Oaxaca: Day of the Dead

Bienvenidos a Mexico! We’ll meet up with the group and get oriented with one of Latin America’s great colonial wonders: Oaxaca City. We’ll walk through the cobblestone streets and snack through its central markets, a feast of the senses where tasajo (dried meats) hang, open fires grill delicious tlayudas (toasted tortillas topped, pizza-style, with Oaxacan string cheese and thin-grilled meats), and vendors scurry past offering chapulines (roasted grasshoppers) and pastry-like pan de yema stacked in woven baskets. Yummy (even those grasshoppers, we promise).

In the evening, we’ll toast the start of our adventure with local mezcal—of course—and a beautiful Oaxaca City backdrop for an inspired dinner together.

Today we journey to mountain villages devoted to arts and crafts. Heading to San Baltazar, we’ll pass marvelous fields and rows of agave. There’s no better place to see it than at an incredible palenque (mezcal production site). We’ll learn how these passed-down, timeless techniques turn agave hearts into the smoky cousin-spirit of tequila.

After a tasting, or two, we’ll stop at the Teotitlan del Valle weaving village. We’ll learn to make some local recipes and have lunch with a Zapotec family. Then, we’ll meet weavers of a local collective, who’ll demonstrate their intricate craft just as they have for the past fourteen generations. With our palates and minds enriched, we return to Oaxaca, where the night is ours.

We venture outside the city once again today. As the festivities draw nearer, it’s only appropriate to get in an artistic spirit. In the valley south of Oaxaca, we’ll meet up with artists who’ll show us the essentials for any Day of the Dead celebration. Whimsical and eccentric pottery and creations are everywhere around this time. Each piece of black or vibrantly colored pottery, carved wooden figurine or calavera (skull) is filled with creativity and meaning. After seeing what goes into bringing these beautiful creations to life, we’ll be guests for a home-cooked lunch with one of the artists.

Our imaginations brimming, we return to Oaxaca City to visit a market dedicated to Day of the Dead. It’s a visually stunning collection of artwork, sugar and chocolate skulls, cempasuchil (Mexican marigold flowers), drinking chocolate and sodas to decorate altars—and pretty much anything else we need to bring this Day of the Dead to life!

It’s All Hallows Eve! We spend the morning visiting ofrendas (altars) created by families for their ancestors. Each is decorated with fresh flowers, candles and food—fruits to turkey mole—for weary spirit travelers. After paying our respects, we head to the village of Atzompa where we’ll help local master potter, Angélica Vásquez Cruz, and her family create their ofrenda. Learn the significance different pieces play, from the marigold’s spirit-guiding scent to the crafts adorning the altar. 

We then join the Cruzes at the cemetery where we’ll help them decorate the graves of their loved ones. It’s believed the souls of children arrive today and leave the following afternoon, when the adults arrive. Each village has their own unique way of honoring tradition and enjoying the fun! As we celebrate and beautify, we’ll have some home-cooked tamales for dinner and stay up late admiring everyone’s work and learning more about the locals.

After our long night of fun, we sleep in this morning. When we’re feeling rested, we head north of the city to the village of Soledad Etla for lunch. November 1 is referred to as Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents), or All Saints Day, when the angelitos (little angels) are still among us through the afternoon. Soledad Etla features the best of one of the most fun traditions—and we’ll be a part of it! For the rest of the day and into the evening, their comparsa features a carnival-like procession of costumed locals, mariachis, dancing, food vendors and revelry. Every village and barrio does their a bit differently, but this will be an experience to remember. The best part is, our Day of the Dead celebration is far from over—in fact, it’s just beginning!

It’s finally arrived! Día de Muertos, or All Souls Day. We begin it with a journey to the past on a trip to the hilltop ruin of Monte Alban. Dating from 500 BC, it’s vast complex of pyramids, a palace, shrines—easily one of Mesoamerica’s grandest archaeological sites. We explore its monumental scale and the intricate carvings of bas relief sculptures, with one of Mexico’s great colonial cities sprawling below us.

And because today is all about reconnection, we’ll meet back up with the Zapotec family from earlier in our trip to spend the rest of the day at their local cemetery. Ring in the celebration with music, dancing, food, color and fun unlike anywhere else in the world.

After a whirlwind of celebration and festivity, today is ours to enjoy. We’ll have breakfast at the hotel, followed by however we want to explore the city. Visit more museums, stroll in the zocalo, hit up more markets or simply relax after the epic three-day-long holiday we got to experience.

We meet back up this evening for dinner at a local restaurant to share how we spent the last day of our trip and reflect on the amazing things we’ve seen and experienced living it up at Day of the Dead. We’ll feel electric and magical, and toast as the stars twinkle in the clear Oaxaca night sky.

As we’ve learned this trip, nothing truly ever ends. Even though we pack our things and bid farewell to Oaxaca—hopefully including some mezcal and candy skulls—we know this journey will live on forever. Buen viaje!