We open on the coast, where young fishermen are also architects and Japanese chefs serve omakase in the jungle. Then we travel inland to the ancient valleys where Ana Paulina Garcia—baker, fermenter, culinary connector—has built a world entirely her own. From the Pacific waves to the mezcal fields, this is Oaxaca at its most surprising, most delicious, and most alive.
We open on the coast, where young fishermen are also architects and Japanese chefs serve omakase in the jungle. Then we travel inland to the ancient valleys where Ana Paulina Garcia—baker, fermenter, culinary connector—has built a world entirely her own. From the Pacific waves to the mezcal fields, this is Oaxaca at its most surprising, most delicious, and most alive. Moderate activity level. Vegetarian-friendly itinerary.
Rise early to meet Cesar Cruz—young fisherman, soon-to-be architect, and one of the most fascinating people on the Oaxacan coast—for a morning out on the water
A fishing excursion in the Pacific with Cesar, one of those mornings you’ll be telling people about for years
Lunch of sashimi and ceviche on a private beach, as fresh as it gets
Visit to Casa Wabi, the breathtaking Tadao Ando-designed arts complex founded by celebrated Mexican artist Bosco Sodi, one of the most extraordinary creative spaces in the country
Siesta back at the villa
Dinner at Kakurega, an intimate eight-seat omakase restaurant enveloped by Oaxacan jungle outside Puerto Escondido, proof that this coast contains multitudes
Private transfer to Oaxaca City where we check into the beautiful new Becino boutique hotel from Boulenc in the center of town
Siesta!
Drinks with our friends at Bocaflor, the cocktail bar and cafe tucked away in the back of the Marchanta boutique
Dive into the beauty of deep Oaxacan cuisine with a private dinner exploring Istmo and Valles Centrales culinary traditions at Chef Rodrigo Amaury’s Nois
Wake early! Rare private dawn at the Monte Albán Zapotec pyramid complex, one of the most important archaeological zones in Mesoamerica
Head to Ocotlán, hometown of beloved artist Rodolfo Morales, for a mole tastingbreakfast by living legend Frida at the legendary Ocotlán market
Onward to Santa Catarina Minas for a mezcal tasting and tour in the home and palenque of Eduardo “Lalo” Angeles, one of Mexico’s most famous mezcaleros, at the iconoclastic, renowned Lalocura Mezcal
Free time in Oaxaca City for shopping, sipping, or siesta
One last great meal, a private dinner for our group with a renowned Oaxacan chef
Day
8
El fin (for now)
February 10 · Wednesday
One last beautiful Oaxacan breakfast of tacos del carmen alto breakfast if your flight allows
Private transfer back to Oaxaca Airport
So long, may you visit the magical Valles Centrales again
What’s Included
All breakfasts, lunches, dinners, as well as snacks and beverages between meals
Expertise and services of our experienced trip leaders: at least one guide and one host per trip
Additional guides and experts from the region
Transfers to and from the airport or wherever you are on the day the trip starts and ends
Daily Roads & Kingdoms gifts related to the themes, activities and narratives of each trip
All gratuities for accommodations, meals, guiding or transport
What’s Not Included
International airfare to and from the journey
Transfers on days that fall outside of the trip dates
Personal bar tabs (when not with the group)
Personal laundry or spa services
Personal travel insurance
Meet Our Hosts
Local Guide
Ana Paulina Garcia
Restaurateur, fermentation guru
Our host in Oaxaca is Ana Paulina Garcia, the amazing co-owner of the cultish bakery Boulenc and fermentation shop Suculenta. Originally from northern Mexico, she has made waves in the city’s rich gastronomic scene by transforming Oaxaca’s teeming biodiversity into a wild range of ferments, from cardamom honey and mushroom pate to pumpkin relish and oil infused with local herbs. We can’t think of a better guide to show us Oaxaca’s spellbinding coast and then bring us into the city’s bountiful markets, craft studios, and aromatic culinary enclaves.
R&K Host
Charly Wilder
Journalist, Raconteur
Roads & Kingdoms executive editor Charly Wilder spent most of the past two decades in Europe writing on culture, travel, and current affairs, primarily for The New York Times. She followed the former Silk Road through Central Asia, traced her ancestry into the old Jewish shtetls of Eastern Europe, covered doping in Russia and jaguar conservation in the Yucatán, and was paid to eat her way through numerous European cities. Then, in 2026, she fulfilled a long-held dream and moved her family to Mexico.
Where You’ll Stay
Private Oaxacan Villa
Coastal Escape
Raw concrete, handmade brick, and palapa rooftops—our private villa sits steps from the Pacific with an infinity pool that seems to dissolve straight into the sea. It’s rustic and architectural at once, the kind of place where ceviche tastes better eaten poolside and the only thing on the agenda is deciding when to get in the water.
Becino
Sunken Hideaway
The latest bit of magic in the growing hospitality universe of our host Paulina Garcia and her partners, Becino is something quite new for them and for Oaxaca City. It is a new boutique design hotel in the very heart of Oaxaca, yet with a refined tranquility that permeates each suite. It’s walking distance from every great thing in the city, and the breakfasts, well, this is a baker’s hotel…
I was so inspired by the creative people we met… Yes, there is great food, but it’s the people that you will remember.
Eve S.
Oaxaca Reborn 2024
The connections R&K has in the community made this trip feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience that could not be replicated by any other company.
Amanda C.
CDMX Under the Volcano 2024
I loved how Paulina shared her friends…the artists, producers, chefs, guides who are special to her…this is what makes R&K trips so special.
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