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There's one thing you need to understand before you get on the bus: the Tlacolula market was not made for you. There are no signs in English, nobody is going to grab your arm to sell you an alebrije, and the woman selling tejate is probably more interested in chatting in Zapotec with her neighbor than in serving you. And that's exactly why you have to go.
Every Sunday, half the valley comes down to Tlacolula to do their shopping. They come from Mitla, from Teotitlán, from San Marcos Tlapazola, from villages that don't appear in any guidebook — with baskets, sacks, live chickens and hunger. The smoke from the grills works its way into your clothes, a band plays somewhere nearby, and between one stall and the next, one of the most delicious celebrations in Oaxaca takes shape: one that wasn't built for the photo, but for eating.
This guide is so you show up, eat properly, and leave without being in the way. If you're planning your full trip, start with my guide to what to do in Oaxaca.
Quick Reference
| **When** | Sunday. There's a market during the week, but the big tianguis is Sunday. |
| **Where** | Tlacolula de Matamoros, about 30 km from Oaxaca City, on Highway 190 toward Mitla. |
| **How to get there** | GOMA bus or colectivo from the Estadio Yu'Va corner, about 40 minutes. |
| **What time** | Early — to have breakfast there and find a seat. |
| **How long** | Minimum 2 to 3 hours. More if you eat properly. |
| **What to bring** | Cash in small bills, a cloth bag and serious appetite. |
How to Get to the Tlacolula Market from Oaxaca
By bus (my favorite). Go to the corner of Estadio Yu'Va (formerly the baseball stadium) and McDonald's, on Highway 190. Here's the departure point on Google Maps.- ▸Get on the lime-green GOMA bus going to Mitla. It passes through Tlacolula.
- ▸Buses pass approximately every 15 minutes. Pay the driver, about $25–30 MXN. Bring exact change.
- ▸Tell the driver to drop you at the Tlacolula market. About 40 minutes.
- ▸There's a woman with a fruit and snack stand at that corner who can help you identify the bus. Tip her.
from $400 MXN / day
Comparar precios ↗Enlace de afiliado · sin costo extra para ti📍 Tlacolula Market on Google Maps
What to Eat at the Tlacolula Market (in order, the right way)
Here's the route I follow. It's not a rule: trust your instincts and if something calls to you, go for it.
1. Pan de cazuela with drinking chocolate
Start here. Pan de cazuela is one of those breads that in Tlacolula is a Sunday ritual — and you won't find it the same anywhere in the city. Order it with a frothy drinking chocolate (chocolate de agua), dip it without embarrassment, and sit down to watch the market go by. That's the real breakfast.
2. Barbacoa with its broth
Barbacoa is the reason many Oaxacans drive all the way to Tlacolula on Sundays. Order it with its consomé (broth) and a taco to dip in the soup. Note: tortillas and sides are sold separately by women who walk between the tables. That's how it works here: everyone sells their thing. My advice: order everything.
3. The smoke aisle
Inside the municipal market there's a section of butchers and grill stations. You pick your raw meat, they grill it right there over charcoal, and you walk out smelling like smoke and smiling — like the Mercado 20 de Noviembre in the city, but with more valley families and fewer tourists. Watch out for the tripitas (tripe): not for everyone. I only recommend them for adventurous eaters.
4. Whatever you find walking around
Don't stay at one table. The best part of Tlacolula is wandering between stalls with your mouth open. I always end up at the same things:
- ▸Tepache to wash down the barbacoa.
- ▸Tacos de carnitas.
- ▸Gorditas de chicharrón prensado — don't skip these.
5. Tejate, chapulines and mezcal
- ▸Tejate: the pre-Hispanic drink made from corn, cacao and rosita de cacao, with foam on top. There's a whole aisle of tejate sellers, and many come down from villages like San Marcos Tlapazola. Each one makes it differently — try several.
- ▸Chapulines: grasshoppers with lime and chili. If you've never tried them, this is the place. Eat them.
- ▸Mezcal: some stalls offer samples. Remember: you sip it, you don't shoot it.
☕ Did this guide make you hungry? I write from Atzompa, without editorial sponsors. Buy me a mezcal if it helped you eat better.
What to Buy (besides food)
Fruits you've never seen, herbs like cedrón, dried chiles, spices, stone-ground chocolate, flowers, baskets, pottery and textiles. Some vendors still arrive with live chickens, and in a few stalls barter is still alive. Bring a cloth bag — almost nobody here gives you a plastic one.
If you're looking for pieces to take home, buy directly from whoever made them.
Did you want to take something home? Our little shop features hand-selected local pieces. What you buy there keeps our cultural calendar free.
The Templo de la Asunción and the Chapel That Will Blow Your Mind
Between bites, step into the Templo de Santa María de la Asunción, a few steps from the market. The outside is deceptive: a simple façade with two towers, built by the Dominicans in the 16th century. The good part is inside.
Off to one side is the Capilla del Señor de Tlacolula (17th century), also known as the Capilla de los Mártires. It's pure baroque: gold leaf, colonial ironwork and decoration with a clearly indigenous hand. Look up: the ceiling has plaster martyrs holding their own severed heads, surrounded by angels playing instruments. Many compare it to the Capilla del Rosario in Santo Domingo. I say it's just as impressive, with a fraction of the crowd.
It's a place of worship: enter with respect, no hats, and if mass is going on wait outside.
📍 Templo de la Asunción: Av. 2 de Abril 42, Tlacolula. See on Google Maps
How Not to Look Like a Tourist (or at Least Not to Get in the Way)
- ▸Ask permission before taking photos. This isn't a set — it's people's grocery store. If they say no, that's no.
- ▸Don't bargain excessively. What you pay for a tejate or a bread is someone's day.
- ▸Cash, in small bills. Nobody is going to make change on a $500 bill for a tepache.
- ▸Move with the flow. The aisles get packed; don't stop in the middle to record video.
- ▸Eat where the locals eat. If a stall is full of families, that's the one.
After the Market: What to Do in the Valley
Tlacolula sits at the center of the eastern route, so make the most of it:
- ▸Mitla: a few minutes away on the same bus. Ruins with unique stone fretwork and a church built directly on top of Zapotec palaces. Worth it if you have the day.
- ▸Yagul: a beautiful archaeological zone where almost nobody goes. Get off at the crossroads past Tlacolula and walk about 2 km.
- ▸Hierve el Agua: if you have the whole day, continue to Mitla and head up to the petrified waterfalls. Everything is in my guide to getting to Hierve el Agua.
- ▸San Marcos Tlapazola: the red clay pottery village, where women handcraft ceramics. Almost never on popular tours — that's exactly what makes it worth it.
For all the valley day-trip routes, check my guide to day trips from Oaxaca.
If You Prefer Going with a Guide
If it's your first time and you want someone to explain what you're seeing and eating, there are two options worth it:
- ▸If you want the full valley combo — market, Mitla caves and textile workshops —, the Mitla caves, Tlacolula market & textile tour covers it all in one day with guide and transport included.
- ▸If mezcal is part of the plan, the Tlacolula market & family mezcal palenque tour combines Sunday market with an artisan distillery and mezcal tasting. Guide, transport and tasting included.
Getting Back to Oaxaca
To return, walk to the stop next to the big gas station at the edge of the market. Buses to Oaxaca pass there and you pay the driver, about $25–30 MXN. Before getting on, ask "¿A Oaxaca?" Some buses turn around right there and go in another direction. Any colectivo marked Oaxaca also works. They run until late, but don't leave it to the last minute.
Not Visiting on a Sunday?
The Oaxacan valleys have a market day for every day of the week: Etla on Wednesday, Zaachila on Thursday, Ocotlán on Friday and the Central de Abastos on Saturday. Check my guide to market days in Oaxaca to see which is worth it for your schedule. But if you can arrange to be here on a Sunday, do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is the Tlacolula market?
The big tianguis is Sunday. The municipal market opens during the week, but it's not the same.How do I get to the Tlacolula market by public transport?
Take the lime-green GOMA bus going to Mitla from the corner of Estadio Yu'Va and ask to be dropped at the market. About 40 minutes.What time should I arrive at the Tlacolula market?
Early — to have pan de cazuela and barbacoa before it gets crowded.What should I eat at Tlacolula?
Pan de cazuela with chocolate de agua, barbacoa with its broth, grilled meat from the smoke aisle, tepache, carnitas tacos, gorditas de chicharrón, tejate, chapulines and a mezcal.Can you take photos at the Tlacolula market?
Yes, but ask permission before photographing people or their stalls.How do I get back from Tlacolula to Oaxaca?
At the stop next to the gas station, at the edge of the market. Ask "¿A Oaxaca?" before getting on, because some buses turn around there.What's near the Tlacolula market?
The Templo de la Asunción with its baroque chapel, the Yagul and Mitla ruins, Hierve el Agua and the red clay village of San Marcos Tlapazola.The Tlacolula market wasn't built for tourists, and that's fine. It belongs to the women who come down with their tejate, to the families sharing barbacoa at long tables, to the man who still trades a chicken for fruit. You're there as a guest. Eat with enthusiasm, buy directly, ask permission and say thank you. You'll leave smelling like smoke and wanting to come back the following Sunday.
More guides you'll find useful
- ▸What to Do in Oaxaca: the complete guide
- ▸How to Get to Hierve el Agua from Oaxaca
- ▸How to Get to Monte Albán from Oaxaca
- ▸Oaxaca Transportation Guide 2026
- ▸Is Oaxaca Safe? Guide for Foreign Tourists
☕ Did this guide make you hungry? I write from Atzompa, without editorial sponsors. Buy me a mezcal if it helped you eat better.
For what's on this week, search "Qué Onda Oaxaca" or check our events calendar. Spotted a price or schedule that's changed? Write to us and we'll update it.
— mish Dary, Director · Qué Onda Oaxaca
