One of Mexico’s Most Charming Cities Is More Popular Than Ever — And Its Food Scene Is Booming

The sound hits you before the sight — the rhythmic call of street vendors, the rustle of palm fans in shaded courtyards, the laughter from open-air mezcal bars. Then the colors come in: the ochres and pinks of colonial facades, the green of distant mountains, the vivid blues of handwoven textiles drying in the sun. Oaxaca is alive, and travelers are noticing. This year, Oaxaca International Airport has already welcomed 1,069,923 passengers, a 4.9 percent jump from the same period in 2024. It’s a rare upswing at a time when many other Mexican destinations are seeing slower growth or even dec