Oaxaca was chosen as the best tourist city in the world

Published July 13th, 2022

The city of Oaxaca was chosen as the best tourist destination in the world, above other popular Mexican places. The monthly publication Travel + Leisure awarded the distinction, which dedicated a section to the city, highlighting its gastronomy, ancient architecture, and handicraft markets, combined with the hospitality of its residents.

The article reads: “It is a dream gastronomic destination, especially for lovers of mole and mezcal. The Zapotec indigenous culture influences the local gastronomy, which is fully manifested in Oaxaca City. Many readers also referred to the 17th-century architecture, the lively artisan markets, as well as the friendliness of the locals”.

With this description, it is not surprising that this corner of Mexico received a near-perfect score of 92.96 points. In this way, this Oaxacan locality surpassed the Mexican city that was in first place last year: San Miguel de Allende, in Guanajuato, which on this occasion came in second place with a score of 91.77.

The governor of the state, Alejandro Murat, celebrated the inclusion of the place in the list of 25 best destinations around the world. Through his Twitter account, he assured that the site won mention due to the quality of the population. In that sense he expressed:

“A great honor to be recognized by the international magazine @TravelLeisure as the best tourist city in the world; with wonderful options of gastronomy, culture, and sites to visit, it is thanks to the Oaxacans who give their warm welcome.”

It is worth mentioning that Oaxaca was chosen as the best destination in the world by tourists who have visited it. For this Travel + Leisure surveyed its readers, who voted to take into account factors such as the quality of hotels and restaurants, cultural heritage, main attractions, and even protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Incredible local indigenous food”, “People go out of their way to make you feel special” or “The city has beautiful museums, streets, cafes, and restaurants”, were some of the comments made by participants in the annual survey.

Among the obligatory stops in Oaxaca de Juárez are the historic center where popular businesses such as “El Asador Vasco”, “La lonja de Valencia” or “El Cantábrico” are located; the Macedonio Alcalá Theater, an architectural jewel of the Porfiriato; the Temple of Santo Domingo, where remodeling work was recently completed; and Parque del Llano.

It also highlights the Guelaguetza festival, which is celebrated annually in July. It is a great celebration of indigenous origin, based on the roots of the pre-Hispanic Zapotec culture, especially in the worship of the gods to whom they gave as an offering the corn of the harvest.

This 2022, a sample of the Guelaguetza came to Mexico City, to the Cerro de la Estrella. In addition, a photographic exhibition will be on display on Paseo de la Reforma until August 15.

It should be noted that two places in Mexico were included in the list, in addition to those located in Oaxaca and Guanajuato. Mexico City was ranked sixth, with 90.90 points, and Merida was ranked twelfth, with 90.00 points.

The destinations ranked below the Oaxacan capital are Ubud, Indonesia; Florence, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey.