’s as perennial as the earth it’s built from.
Casting, Maria Osado at Guerxs. Models, Abel Sánchez and Emilio Valladares at In The Park Management, Narayan José Echeverria Camaño and Zentyatze Elizabeth Echeverria Camaño at Espina. Grooming, Salma Carbajal. Stylist’s assistant, Chardonnay Taylor. Photographer’s assistant, Jalil Olmedo. Production, artProduction and Michael Matus