Hierve el Agua

#1 The Zocalo Oaxaca's main square – formally referred to as the Plaza de la Constitución de Oaxaca, but colloquially called the Zócalo – is a must-see. Skirted by cafes and eateries and bounded by the Palacio ... Read more » Darryl Leniuk / Getty Images

#2 Templo de Santo Domingo Dating back to 1555, the Templo de Santo Domingo acted as a convent and church before being used as military barracks in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the convent ... Read more » javarman3 / Getty Images

#3 Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca The Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca is a regional culture museum that walks visitors chronologically from ancient times all the way to modern-day Oaxaca. Other halls are thematic, featuring ... Read more » NNehring / Getty Images

#4 Monte Alban Monte Albán, literally "White Mountain," contains the preserved ruins of a Zapotec city. Travelers will find pyramids, temples, plazas and more atop this mountain, which rises 1,300 feet above ... Read more » mikeblue / Getty Images

#5 Hierve el Agua Hierve el Agua – Spanish for "the water boils" – are natural mineral springs located on a clifftop, about a 90-minute drive from Oaxaca City. Along with swimming in the warm springs ... Read more » arturogi / Getty Images

Javier Castañón / Flickr

#7 Benito Juarez Market To get a taste of Oaxaca, visitors should head to the Benito Juarez Market (Mercado Benito Juárez). Different stalls purvey everything from crickets and mole to grilled meats and homemade ... Read more » Steve Silverman / Flickr