With kids · Oaxaca · Mexico
Oaxaca with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: nsaum75 !Dígame¡ , CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Oaxaca is easy-going with children: compact, walkable and full of colour, with markets to graze through, craft workshops where kids can watch alebrijes being carved and painted, and the pools at Hierve el Agua. Long drives on mountain roads and cobbled streets are the main challenges. Top picks: Árbol del Tule, Monte Albán and Zócalo and Cathedral. Families usually base themselves in Centro Histórico.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Centro Histórico
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- July and November
Best things to do with kids
Nature · Santa María del Tule
1.Árbol del Tule
In the churchyard of Santa María del Tule, about 10 km east of the city, stands a Montezuma cypress with one of the stoutest trunks of any tree in the world, around 14 metres across. Local children with mirrors point out shapes in the bark said to resemble animals.
Stop on the way to Teotitlán or Mitla; the village market next to the churchyard is good for a tejate or a snack.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Photo spot
Historic site · Monte Albán
2.Monte Albán
The Zapotec capital was built on a levelled mountaintop about 400 metres above the valley, around 9 km west of the city, from roughly 500 BC. Its Great Plaza is ringed by pyramids, a ball court and the Danzantes, carved stone figures among the oldest monuments in the site. Views stretch across all three arms of the Oaxaca valley.
Go early, when it is cooler and the light is soft; there is little shade, so bring a hat and water.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
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Landmark · Centro Histórico
3.Zócalo and Cathedral
Oaxaca's main square is shaded by old laurel trees around a wrought-iron bandstand, with café terraces under the arcades and a constant stream of balloon sellers, marimba bands and families. The cathedral, with its green-stone baroque façade, faces the adjoining Alameda de León.
Take a coffee under the arcades in the early evening, when the square is at its liveliest and the marimba players set up.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
Market · Centro Histórico
4.Mercado Benito Juárez
The city's main covered market, directly north of the 20 de Noviembre, sells everything from quesillo cheese, chapulines and moles by the kilo to mezcal, leather sandals, baskets and embroidered blouses. It is the best place to try tejate, the frothy cold maize-and-cacao drink served from painted gourds.
Buy mole paste here to take home; stallholders will let you taste the negro, rojo and amarillo before choosing.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Religious site · Barrio de la Soledad
5.Basílica de la Soledad
The basilica of Oaxaca's patron, the Virgen de la Soledad, has a carved stone baroque façade like a folding screen and a richly decorated interior. On the terraced plaza outside, stalls have sold nieves for generations, with flavours such as leche quemada, tuna (prickly pear) and rose petal.
Order a scoop of leche quemada with tuna, the classic Oaxacan pairing, and eat it on the plaza steps.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Jalatlaco
6.Jalatlaco street walk
A short walk east of the centre, Jalatlaco's cobbled streets are lined with brightly painted houses and some of Oaxaca's best street murals and stencil art. Its small church of San Matías, cafés and bakeries make it an easy hour's wander.
Go in the morning light for photographs and finish with breakfast at one of the barrio's cafés.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, budget and culture
Centro Histórico
The streets around the Zócalo and the Alameda de León hold the cathedral, the government palace and, a few blocks south, the Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre markets. Everything in the historic centre is walkable, and hotels range from simple guesthouses to restored colonial mansions.
- Good
- Walk to markets, museums and restaurants; Wide range of prices; Lively evenings on the Zócalo
- Watch out
- Protests and marches sometimes occupy the Zócalo; Street noise and fireworks at festival times
- Nearby
- Zócalo, Cathedral, Mercado 20 de Noviembre, Mercado Benito Juárez
Family travel tips
- Visit Monte Albán early in the morning; there is little shade and it gets hot by midday.
- Alebrije workshops in San Martín Tilcajete often let children paint their own small figure.
- A lightweight carrier is easier than a stroller on cobbles and narrow pavements.
- Pack warm layers; evenings and mornings in winter can be chilly.
- Fireworks and brass bands are common at festivals; ear defenders help with small children.
Day trips for families
- Hierve el Agua (About 1.5–2 hours by road) — Mineral springs flowing over a cliff edge have left white calcified formations that look like frozen waterfalls.
- San Bartolo Coyotepec (About 25 minutes by road) — The village of barro negro, the polished black pottery made by burnishing clay before firing.
- San Martín Tilcajete (About 40 minutes by road) — Many families here carve and paint alebrijes, fantastical animals made from copal wood and decorated in intricate patterns.
When to go with children
The best months overall are October–March. July and November are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Oaxaca good for kids?
Oaxaca is easy-going with children: compact, walkable and full of colour, with markets to graze through, craft workshops where kids can watch alebrijes being carved and painted, and the pools at Hierve el Agua. Long drives on mountain roads and cobbled streets are the main challenges.
+What can kids do in Oaxaca?
Árbol del Tule, Monte Albán, Zócalo and Cathedral, Mercado Benito Juárez and Basílica de la Soledad.
+Where should families stay in Oaxaca?
Centro Histórico: Zócalo, cathedral and markets in the colonial grid.