The orange of the typical marigold flowers that fill everything on the Day of the Dead. The yellows and greens of a palera, the blue of the sea that reaches here, Mexican pink, the gold of a sun god who finds here one of his great mirrors around the world. All the colors of Mexico seem to converge in the Oaxacan neighborhood of Jalatlaco to play with light and tradition like few places in the world.
We immerse ourselves in this first magical neighborhood of Oaxaca that was once an abandoned town to discover colors that do not yet exist among colonial streets decorated with papel picado bunting, bohemian cafes and vibrant urban art murals.
Dropping into this neighborhood just a 20-minute walk from the Oaxaca main square, it’s hard to imagine that it was once a town on the brink of abandonment. Born as a settlement for Mexica soldiers, Jalatlaco – from the Nahuatl for “sand ravine – went on to become a bastion of Spanish colonizers in 1524 through cobblestone streets and stately buildings.
Over time, part of the identity of the lower houses was maintained, that charm of community life and traditions that floated between the houses and the church of San Matías. A melting pot of influences contained in the city of Oaxaca but also condemned to abandonment due to the scarcity of water from the nearby Jalatlaco River in the mid-20th century. The colorful homes became dying oases and the resident Zapotecs moved to other areas of Oaxaca.
Luckily, in recent years Jalatlaco has experienced a resurgence whose latency can be felt today in every alley and mural. Those who discover it know it, half camouflaged among the many charms of Oaxaca, and also publications such as Time Out, whose English edition named Jalatlaco as “one of the 20 most fascinating neighborhoods in the world” in 2019.
“Dedicated to the women of this home: Carmen, Antonia, Vicki, Jesi.” This is the message that appears on the colorful facade of a low house in Jalatlaco, among designs of agaves and golden suns. It makes you want to enter that house, sit at the table and listen to stories. It is the hospitality and magic that floods everything when you walk down Aldama Street, the main artery of this old town that today has less than a thousand inhabitants.
The colored pennants draw silhouettes of light on the cobblestones, a palm tree sprouts from the patio of a yellow and blue house and the urban art murals are displayed everywhere through different designs: skeletons, catrinas, women with jars of fruit in the head and many other irresistible topics of the Mexican imagination.
Life here makes its way in a vibrant and energetic way with the temple of San Matías Jalatlaco as the best witness. This church was built on an old hermitage dedicated to Santa Catarina Mártir in the 18th century in baroque styles and decorative elements typical of the time, being also an epicenter for different typical celebrations. You can discover it after a relaxed coffee at Expendio Café Blasón, a cozy establishment that has been serving its own coffee for more than 140 years.
All this, without forgetting one of the most photogenic places in the neighborhood: the Ágora de Jalatlaco, a cafeteria that serves delicious breakfasts next to the Casa Arnel hotel – highly recommended accommodation – surrounded by a pink and blue façade that provides the perfect selfie. A glass of flavored water at Xiguela Café before enjoying tlayudas, a typical Oaxacan dish made of stuffed cakes spread with pork fat, at Son Istmeño, another gastronomic icon of the neighborhood. Better accompanied by horchata (the Mexican one, yes) for a fresh explosion. And if you arrive at night, the mezcal awaits at the Expendio de Mezcal Zapoteca. What better plan in the heart of the state where this typical Mexican drink was born?
Maybe at the end of the street there will be the commotion of a wedding, or you will be lucky enough to land here on the eve of the Day of the Dead. Or the art that emanates from the NN Gallery, one of the essential avant-garde spaces as you pass through the neighborhood. And Jalatlaco acts as a perfect canvas for all the fervor, color and folklore of the Zapotec culture of Oaxaca.
There is an “ABC” of places, cafes and establishments, but at some point the light and air swinging the confetti flags will guide you until telling you the story of resilience. How colors always survive.
