Be aware: The following are only recommended routes, and are susceptible to revision, additions and deletions depending on the specific passions of the client. They are designed to maximize the variety of your cultural expertise while economizing your time, along with virtually no repeated spanning of highways to get to another site. Undoubtedly route changes can be produced, but often this kind of entails some backtracking. Excursions are private anyway, meaning that you, your spouse, family members and / or own small group decide which websites to visit and for just how long. Under no circumstances will you be paired with other tourists. Travel is by car, vehicle or large truck depending on the number in the group and the route selected.

*black pottery village associated with San Bartolo Coyotepec, with demonstration of the technique and its history by (usually) Don Valente Nieto, child of the late Doa Rosa who developed the method eventually followed by other villagers; then, for those interested in distinctive hand-crafted jewelry pieces, with regard to 30 years town citizen Armando Lozano has been making one-of-a-kind metal pieces using appealing acid-induced accent shades in green and aquamarinehis working area is close to Doa Rosas, and therefore well worth a brief stop;

outdoor rugs *San Martn Tilcajete, the village recognized for its wooden hand-carved and brilliantly painted creatures often generically referred to as alebrijes; appointments to a number of workshops illustrating differences in qualities and subject matter; for those interested in collector-quality pieces, preparations can be made to visit the actual workshop of probably the best in the condition, Jacobo and Mara ngeles, for a best demonstration of the energy of natural pigments for paints, the various uses of the female and male copal tree including trunk, bark and drain, the importance of Zapotec designs with regard to symbolism, etc; in the event that traveling with children, arrangements can be made to visit an additional workshop where they can select their favorite pet and paint any carving of it for a nominal feejust provide information in advance (and yes, you will find there's car seat for the toddlers and infants);.

*cotton textile pueblito of Santo Toms Jalieza, where women weave desk runners, placements, purses and much more using a back again strap loom, and are really adept at their garments embroidering skills as well; theres another factory which supplies high end hotels and restaurants throughout the country with tablecloths, bedspreads, drapes, etc, where you can place special ordersyour choice of color and pattern, 100% 100 % cotton or a 90/10 blend regarding greater ease of cleaning, size, and so onor select from a broad range of item on hand; youll have a fascinating demonstration of the stages in the production process;

*the homes and workshops of the Aguilar sisters whose mom first began making brightly painted clay statistics at age 11, in the 1940snow a fourth technology is continuing the particular tradition; with the passing of time the diversity of figurines as well as imagery has extended to include representations of Day's the Dead, Catholic religious themes, whimsical figures with strong sex images, and townspeople at market and in traditional regional dressfired in the many primitive of clay packet hearths;

*the combined home and also gallery of the past due Maestro of contemporary Oaxacan artwork, Rodolfo Morales, and his large fresco mural in the central square (zcalo) with the town of Ocotlntheres also a art gallery which includes original fine art from the Conquest period of time and by the Maestro;

*the knifemaking workshop of ngel Aguilar, 2nd of three years of craftsmen inherited; only recycled alloys are used to produce the particular knives and other guns, cutlery, and more; his / her oven is made of stone and clay; intriguing demonstration of the techniques as well as materials used in creating both blades as well as handles, even for people that have little or no interest in the niche matter; watch ngel engrave an item with a surname, rhyme or limerick;

OPTIONAL (while not one of the foregoing is etched within stone, other websites can be visited too subject to time and particular interests such as):

**16th Century church and monastery complicated at Cuilapam noted for the expansiveness, and the fact that construction discontinued with escalation of a dispute between The Church and the Corts family; apart from some restoration in the Nineteen fifties, there has been no important modification since the 1580s;

**cochineal ranch, museum and investigation station where youll learn the history and importance of this tiny bug that attaches itself to its host, the actual nopal cactus, and when gathered and dried creates the strongest and many brilliant natural red dye known to mankindused these days in dying carpets from the region as well as in a diversity of products such as yoghurt, Campbell soup, campari, as well as makeup and lipsticks (also a video detailing the historical significance about this Oaxacan industry coming from Conquest times from the mid 19th century, with regard to North America, Europe and the Far East)

*Santa Mara del Tule, home to the actual famous 2,Thousand year old Tule or ahuehuete sapling, the largest tree within the worldbeautifully kept grounds, with a lovely church together with the tree; hire a nearby child to take yourself on a tour around the shrub, using a mirror to indicate images in the trunk and branches;

*the 16th century Dominican chapel at Tlacochuhuaya noted for the original fresco painting about the ceiling and walls by Zapotec artists, these surrounding courtyard chapels, its external carved figures including the sculpture of St . Jerome, and the 17th hundred years German organ about the second floor; a sundial still stands outside the church;

*the rug village of Teotitlan del Valle visit one or more of the large number of rug workshops where you can select any of numerous sizes, designs and colours (if you are so inclined) and see how the rugs are made of the carding of made of woll of different colors, accompanied by its spinning, then your use of purely normal dyes of grow, fruit and vegetable sources as well as the cochineal, and finally the hand weaving on traditional big looms; learn how to detect rugs which are made using synthetic dyes for coloration;

*if youve every been on a California or perhaps Niagara wine tour, or perhaps traveled to Scotland to sample the finest regarding single malt whiskies, youll be hit by the contrast inside production techniques used in making Oaxacas state drink, mezcal; this kind of lesser known cousin to tequila is made with a much more pure and ancient method using only the agave grow without any fermenting brokers whatsoever, a deep in-ground hole for baking above firewood, crushing by a multi-ton stone pulled simply by horse, pine fermentation casks and brick range with a copper serpentine stillall organic and aged in oak barrels as much as 8 years, along with or without gusano worm, or as a fairly sweet liqueur mixed with local exotic fruits; tastings of all varieties (full day tours up high into the mountains to find out and sample from your selection of the smallest mom and pop creation facilities are also available, along with lunch at a stylish roadside eatery);

*the wreck at Mitla known for the particular Spanish destruction of pre-conquest edifices and the conquerors use of the rock in the construction of the church, the existing original painted codices on parts of what remains, the intricate stone models forming the walls of the ruin structures with no mortar used in construction, and the tombs; also a huge open handicraft marketplace known for diversity regarding product and low prices;

**Hierve el Agua, the natural bubbling comes, with two big poolings of water around the precipice of a cliff with spectacular vistas, suited to swimming; hike to the large waterfall of scared mineral deposits;

**the ruins at Lambityeco, Dainz and / or Yagul; Yagul is recognized for four things: the biggest ballcourt in the region and second biggest in Mesoamerica, its tombs, the particular labyrinth structure, and also the fortress high up the particular mountain from which a single cannot help but be impressed by the attractive views of the encircling mountains and area;

NOTE: From the perspective of trying to provide a broad range of understanding in terms of Oaxacan society previous and present, and also the diversity of build and other cultural traditions, while at the same time supplying an opportunity for making buys, the foregoing are the 2 most important routes. Nonetheless, there is much more, as is exemplified by the following additional routes:

Reference is made above to the option of a full days activity vacationing the tiny mountain villages where the quaintest and most basic of mezcal factories exist. Learn how to discern the taste nuances as we sample from a few facilities. Stop for comida along a second highway at a combined fabrica de mezcal and roadside eatery. This experience can easily (and certainly must be) combined with a trip to Hierve el Agua and possibly a couple of the other websites of your choice along ROUTE TWO, making for one of the most real Oaxacan experiences of one's entire trip.

*beginning with a vacation up the mountain just outside of Oaxaca proper to Monte Albn, we hook up you with a authorities authorized English speaking Oaxacan guide who focuses primarily on only Monte Albn; the all inclusive costs of the guide is deducted from your total price for the day thats just fair; the tour of the ruin typically takes a couple of hours; theres also a tiny museum and reward shop in the main pleasant center; before midday you would be ready to continue me for the balance of the days touring, right after having regained your energy by relaxing inside them for hours a drink in the open atmosphere cafeteria at the site;

*the green glazed pottery village associated with Atzompa is a fairly short push from Monte Albn; the market industry has an incredible diversity of kitchen items and utensils, statues, flower pots, hanging ornaments and table lamps, complete sets of dinners, etc.; a lot of the tasks are in fact not saving money glazed, but rather art in attractive pastel colors and terra cotta; you can also visit some of the actual workshops, have a demonstration, etc; for those thinking about high end collector pieces, fairly different from the work of all of the local craftspeople within the village, a visit to the workshop of reknowned designer Anglica Vsquez Cruz is a must. Anglica will be featured in most from the books about the countrys well-known folk art. Her home and working area is at the end of your ascending rocky street which during the stormy season is often finest negotiated on foot, but either way, the challenging rise is worth the effort. Shes a fantastic raconteur who will vividly bond her complex and also moving history to the people interested, and happily explain her intricate highest of high quality ceramic pieces heavily influenced by indigenous legends and Mexican history. She regularly wins national folk artwork competitions and is honored by being asked to provide workshops in the US.

*the wreck of San Jos el Mogote is one of the the very least touristed ruins in the region, and contains a serene really feel to it; theres a wonderful small museum alongside the particular ruin housed in the 16th century haciendathe step to the museum has to be tracked down from the townsperson after that in charge of the art gallery; actual artifacts are occasionally available from one loved ones which lives on the base of the ruin, about the QT, though not at all recommended by me because of the prohibition attached to their purchase and removal in the countrybut they do exist;

*on Wednesdays the Etla marketplace is kept, smaller than those included in the previous routes, but still interesting, quaint and also at the same time bustling; there is also a traditional chocolate manufacturing plant where you can have your own chocolate made at that moment from the raw elements, usually cacao, sugars, cinnamon and sometimes almondstasting Oaxacan chocolates is a must, whether here or in one of the downtown facilitiesif you prefer less sugar, more cinnamon, and so forth, the option is the one you have;

*for those interested in figurine, about 10 minutes up the road from the capital of scotland - Etla is the village associated with Magdalena Etla known for its cantera stone quarries and the sculptors who assist the stone inside pink, yellow and also green hues; Maestro Adolfo Cruz will show you his / her facility used in producing both stone and also bronze pieces, and in fact hes the only one in the condition, he boasts, with a foundry; His daughter Nely, subsequent in her fathers footsteps, teaches at the College of proper Arts at the Benito Juarez University, and is a respected multi-media artist in her own proper. She usually has fragile pendants and earrings available for sale made out of the identical cantera stone;

**on Thursdays the marketplace at Zaachila, where there is also a ruin close to the middle of town, with a tomb; the federal government employee at the wreck will show you photos associated with treasures which were taken off the tomb and brought to Mexico City where all but one piece remains locked up in storagebecause with the conflict between the archaeologists and also the townspeople about what to do with the particular tombs contents, excavation stopped and also was never completed.

OPTION 2: instead of browsing Monte Albn as part of an entire day organized excursion, arrive there by yourself by bus or taxi, and invest the rest of the day back Oaxaca; you can then spend a complete day on this route and add these, perhaps for those along with particular fine disciplines and/or architectural interests:

**the combined Oaxaca Paper Factory as well as Center for the Martial arts styles housed in a reconditioned 19th century textile work makes for a fascinating cease out in the country after a tiny mountaintop town, San Agustn Etla; regarding the former, founded inside 1998 by Finnish papers makers and Oaxacan designers, it was conceived as an integrated space to produce hand-made paper with normal fibers from the location, and promote ethnic activities in the community; in addition, it involves a reforestation program and nursery; the first kind is a magnificent multi-level rock building incorporating normal waterfalls and poolings regarding water both outdoors and in the interior of the structure; there is a gallery with installations changing periodically, printmaking workshop and also residences for going to professors.

**artistic hand blown glass has been a custom in Mexico for generations; a visit to Vidrio Artesanal Xa-quixe, located only a couple of minutes from the workshop regarding sculptor Adolfo Cruz, really turns this path, with Option A couple of, into a day in the country exploring fine art; The particular glass workshop creates fine decorative parts, lamps, bottles and much more, using 80% recycled cup. Tour the facility and also brouse the offerings.

While each kid and his particular pursuits, attention span as well as level of patience is different, as a rule we have been very successful in developing and recommending routes which address the requirements youngsters while at the same time ensuring that parents can maximize their social experiences. Aside from organizing special sessions in the carved animal village to which reference is created above, we have produced arrangements with other community craftspeople along a couple of the routes which include allowing children to work with and paint clay figures, touch and understand raw wool and just how its transformed into rugs as well as other products, in addition to go swimming in an environment thats spectacular for parents, and even use on a swing set at an open air restaurant so as to enable mom and dad to have a relaxing meal.


NOTE: For those clients who will be visiting one or more of the ruins with us and who are not staying with us and so do not have the benefit of critiquing the literature in regards to the ruins which all of us make available to our house guests, we provide a no cost copy of what we consider to be the best guide on the archaeological web sites in the region, OAXACATHE ARCHAEOLOGICAL Report, by reknowned archaeologist Marcus Winter. This is but one aspect from the value added service we attempt to provide to all of our clients.