Oaxaca City and Yucatan
Oaxaca sits in a fertile valley at about 5,000 feet in the mountains of the Sierra Madre del Sur where three valleys diverge to the south, northwest, and east. It is one of the best preserved and, many would say, the most charming of all Mexico's colonial cities. The city was laid out with a grid street pattern in 1529 by the Spanish in the area that the Mixtec and Zapotec cultures once dominated. It is the capital of the State of Oaxaca. As in other colonial towns, the central plaza or zocalo, called the Plaza de Armas in Oaxaca, is the geographical center of the city with the Cathedral and the Governor's Palace, or in smaller towns, city hall.
 

Plaza Alameda de Leon

oaxaca15.jpg (70903 bytes)

oaxaca20.jpg (72183 bytes)

 zocalo2.jpg (42503 bytes) Around the zocalo in Oaxaca
Restaurants, hotels, and shops line the square. People gather all day long, but particularly in the cooler evenings, to play with their children, meet friends, eat in the cafes, and pass the time of day. The photos were taken during Easter week (Friday to Sunday, March 29-31), so many temporary stalls were set up to sell crafts, jewelry, and foods. Click on each photo to see more details.

oaxaca22.jpg (67851 bytes)

Plaza de Armas

oaxaca21.jpg (77767 bytes)

oaxaca17.jpg (67926 bytes)  

oaxaca18.jpg (71820 bytes)

oaxaca31.jpg (88953 bytes)

oaxaca14.jpg (105329 bytes)

Other topics to view: 
Colonial Streets; Permanent and Periodic Markets; Folk Dancing; Easter Procession; Mescal; Weaving