Zócalo and Santo Domingo
The arcaded square, and Mexico's most gilded baroque church two streets away.
Duration
2 hrs – 4 hrs
Best time
Late in the day
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Oaxaca's Zócalo has stayed a town square rather than a set piece: people sit under the laurel trees, brass bands play, and teachers' protests camp there regularly.
Two streets north, the church of Santo Domingo has one of the most loaded baroque interiors in Mexico: the vault is entirely gold-leafed, and the Guzmán family tree unfurls in relief above the entrance. The former convent alongside houses the cultures museum, where the jewellery from Tomb 7 at Monte Albán is displayed.
Getting there
In the middle of Oaxaca; everything is on foot. Santo Domingo is ten minutes away along the pedestrian Macedonio Alcalá.
Rules on site
The cultures museum closes on Monday, unlike the church. Protests regularly occupy the Zócalo and can block the surrounding streets without warning.
Other places in Oaxaca
Monte AlbánA Zapotec capital levelled off the top of a mountain, looking down three valleys.Hierve el AguaPetrified waterfalls and natural pools at the edge of a cliff.
Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre marketsMoles, toasted grasshoppers, and the smoke-filled grill corridor where you pick your own meat.
MitlaGeometric stone mosaics cut without mortar, unique in Mesoamerica.