Oaxaca is one of the most popular travel destinations in Mexico, and for good reason. While there is a well-trodden tourist track in Oaxaca and the Oaxaca region, if you want a little taste of local life and want to explore more than the UNESCO Heritage City city center of Oaxaca City, you should check out Barrio Xochimilco. The best part? It’s literally minutes away from the historic center, so you don’t even have to venture too far from your accommodation to explore a world different from what the historic center offers.
In Barrio Xochimilco, you can marvel at the amazing street art, chat with local artisans, eat delicious food, and so much more. Heading to Oaxaca soon? This is our guide for the Xochimilco barrio in Oaxaca, a lesser-known gem you should absolutely visit if you have the time!
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Barrio Xochimilco: A Hidden Gem in Oaxaca
Xochimilco is a neighborhood just north of the center of Oaxaca, which is often left out of the usual Oaxaca itineraries. But skipping this ancient barrio would be a mistake! Barrio Xochimilco is a beautiful neighborhood with tons of history. In fact, it is the oldest neighborhood in the city and even predates the Spanish colonists.
Xochimilco is a word in the language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl, that translates to “place where the flowers grow.” The area is thought to have been founded by the Aztec Empire in the late 15th century.
As soon as you enter this unique neighborhood, you’ll be greeted by ancient cobblestone streets and tons of spectacular street art and murals. While many of the central neighborhoods in Oaxaca are experiencing gentrification, Barrio Xochimilco is still primarily inhabited by locals. Many of the local residents are artisans and may even invite you into their homes to show you their craft as you explore the neighborhood. This neighborhood is definitely overshadowed by Jalatlaco and Centro Historico, but in our opinion, this is one of the most charming areas of the city and has a unique vibe that is unmatched by other neighborhoods.
Where Is Barrio Xochimilco?
Located just a 25-minute walk from both Zocalo and Jalatlaco, Xochimilco is actually pretty close to the rest of Oaxaca. That said, it feels wholly separated, as it is much quieter, less crowded, and has a more residential feel. To get to Barrio Xochimilco, simply follow C. Rufino Tamayo all the way north until you reach the aqueduct. You’ll walk along this aqueduct until you reach the busy Highway 190. Cross the highway, and you have arrived!
Things to Do in Xochimilco, Oaxaca
Barrio Xochiimilco is less of a place for activities and more of an area to explore, relax, and enjoy some authentic Oaxacan culture. That said, there are still some cool things to do in the area.
Take a Free Walking Tour of the Neighborhood
If you want to learn a bit about the neighborhood from a local perspective, we highly recommend booking a free walking tour of Xochimilco. While none of the standard Oaxaca walking tours explore the barrio, you can take an alternative walking tour of Xochimilco. The guide, Rodolfo, is a local Oaxacan who emphasizes the impacts of overtourism in Oaxaca and stresses the importance of exploring the hidden gems. To quote Rodolfo, his tour “skips the historical information that you can find on the internet,” instead giving you a unique view of the city from a local perspective.
This tour was a great lesson in how to be a more sustainable tourist and showed us a side of the city we would have never seen otherwise.
Looking for some free walking tours in other areas of Oaxaca? Here are some more recommendations.
Marvel at the Beautiful Street Art
You can find amazing street art and murals all over Oaxaca (and Mexico, for that matter), but Barrio Xochimilco has some of the most interesting pieces we have seen. Essentially, every wall in the neighborhood is covered in colorful murals. Most of the artwork here is seriously impressive, and the coolest thing is that many of the murals are done in a unique Mexican style. A lot of the street art in Xochimilco depicts famous Mexicans or important cultural events. So, if you are interested in really diving into the deeper meaning, we highly recommend visiting with a local guide who can explain the murals to you.
Watch Local Artisans
As mentioned, Barrio Xochimilco is home to many local artisan families. During our visit, a local family invited us into their home and showed us how their loom worked. They ran a small textile business in which they made everything by hand with a traditional loom. It was so cool to see how much work and skill goes into hand-crafting traditional rugs and other textiles.
Hit Up the Organic Market
Oaxaca has no shortage of markets, but La Cosecha Organic Market in Xochimilco stands out from the bunch. In this small market, you can find delicious food, produce, and handicrafts, all locally made from organic ingredients. The best part about this little outdoor market is that despite the high-quality and organic ingredients, everything is reasonably priced. Better yet, the money you spend here goes directly to the local community. So, you can support local businesses in Oaxaca while enjoying a tasty meal in the process. A win-win if you ask us!
Enjoy the Quiet Streets Away From the Chaos of Centro Historico
Honestly, the best thing to do in Barrio Xochimilco is relax, slow down, and enjoy the quiet streets. Oaxaca is by no means a hidden gem, and the city center can get extremely crowded during peak season. But Barrio Xochimilco is not on many tourists’ radar, so you’ll be sharing the streets with far fewer people.
Looking for more activities in Oaxaca? Head over to our complete list of the top things to do in the city.
Where to Eat and Drink in Barrio Xochimilco
Oaxaca has some of the most unique and spectacular food in the world. And while Barrio Xochimilco is not as packed with restaurants as other areas, there are still some great places to check out in the neighborhood.
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional
At this restaurant, we ate one of our top meals in Oaxaca. Ancestral Cocina Tradicional serves typical Oaxacan cuisine in an elevated manner. Here, you can sample different moles in a beautiful outdoor setting. You really can’t go wrong on the menu, but we highly recommend ordering the octopus with yellow mole, the short ribs with black mole, and the aguachile. This is also a great place to try mezcal as they have a massive selection of bottles.
Corazón De Cacao
Oaxaca is world famous for its chocolate, and while you can find mouth-watering chocolate caliente at essentially any cafe in the city, Corazón De Cacao offers unique experiences for tasting and making chocolate. If you are interested in furthering your chocolatier experience, this is the perfect opportunity. Corazón De Cacao is a small family-run business that uses high-quality chocolate, and ancient recipes passed down through the generations.
Pollos Bar
There are many amazing bars in Oaxaca that are worth checking out, but if you want to drink in a local watering hole like a true Oaxaceño, then look no further than Pollos Bar. This is a humble establishment that has been in the neighborhood for decades. Inside, you’ll find simple plastic chairs, cold beer, tasty mezcal, and traditional Mexican music. Don’t expect anything fancy or aesthetically pleasing like many of the tourist-centric bars in central Oaxaca, but if you want to drink like a local, there is no other place like Pollos Bar!
Chepiche Cafe
Right around the corner from Ancestral Cocina Tradicional is Chepiche Cafe, which is one of the best places to have brunch in Oaxaca. Here, you can find everything from traditional Oaxacan breakfasts like enchiladas, huevos rancheros, and enfrijoladas to American pancakes, crepes, and French toast. They have an extensive brunch and cocktail menu as well, but the restaurant’s specialty is definitely breakfast foods.
Street Food
There’s not a lot of true street food vendors left in Oaxaca, but you might come across a couple in Xochimilco. This is a great place to try tejate (a maize and cacao drink) if you haven’t tasted it already.
We won’t lie; we ate at a new restaurant almost every day during our month-long trip to Oaxaca, so you could definitely say we have become experts in the restaurant scene in the city. For a comprehensive list of restaurants, check out our guide on the best places to eat in Oaxaca.
Where to Stay in Barrio Xochimilco
Most tourists stay in the city center of Oaxaca or nearby Jalatlaco, but there are a few accommodation options in Xochimilco.
- El Callejón Hotel Boutique: Best luxury hotel in Barrio Xochimilco
- Hotel Fortin Plaza: Best mid-range hotel in Barrio Xochimilco
- Casa los Cantaros Hotel Boutique: Best Budget hotel in Barrio Xochimilco
Explore Oaxaca Off the Beaten Path
When we travel, we love to get off the beaten path and explore true local areas. Nowadays, when you travel to tourist destinations, you can easily end up simply going to the same shops, restaurants, cafes, and neighborhoods as everyone else. But we think going somewhere different and hidden to tourists opens up a way of experiencing a destination in a very unique way. Plus, you get more opportunities to interact with locals, which is always a plus in our book!