Florencio isn't just a tour guide, he's a true local and academic.
We had a fantastic day with him, learning about local Oaxacan culture, history, and archaeology. Though the tour options are endless, we chose to do one of the more traditional "hit the highlights" rounds.
I wasn't anticipating enjoying our trip to a traditional Zapotec market as much as I did. If interested in true Oaxacan culture, I would highly recommend going with him to one. It's the sort of thing we would never have seen or learned about if we weren't with him. No one at this market was catering to tourists. All of the food was delicious and locally grown or made. And we got to see and hear people speaking in their native language instead of Spanish. We also explored the local church, and learned how local laws within Oaxaca truly work to keep the town safe and clean. A truly remarkable experience.
Mitla was of course what we expected, however having Florencio's explanations and knowledge enriched the experience immensely. Every question I asked had a detailed, interesting answer, and Florencio often elaborated to include information about the most recent archaeology studies/papers.
We of course also went to Hierve el Agua and Arbol del Tule.
But the other hidden gem was when Florencio took us to a Mezcaleria. I'm hesitant to even write about this part because I don't want everyone to know this secret. We didn't go to one of the flashy roadside stands where they do tastings at the places with labels. We went straight to the source. Before the Mezcal gets bottled up with a fancy label, it's made at a local Mezcaleria and sold in bulk. The particular location we went to is owned by a 9th generation Mezcal maker and his son (10th generation). They warmly welcomed us onto their property where they had just finished working for over 14 hours in the fields. We were shown the different agave that they farm, and tasted it fresh (like sugar cane, only better). And then the Mezcal. Talk about pure. It's perfectly clear with tiny pearls on top when poured, and the flavor is incredible. We bought as many bottles as we could fit in our suitcase and now regret not bringing an extra suitcase.
I recognize the hesitation tourists have with hiring a guide. It's hard to figure out if someone is taking you to tourist traps when you're not a local. Florencio is the real deal. While in the Zapotec market, he didn't expect or even offer to have us buy anything. However to support the market and the people, as well as satisfy his stomach, he bought tortillas and chapulines for himself. We knew that the Mezcaleria wasn't a tourist trap as well when we saw how remote and isolated it was. However when we realized that Florencio was also going to be a customer and buy for himself, we were even more impressed.
For any tour in Oaxaca, we would absolutely recommend and return to Florencio. read more
