Teotitlán Weaving & Natural Dyes

Date: Tues, Dec 23 /Schedule: 9am-3pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $155 USD/2,900 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (40 minutes each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Visit to a regional market

• Breakfast at the market of local delicacies like chotolate atole, tamales, memelas, and tepache

• Hands on class with members of the Vida Nueva women’s cooperative learning how they process wool, use natural dyes, weave, and use Zapotec design

• A chance to dye our own garments (feel free to bring your own); each participant will be provided 2 cloth napkins in the cost of the experience

• Lunch prepared by a cocinera tradicional accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project

Mezcal Minero (2 palenques) &

Procession for Niño Jesús

Join us for a unique cultural tradition that celebrates one of the heroes of the Christmas season: baby Jesus. Many devotees praise the importance of Jesus in his representation as an infant during this time of year. Families take dolls made in his image from their Nativity scenes or home altars, dress them in intricate, locally-made ensembles, and bring them to church on December 24 to take part in a community blessing. In the Ocotlán valley we will witness part of the day-long celebration involves a community parade of church-goers with the town´s figure and dancing with Christmas pine branches and boquets of wild mint. The party is colorful and joyous -a really fun regional tradition to witness as you deepen your understanding of Oaxacan culture in mezcal country!

Date: Wed, Dec 24 /Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $185 USD/3,475 MXN

Includes:

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca City (1 hour each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Big breakfast of at our favorite roadside comedor, which only uses wood fire for cooking and specializes in local corn tortillas

• Tour of 2 mezcal palenques producing clay pot distilled mezcal

  • Tour of an agave nursery or agave fields and palenque which produces small batch clay pot distilled mezcal. We learn about the mezcal production process from seed to bottle with the family who makes this small batch mezcal. The palenque is owned and operated by a family that has been making mezcal for 4 generations and has a focus on sustainable agriculture and maintaining local traditional production methods.

  • Visit to a second palenque in the home of a traditional mezcal producer working with his sons to make micro batches of mezcal minero for local consumption

• Tasting of mezcal made on site at each palenque. We have the opportunity to taste upwards of 25 different mezcals

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from the producers (price not included), our help packing it for travel

• Watch the procession for Niño Jesús, a chance to participate in the dancing and merriment

• Lunch at Ocotlán market of regional dishes

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to community library

*Please wear closed toed shoes

Date: Thurs, Dec 25/Schedule: 11am-5pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $155 USD/2,900 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable round trip transportation from Oaxaca city (40 mins each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Cooking class of regional dishes with a cocinera tradicional utilizing 4 types heirloom corn grown on site and traditional tools such as the comal and metate

• Enjoying the lunch that we cook accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal

• Rug weaving and natural dye demonstration

• Time permitting visit to a beeswax candle maker´s workshop or the Tule tree

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project

Date: Fri, Dec 26/Schedule: 9am-5pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $165 USD/3,100 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable and safe transportation round trip from Oaxaca City (1 hour each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Breakfast en route of our favorite tamales from a thrid generation tamal maker and the season´s freshest fruit

• Visit to the agave garden and palenque of our community partners at Real Minero mezcal

• Tour of Proyecto LAM, an agave garden and nursery where we will learn about the agaves and wood used in mezcal production as well as medicinal herbs used for healing mezcals. The Angeles Carreño family has been making mezcal since 1898 and has a sustainability plan that carries them through the next 100 years of their family´s production. Working with 22 diferent types of agaves, we will learn about their work in conserving agaves that are native to Oaxaca, their commitment to organic practices and agroforestry, as well as the creation of the world´s first community agave seed bank.

• Tour of the Real Minero palenque, where the family produces small batch mezcal using traditional methods including natural fermentaion. We learn about the unique techniques used in Santa Catarina Minas such as distilling in double clay pot stills

• Sit down tasting of Minero mezcal made on site. Each person will get to try 4 unique mezcals, learning how to taste and identify a traditional mezcal

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from Real Minero (price not included), many batches which are only available for purchase in Mexico. Our help packing it for travel

• Lunch at Ocotlán market of regional dishes such as mole, empanadas de amarillo, tejate, and enchiladas

• Tour of the Ocotlán weekly Friday market. Some historians estimate that this weekly market has been happening in this town for the last 5,000-7,000 years. Today the weekly market continues to be an important economic and cultural hub of the Ocotlan valley. Many vendors come from the surrounding areas only on Fridays to sell organic vegetables, native chilies, aguamiel, smoked fish from the coast, and handmade crafts such as embroidered blouses, clay chilimoleras, and rope made of agave fibers. Sample of local delicacies such as boiled camotes with local honey and jamoncillo, a coconut and brown sugar dessert

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to Biblioteca El Rosario

*Please wear closed toed shoes

Miahuatlán Mezcal & Fiesta Tradicional

Join us in celebrating the 80th birthday of one of our favorite mezcal producers! We´ve been invited to the family gathering where along with around 300 other invitees we will enjoy a feast (mole and carnitas), live music, and of course mezcal produced by our host. Miahuatlán does the holiday season big as many people working in other areas of Mexico take the month off and celebrate all of the important ocassions (weddings, quinceaños, baptisms) in the 3 weeks around Christmas and New Years.

Date: Fri, Dec 26/Schedule: 9am-7pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $185 USD/3,475 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca City (2 hours each way)

• Big breakfast of at our favorite roadside comedor, which only uses wood fire for cooking and specializes in local corn tortillas

• Visit to a traditional mezcal palenque, learning about the process and history of the mezcal of the region directly from the producing families who have been distilling their mezcal in copper for 4 generations

• Learn about and see the biodiversity of different types of agaves used to make mezcal

• Tasting of traditional mezcal made on site

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from the producers (price not included), our help packing it for travel

• Lunch of carnitas or mole at the birthday party of a traditional mezcal producer. Here we will join the feast, listen to live music, and of course sample some of the best mezcals in the world produced by our hosts

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to future community youth center

*Please wear closed toed shoes

Tlacolula Market & Teotitlán Traditional Cooking Class

Date: Sun, Dec 28/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $185 USD/3,475 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable round trip transportation from Oaxaca city (45 minutes each way)

• Guided visit to the día de plaza in Tlacolula where vendors come from all over the state to sell produce, coffee, bread, chocolate, honey, chilies and other local delicacies; 

• Breakfast of local dishes at the market such as memelas and goat barbacoa

• Cooking class of regional dishes with a cocinera tradicional utilizing heirloom corn grown on site and traditional tools such as the comal and metate

• Enjoying the lunch that we cook accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal

• Weaving and natural dye demonstration

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project

Red Pottery Workshop & Traditional Cooking Class

in San Marco Tlapazola

Temezcal

Date: Mon, Dec 29/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $200 USD/3,760 MXN

Includes:

• Two personalized guides and translation (Zapotec/Spanish and Spanish/English)

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (40 minutes each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Breakfast at our favorite spot in Santa Maria del Tule of local favorites like memelas, chocolate de agua, and chilaquiles

• Brief visit to the Tule tree (entrance fee included, 15 minutes free time)

• Cooking class of regional dishes with a cocinera tradicional utilizing heirloom corn grown by our teacher and traditional tools such as the comal and metate

• Enjoying the lunch that we cook accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal

• Red clay workshop, demo from our teacher of her free hand cups with their signature face, learning about her story and the history of the red clay pottery in the community. We will work on our own pieces with her guidance

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project

*Cost does not include shipping of your piece. We are happy to coordinate the delivery at an additional cost. Please allow time for your piece to be fired

Leave the old year in the past and get your mind and body ready for 2026! We will participate in a spiritual cleansing (limpia), Zapotec massage, and traditional steam bath (temezcal) with a our teacher and healer Aurora and her family to welcome the new year.

Date: Mon, Dec 29/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $250 USD/4,700 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (40 minutes each way)Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Learn about traditional healing practices in the community from our hosts, learning about the plants used and practices preformed for thing like ojo and sustso

• Participate in a limpia (spiritual cleansing)

• Traditional Zapotec massage (performed while clothed, 15-20 minute duration)

• One hour steam bath in the temezcal, rest and acclimate

• Option to learn about weaving and natural dyes while we rest

• Nourisning dinner by a cocinera tradicional such as chicken or vegetable soup and atole

• A chance to purchase rugs or other woven goods (such as bags) directly from our hosts (price of items not included)

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project

*A bathing suit, sandals, and a change of warm comfortable clothing for after the steam bath are all recommended for this experience.

**We recommend eating a light lunch before pick up, we will be having a filling and nourishing dinner after our temezcal experience.

Mezcal Minero (2 palenques) &

Procession for Niño Jesús

Join us for a unique cultural tradition that celebrates one of the heroes of the Christmas season: baby Jesus. Many devotees praise the importance of Jesus in his representation as an infant during this time of year. Families take dolls made in his image from their Nativity scenes or home altars, dress them in intricate, locally-made ensembles, and bring them to church on December 24 to take part in a community blessing. In the Ocotlán valley we will witness part of the day-long celebration involves a community parade of church-goers with the town´s figure and dancing with Christmas pine branches and boquets of wild mint. The party is colorful and joyous -a really fun regional tradition to witness as you deepen your understanding of Oaxacan culture in mezcal country!

Date: Wed, Dec 31/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $185 USD/3,475 MXN

Includes:

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca City (1 hour each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Big breakfast of at our favorite roadside comedor, which only uses wood fire for cooking and specializes in local corn tortillas

• Tour of 2 mezcal palenques producing clay pot distilled mezcal

  • Tour of an agave nursery or agave fields and palenque which produces small batch clay pot distilled mezcal. We learn about the mezcal production process from seed to bottle with the family who makes this small batch mezcal. The palenque is owned and operated by a family that has been making mezcal for 4 generations and has a focus on sustainable agriculture and maintaining local traditional production methods.

  • Visit to a second palenque in the home of a traditional mezcal producer working with his sons to make micro batches of mezcal minero for local consumption

• Tasting of mezcal made on site at each palenque. We have the opportunity to taste upwards of 25 different mezcals

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from the producers (price not included), our help packing it for travel

• Watch the procession for Niño Jesús, a chance to participate in the dancing and merriment

• Lunch at Ocotlán market of regional dishes

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to community library

*Please wear closed toed shoes

Real Minero & Ocotlán Markey Day

Date: Fri, Jan 2/Schedule: 9am-5pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $165 USD/3,100 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable and safe transportation round trip from Oaxaca City (1 hour each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Breakfast en route of our favorite tamales from a thrid generation tamal maker and the season´s freshest fruit

• Visit to the agave garden and palenque of our community partners at Real Minero mezcal

• Tour of Proyecto LAM, an agave garden and nursery where we will learn about the agaves and wood used in mezcal production as well as medicinal herbs used for healing mezcals. The Angeles Carreño family has been making mezcal since 1898 and has a sustainability plan that carries them through the next 100 years of their family´s production. Working with 22 diferent types of agaves, we will learn about their work in conserving agaves that are native to Oaxaca, their commitment to organic practices and agroforestry, as well as the creation of the world´s first community agave seed bank.

• Tour of the Real Minero palenque, where the family produces small batch mezcal using traditional methods including natural fermentaion. We learn about the unique techniques used in Santa Catarina Minas such as distilling in double clay pot stills

• Sit down tasting of Minero mezcal made on site. Each person will get to try 4 unique mezcals, learning how to taste and identify a traditional mezcal

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from Real Minero (price not included), many batches which are only available for purchase in Mexico. Our help packing it for travel

• Lunch at Ocotlán market of regional dishes such as mole, empanadas de amarillo, tejate, and enchiladas

• Tour of the Ocotlán weekly Friday market. Some historians estimate that this weekly market has been happening in this town for the last 5,000-7,000 years. Today the weekly market continues to be an important economic and cultural hub of the Ocotlan valley. Many vendors come from the surrounding areas only on Fridays to sell organic vegetables, native chilies, aguamiel, smoked fish from the coast, and handmade crafts such as embroidered blouses, clay chilimoleras, and rope made of agave fibers. Sample of local delicacies such as boiled camotes with local honey and jamoncillo, a coconut and brown sugar dessert

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to Biblioteca El Rosario

*Please wear closed toed shoes

Date: Sat, Jan 3/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $185 USD/3,475 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable and safe transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (1 hour each way). Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Quick breakfast of antojitos, little local snacks at our favorite roadside comedor

• We visit a workshop of blacksmiths who have been making knive, swords, and machetes that have used in mezcal production in the region for 4 generations. The workshop is famous for having made the sword used in the movie Conan the Barbarian. We´ll learn about the old fashioned process they still use to make their pieces

• Lunch of regional dishes at Ocotlán market

• Visit to a palenque in the home of a mezcal producer working with his sons to make micro batches of Minero mezcal for personal consumption and local sale

• Tasting of Minero mezcal made on site

• A chance to purchase mezcal directly from the producers (price not included), our help packing it for travel

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to community library

Date: Sat, Jan 3/Schedule: 9am-6pm

Spaces available: 6/Cost per person: $200 USD/3,760 MXN

Includes:

• Personalized guide and translation (Spanish/English)

• Comfortable transportation round trip from Oaxaca city (40 minutes each way)Pick up and drop off from your hotel or vacation rental (Centro, Jalatlaco, Xochimilico, Reforma, San Felipe)

• Visit to village market

• Breakfast at the market of fresh juice, baked goods, memelas, and hot chocolate at market

• Class with members of the Vida Nueva women's cooperative about the different plants used in traditional medicine and natural dyes, learning about the history and current use of these plants

• Natural dye and weaving demonstration

• A chance to buy rugs directly from the women's cooperative (price not included)

• Lunch prepared by a cocinera tradicional accompanied by our selection of traditional mezcal

• Participate in a limpia (spiritual cleansing)

• Visit to a beeswax candle maker´s workshop 

• Drinking water and light snacks

• Donation to women's cooperative annual project