Oaxaca Ativities
Friday, 27 October
Oaxacan Cooking Class
Immerse yourself in life as a local as we head to the neighborhood market. We’ll meet the Oaxacans who produce fresh, organically grown vegetables in their village near the city as we shop for the supplies needed in our cooking class. Once we’ve picked up all the ingredients for our recipe from the market, we’ll head to a private kitchen in downtown Oaxaca, Ethnofood, to prepare our meal. Ethnofood is a food lab of social innovation focused on social gastronomy, operated by young people interested in food as a theory of change who use local products to offer sensory experiences.
Dia de los Muertos Market Tour
Experience Dia de los Muertos in Oaxaca like a local by taking in the sights of the city during a walk to the local market, Mercado Benito Juárez. There, a local Oaxacan will take you through the experience of buying the supplies for the altar of the dead as we explore the traditions and customs of Oaxaca. An elder advisor will help us curate and make the items to build an altar for fellow Exploration attendees to present at our evening social this night, where we will have a special Dia de los Muertos ceremony. Once the altar pieces are ready, you’ll head to lunch in the market to get a taste of Oaxacan cuisine.
Downtown Architecture Tour
Our journey through the defining moments of Oaxaca’s history will be anchored in the city’s architectural landmarks (the Church of Santo Domingo, Macedonio Alcalá Theater, City Square, and more). At the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures we will dive into the history of this beautiful state with a local historian and get a bird’s eye view of the Jardín Etnobotánico de Oaxaca, a showcase of the regions vast plant life. After our time of exploration, we’ll head to a local restaurant to experience the local flavor of Oaxaca.
Guelaguetza Dance Class (via bike ride)
See the sights of Oaxaca by bike as we make our way to visit with traditional Guelaguetza dancers. Local Oaxacan women dressed in brightly colored skirts with baskets full of flowers will share the importance of Guelaguetza dances in Oaxacan culture and will teach us the steps. By the end, you’ll be able to jump in and show everyone your moves! Once you’ve worked up an appetite, we’ll head to a local restaurant in the hustle and bustle of Oaxaca.
Book your Friday off-sites here.
Optional Evening Add-on Activity: Mezcaleria Tour
In Oaxaca, ancient rituals have survived like nowhere else in Mexico, and yet modernity is ever-present, with chic hotels, foodie restaurants and grungy cocktail bars scattered across the city. Guides will take a small group on a tour of several mezcalerias before joining the larger groups for dine arounds. Along the way, we will hear stories of the underground world of black magic in Oaxaca.
Mérida Activities
Sunday, 29 October
Optional Afternoon Add-on: Alternative Transportation from Airport
Are you up for something a little more local and possibly a little grungy? If so, sign up for our alternate transportation option here. Your luggage will be taken separately to the Hacienda Xcanatun. If you’d rather enjoy a comfortable, air conditioned vehicle after your flight, no need to sign up at all.
Monday, 30 October
Two groups for full day off-sites:
1. Yaxunah Community Day and Chichen Itza Afternoon Tour
This is a full day off-site departing approximately 7am from Hacienda Xcanatun and making our way down to Chichen Itza, one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World.” The first stop is a group breakfast at the magical Shambalante resort in the jungle. Following breakfast, we’ll visit with the village children and families in the Yucatecan Mayan village, Yaxunah. We’ll tour the school grounds and visit the classrooms before joining families for lunch in their homes. EO will be donating computers to the school’s computer lab. After lunch, we will depart for an afternoon visit at Chichen Itza. We’ll stop for an early dinner at Restaurante Kinich in Izamal, the “Yellow City of the Yucatan,” before returning to the Hacienda.
2. Izamal, the “Yellow City of the Yucatan”, Tour and Downtown Merida Dinner
This is a half day off-site staying a little closer to the Hacienda. We’ll travel to Izamal, the highly Instagrammable “Yellow City of the Yucatan,” for a short tour before hiking the Mayan temple ruins, Kinich Kak Moo. We’ll enjoy lunch at Restaurante Kinich before returning to the Hacienda Xcanatun for some afternoon free time. Dinner is at TEYA – Gastronomía Yucateca Viva in downtown Merida.
Book your Monday off-sites here.
Tuesday, 31 October
Kite Surfing at Progreso Beach
Kite surfing has become one of the more popular activities among the locals of Merida in the last few years since it is an activity that can be easily enjoyed among groups of friends and family. At Progreso Beach, our instructors will teach the basics of kite surfing theory and techniques that will lead you to go out on your own and try your best moves to surf like a local for a few hours. The winds are best after lunch, so this will be an afternoon off-site, and as a note, will be highly weather dependent. Progreso Beach is also home to one of the world’s longest piers (it’s 4 miles long!), as well as shimmering green waters and soft white sand as far as the eye can see. If you’re lucky, while you’re there you might even spot the flock of flamingos that calls Progreso Beach “home.”
Cenote Swim and Tour at Hacienda de Sotuta de Peon
Hacienda de Sotuta de Peon is one of the few remaining active haciendes in the region, they currently produce henequen, the product that gave Yucatan its golden era. After getting a look at the Henequen elaboration process, we’ll enjoy a bike ride through the expansive and lush property of the hacienda, followed by a swim in their cenote where we will get to relax and refresh in its crystal waters. After our dip in the cenote, we’ll head over to the thatched roof patio to try our hand at some local crafts and enjoy a casual lunch with cocktails from the bar cart.
Charreria Class
Charreria is steeped in Mexican history and began developing in the late 19th century in this region when Mexican cattleman were developing playful cattle handling techniques that would later become a sport. Dive into traditional Mexican heritage with this Charro demonstration of ten different events that make up Charreria. Following the demonstration and lessons with rope work, we’ll tour the property of Kancabchen Hacienda before heading to the stables to meet with the Charros and get an up-close view of the horses they perform with. And if you’re up for it, they may even recruit you to help clean the stables and horses! We’ll finish out the experience relaxing with a Yucatecan lunch and aguas frescas.
Uxmal Tour by Vintage Land Rover
Uxmal is one of those places you may not have heard of yet, but you’ll be glad you decided to visit. In the southwest part of the state, we’ll drive vintage land rovers through the Mayan jungle with unbeatable landscapes making it an experience like no other. Stopping at an old hacienda, we’ll explore its history and construction. Continuing on, we’ll reach the highest point of the journey where you can look out over the landscape which includes the peak of the Uxmal pyramid. For lunch we will go into town for a local meal before heading to the final stop, the archaeological site of Uxmal, one of the most important archaeological sites of Mayan culture.
These activities are open to members and their registered guests. Please register for one off-site activity per off-site day.
Please read these important notes about off-site activities:
- Registered members and their guests may sign-up for one off-site activity per person per off-site day.
- All off-site activities have limited space and are first come, first served.
- Some activities may be cancelled due to inclement weather.
- Some off-site activities may require a payment voucher and are indicated in the description.
- All user-pay activities are non-refundable.
- Members and their guests that sign-up for the same activity will be assigned to the same group.
- There are no wait-lists for sold out activities.
- No meals are included in the off-sites unless noted.
For questions about off-site activities, please contact the EO Global Events Team at [email protected].