Oaxaca offers many places for tourists to visit, and there is an abundant variety of activities. The quality of the tourist services is simply first rate and offerings reflect the hospitable spirit of the Oaxacan people. Simply put, Oaxaca is a natural choice for a travel destination.
Alternative Tourism is Oaxaca´s forte. Throughout the state, travelers are invited to explore our nature and culture.

The Northern Sierra
The Northern Sierra of Oaxaca is among the three richest areas in variety of fauna in the country, with more than 400 species of birds and 350 species of butterflies.
One of the best preserved natural areas in Mexico, it also has a very rich variety of flowers, and seven of the nine kinds of vegetation in the country. Alternative Tourism offerings integrate journeys for mountain-biking and hiking along well defined routes and accompanied by professional guides. This allows you to know the most beautiful sites and impressive forests, as well as ancient traditions. Activities include rappel, rock climbing, fishing or participating in practices of traditional medicine as temazcal (a kind of sauna with herbs) or the limpias (natural healing).
The communities of Benito Juárez, Cuajimoloyas, Lachatao, La Nevería, Latuvi, Llano Grande, Ixtlán de Juárez and Calpulalpan de Méndez have good lodging in the form of clean, rustic cabins and local houses as well as chosen camping sites. It´s also important to emphasize that these places provide
gastronomical delights as well.

The Central Valleys
Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, bird watching, participating in handcraft workshops or participating in local fiestas, ceremonies and dances, are just some of the activities offered by the Region of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca. This large zone surrounds the capital city of our state and its rich in traditions, legends and gastronomy. Routes on Central Valleys include sites such as Monte Alban, the cradle of Zapotec civilization; San Antonio Arrazola, an artisan town which creates the famous alebrijes -fantastic multi-colored items carved in wood; La Lobera in Zaachila, where paragliding takes the adventure literally to other levels; Teotitlán del Valle and Santa Ana del valle, where the natural attractions are united to the beauty of an old tradition of woolen textiles, and the culture and local history are represented in its Community Museums; Yagul, where the prehispanic ruins form a special frame for the adventure of rappel and rock climbing, not forgetting Ocotlán, Tlacolula or San José El Mogote, where the cultural expressions, like the markets, handcrafts, the fiestas, the ways f life and the people themselves, are the main enchantment.

The Mixtec Region
The Mixtec Region, whose knotted mountains hide roards and paths in a terrain marked by canyons, waterfalls and caves, is a major destination for alternative tourism in the country. Visit Santiago Apoala, a grotto with wide galleries, two impressive rocks of 300 meter high separated by a narrow passage of just some meters, a river of an incredible blue, high waterfalls and a beautiful natural swimming pool. These are just some of the attractions for visitors who can explore the region on foot or via mountain bike.
Lodging is available in the House of the Tourist (Casa del Turista) as well as in local homes. The rich culinary variety completes the offering in the mountain-based oasis.

The Cost
Oaxaca has some of the most beautiful beaches on the Pacific coast. Rich in flora and fauna and natural beauty, the Coast of Oaxaca offers, to the tourist eager new experiences, a wide variety of possibilities. Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel and the Bays of Huatulco offer plenty of adventure as well as cultural exchanges. Options include snorkeling or scuba diving in their blue and turquoise waters; the vertigo of rafting and kayaking in the river Copalita, or the adventure of rock climbing and rappel in Piedra de Moros, Punta Celeste. Tour the waterfalls of Copalitilla; or swim in natural wells, watching the local flora and fauna. Additional options include hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Coffee plantations offer the possibility of knowing the process of coffee production, from harvest to consumption. You can also simply relax, something that is not difficult in the beautiful natural surroundings of the area.
The coast is home to places known for their ecological richness, including the Lagoons of Chacahua or Manialtepec, La Ventanilla or Mazunte. The region is also known for its preservation and conservation of species of turtles, iguanas and crocodiles as well as ecosystems of mangrove-woods, characteristic of this area. In all of these places the visitor can attend the various aspects of the local daily life, taste the gastronomy products and enjoy the warmth of its people. In addition, there is a very good offer of lodging possibilities.
All of this and much more can be found here.