After spending weeks exploring Mexico’s foodie hotspot, Will Best fell in love with the rooftop bar scene and discovered the best hidden beaches. Here’s his guide to the ultimate trip to Oaxaca.
What is your favourite destination and why?
There’s something special about the Pacific coast of Mexico — Oaxaca is unbelievably beautiful. It’s still not as busy or as Americanised as places such as Cancún. It’s a little bit rugged and off the beaten track. And Oaxaca city is the food capital of the country. It makes you realise how unbelievably good Mexican food is versus the UK. There’s so much more to it than tacos and burritos. It’s the perfect break for eating, drinking and sun!
When were you last there and who were you with?
My fiancée and I went after I had wrapped the first series of Big Brother. I’d been building up to that moment for nine months — it was a big relief that it had gone well. We thought we’d treat ourselves to a nice holiday to somewhere quite far away, and one of mine and my partner’s best friends lives in Oaxaca. We had a few days in Mexico City, and then we flew down to Oaxaca and did three days in Oaxaca city itself, and then we spent a week on the coast. It’s one of those holidays where you pack in loads and yet it’s still relaxing somehow.
What was your favourite meal?
There’s an amazing, very traditional restaurant in this courtyard called Levadura de Olla. It does really traditional Oaxacan food unbelievably well, and it’s famous for its tomato salad, pescado del día con arroz and tamales de barbacoa. Plus the cocktails are brilliant. I love mezcal and Oaxaca is the home of it. They have this smokiness to them, and then they’ll often include jalapeño or tajin, so they’re spicy and full of flavour.
What was your favourite restaurant?
As well as Levadura de Olla, we had a ridiculously good meal at a beautiful restaurant (in another courtyard) called Los Danzantes. My friend who lives in Oaxaca told me they just got a Michelin star there too, and I’m not surprised. It’s great value for money.
Where’s your favourite place to stay?
In Oaxaca city we stayed at Escondido Oaxaca. It was really cool — stripped-back and minimalist, with lots of polished concrete and natural materials. On the coast we stayed in an amazing place called Casona Sforza. It was incredibly calming and all the facilities had an inside-outside feel which flowed beautifully towards a natural water pool. We felt like we were in our own little bubble.
Read more: How to have a bucket list-worthy trip to Mexico
Where did you go to let your hair down?
There’s a bar directly above Los Danzantes called Selva, which did the best cocktails I’ve ever had. It’s a really cool room, with an amazing sound system and great music, and balconies overlooking the street. When we went, there were still Christmas and New Year’s decorations up, which made the views pretty magical. Although my local friend explained that the whole city is always beautifully dressed for a party regardless of the season!
Is there a hidden gem you’re willing to share?
Behind the bakery, Boulenc (which does great pastries), there’s an alleyway with a little tiny little cocktail bar at the end, serving drinks and playing great music all day, and it’s a total suntrap. My friend took us there on our first day for a quick drink and we ended up staying for the whole afternoon.
What’s the one unmissable thing you recommend doing?
I would go to La Mezcalerita, which is an amazing rooftop bar that just does beers and mezcal. I’d go there and knock back some mezcal to justify getting some tacos from a street van on the way home.
Who do you call to have a good time?
My friend Vanessa — she’s very well connected. She knows people who run bars, so she shows you all the new spots.
What are your favourite shops there?
Just spend a day in the famous Mercado Benito Juárez market — my fiancée got these amazing hand-painted shoes and I bought some unbelievably good mezcal.
The whole of Oaxaca city is always beautifully dressed for a party regardless of the season
What would you bring home as a souvenir?
A mezcal called 3000 Noches. It’s one of the cheaper ones out there, but it’s really good.
What’s your favourite beauty spot there?
Zicatela beach near Puerto Escondido which is a bit of a party town, but half an hour’s walk away the views are unbelievable and it’s completely deserted as the water is so rough — you can’t swim there. You feel like you’re at the edge of the world on this stretch of the Pacific coast, as the next bit of land is thousands of miles away. There’s a sense of the vastness of the ocean that is very special that you’d never get with the Med.
What’s your packing essential?
Some Rennies, because you’re going to be eating a lot, and drinking a lot of very spicy, smoky drinks, so you need something to keep the heartburn at bay.
Which song reminds you of your trip?
We were listening to loads of Hermanos Gutiérrez, the two brothers who are Ecuadorian-Swiss. And the first song on our playlist was Khruangbin’s Cómo Me Quieres.
What’s the dress code for the destination?
The weather is hot but not unbearable, so keep it casual and breezy. Though as there’s lots of stylish people in Oaxaca, you want to look chic as well. You’ll see a lot of printed silk shirts.
Which building would you love to live in?
We fantasise about going back all the time, and my friend who lives out there sent me a link to this unbelievable villa on a hill that you can hire in Oaxaca state. It’s called Gran Chicatana in Mazunte and is on a cliff overlooking the rugged coastline.
What’s the best wellness spot?
At Casona Sforza hotel you can have massages, and the whole hotel felt like a wellness retreat because it’s so calming. You feel totally disconnected. I find massages painful and it’s odd having people prodding me, but my partner can vouch that they were excellent.
Big Brother is on Sunday to Friday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX
