2 Best Sights in Oaxaca, Mexico

This shady square, a bit smaller than the zócalo, is bordered by the massive cathedral on one side and the post office on the other. Locals gossip on wrought-iron benches or read the newspaper while their children chase pigeons and blow bubbles. Throughout the day, street artists perform alongside the cathedral.

During the day it seems as if everyone passes through Oaxaca's shady main plaza, with its wrought-iron benches and matching bandstand. At night mariachi and marimba bands play under colonial archways or in the bandstand. It's a historic and truly beloved spot: when McDonald's tried to open a branch on its east side in late 2002, grassroots opposition led by painter Francisco Toledo brought the project to a halt. There's marimba music almost every night on the west side of the square (in front of Del Jardín restaurant). On Sunday, a free classical music concert is held in the corner of the Zócalo.