South of Oaxaca, one road runs down the valley through villages that each make one thing well. This guide is for you if you want to see that work being done, and perhaps bring some of it home. It helps you choose the day, explains what you are looking at in each village, and covers the practical side of buying.
Friday or another day
The biggest decision is the day of the week. Friday is market day in Ocotlán de Morelos, the town at the end of the route, about 35 kilometres south of the city. Its weekly market is one of the oldest and largest in the central valleys. Farmers and families from the villages around come in to sell produce, plants, live animals, crafts and food, and to meet each other.
That makes Friday the fullest day and the busiest. If you like crowds and the noise of a working market, choose it. If you would rather have space in the workshops and the square, any other day works: the market is open on other days too.
What each village makes
San Bartolo Coyotepec: black pottery
About 15 kilometres south of the city. The pottery here used to be grey and matte. In the 1950s a potter known as Doña Rosa found that if she polished the clay when it was almost dry, before firing, it came out of the kiln a shiny black. That finish made the village known. Her family still works from the family home and shows visitors how it is done.
The village is also home to the State Museum of Popular Art of Oaxaca, opened in 2004, with fine black pottery and carved masks from Tilcajete.
San Martín Tilcajete: carved alebrijes
Around 35 minutes from the city, in the district of Ocotlán. One estimate puts the number of workshops here at more than 250. The animals are carved from copal wood while it is fresh, because it does not crack as it dries, then painted in fine patterns. Ask to see a piece before the paint goes on: the carving alone tells you a lot about the hand that made it.
Santo Tomás Jalieza: backstrap weaving
The weavers here use the backstrap loom, a technique from before the Spanish conquest. One end of the loom is tied to a post or a tree, the other to a strap around the weaver's waist, and she keeps the threads tight by leaning back. The loom rolls up and can be carried anywhere. Belts are the classic piece, along with bags and table runners, and they are sold in the village square.
Ocotlán de Morelos: the market and the convent
On the square stands the former convent of Santo Domingo, built in stages from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century and later used as a prison. The painter Rodolfo Morales paid for most of its restoration and set up a foundation in 1992. It is now a museum with his paintings, Oaxacan crafts and colonial art. The church beside it is still in use. Ocotlán is also the home of the Aguilar sisters, known for painted clay figures of daily life.
How the day fits together
You are collected at 07:00 and back at your hotel around 15:00. The drives between villages are short, and the longest stretch is the 45 minutes north at the end. Lunch is in Ocotlán, in the market or near the square, and is not included.
Because the vehicle is yours, the time in each village is not fixed. If you find a workshop you like, stay. If one craft interests you less, move on. The order and the time can change on the day; just tell your driver.
You could reach some of these villages on your own, as they sit along the main road south. What is harder without a driver is finding the right door in each one, and carrying a bag of pottery between buses. The price of a private day depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
Buying, and carrying it home
Nobody expects you to buy. The families who show their work are used to visitors who only watch. If you do want something, a few points help.
- Bring cash. Most workshops take nothing else. Small notes make it easier.
- Think about the flight home. Black pottery is thin and breaks easily, and alebrijes have legs, ears and tails that snap. Ask the maker to wrap pieces well, and keep the fragile ones in your hand luggage.
- Do not worry about space in the car. There is room for what you buy during the day.
- Weavings travel best. A belt or a bag from Jalieza packs flat.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who wants to meet the people behind Oaxaca's crafts rather than buy them in a shop in the city. It works well for families too, because the drives between villages are short.
Think twice if you were hoping to add Monte Albán on the same day. There is not time to do both without rushing. The Monte Albán and Arrazola half day covers the ruins and another alebrije village on a different date. If landscape matters more to you than craft, the day east to Hierve el Agua and Mitla is the better choice. Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking; message us for a price.
Questions people ask
Is there a museum on the way?
Two. The State Museum of Popular Art is in San Bartolo Coyotepec, and the former convent in Ocotlán holds Rodolfo Morales's paintings. Entrances are not included, so ask your driver about time when you set out.
Why are there alebrijes in two villages?
Arrazola, near Monte Albán, and Tilcajete, on this road south, both carve them, each with its own families and style. You see Tilcajete on this day and Arrazola on the Monte Albán half day.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Decide whether you want the Friday market, bring cash, and leave space in your luggage. The stops, times and what is included are on the Oaxaca craft villages private day trip page, where you choose your group size and book. To compare it with the other four days out, read our guide to day trips from Oaxaca.
