If you go to Oaxaca City, take the time to visit some of the smaller towns nearby. I went to the Friday market in Ocotlan and it was well worth it. The market is large and sprawling. I may have seen a few tourists there, but it was mostly a local thing. It is easy and cheap to get there. There are not so many artesanias to buy, but there is truly good food for purchase, especially some tasty variations of the tlayuda. I suggest squeezing into a taxi colectivo from Oaxaca City to add a little additional excitement to your journey. (On market day, you’ll need to go directly to the taxi stands near the 2nd class bus station. The return taxis pick up on one end of the Parque Central in Ocotlan.)

I also went to Arrazola where the alebrijes (cool, hand-painted wooden creatures) are made. It was a rather sleepy town. I enjoyed having such a wide selection of alebrijes to choose from when visiting the talleres (workshops). It was also nice to pay the people directly as opposed to buying it in some stall in the 20 de noviembre market in Oaxaca City.

Lastly, if you like to hike, I recommend going for a hike up in Cuajimoloyas. I set up a guide before leaving Oaxaca City and scheduled a 5 hour hike. I did not stay the night, but there seemed to be very nice accomodations up there as well as several small, local, family-owned restaurants. My guide was friendly and extremely knowledgable about local plants and their medicinal uses. It was very beautiful and peaceful. The altitude is a bit brutal, but it is definitely worth it.