Zaachila Market, Cuilapam and Arrazola Tour from Oaxaca
Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico
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Trip Type: Half-day Tours
Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes
This tour will introduce you to the Zapotec culture and Spanish colonial history of Oaxaca as you visit several traditional towns outside the city. Meet your friendly local guide for a half-day tour of the region, including Cuilapam de Guerrero, Villa de Zaachila and San Antonio Arrazola. You’ll visit the Cuilapam Convent, browse for fascinating wood-carved figures called ‘alebrijes’ in Arrazola and delight in the sights and sounds of the Zaachila Market. Round-trip hotel transport by air-conditioned coach is included.
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This tour will introduce you to the Zapotec culture and Spanish colonial history of Oaxaca as you visit several traditional towns outside the city. Meet your friendly local guide for a half-day tour of the region, including Cuilapam de Guerrero, Villa de Zaachila and San Antonio Arrazola. You’ll visit the Cuilapam Convent, browse for fascinating wood-carved figures called ‘alebrijes’ in Arrazola and delight in the sights and sounds of the Zaachila Market. Round-trip hotel transport by air-conditioned coach is included.
After your 10am hotel pickup, relax aboard the air-conditioned coach. Your half-day sightseeing tour with a local guide begins in the small town of Cuilapam de Guerrero, located appproximately 6 miles (10 km) south of the city of Oaxaca.
You’ll visit an unfinished basilica of the 16th-century Cuilapam Convent, a prominent Dominican structure for the traditional townspeople, who celebrate the saints throughout the year. Hear about the history of its capilla abierta, or open chapel, which was used to convert indigenous people to Catholicism during the colonial era.
Re-board your coach for Villa de Zaachila, located south of Cuilapam. The Zapotec capital until the Spanish conquest, Zaachila includes an unexplored archeological site. The locals retain many pre-Columbian traditions and customs – including indigenous music, dance and food – at the famous Thursday open-air market, which covers much of the town center.
Enjoy the colors and flavors of the Alarii Market on the east side of the zócalo (public square), where nearly 100 stands serve bread, chocolate and a variety of fresh meats. Here, you can stop for a quick lunch or beverage; try a snack of tasty peanuts (cacahuates) or fresh sugarcane – with or without the hot sauce (own expense).
Your final stop is the tranquil town of San Antonio Arrazola, known for its wooden carvings called alebrijes, sculpted from the copal tree. As you walk around, meet local artisans and admire the world-renowned folk art whose figures depict a fantastic zoology of mythical creations.
After your tour, re-board the coach and head back to Oaxaca city for drop-off at your hotel around 2:30pm.
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