Description
We’ll explore the valley of Ocotlan, a place full of colorful handicrafts in small villages near the city.
The backstrap loom woven by women in the local market, don Jose the Lord of the Mermaids, Ocotlan’s traditional Friday Market full of local products, and the traditional black pottery of Oaxaca.
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Departure
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oax.
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Departure Time
8:30AM
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Dress Code
Casual, comfortable and light
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Included
Bottled water – Personal Guide – Ticket – Transport
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Not Included
5 Star Accommodation – Breakfast
Tour Plan
We’ll meet at the Temple of Santo Domingo de Guzman to hop on the bus and travel to our communities in the Valley of Ocotlan.
Known for the back strap loom we`ll visit the local market where we can see several local women weaving and elaborating different traditional pieces.
3.- SAN ANTONINO CASTILLO VELASCO
We`ll meet don Jose and his family, a very talented man that lost his sight several years ago but with the support of his wife and family still elaborates ceramic pieces with the magic in his hands.
The Friday market in Ocotlan is very popular for the farmers to come from different places to sell their local products where we’ll find a variety of foods and goods all around.
5.- SAN BARTOLO COYOTEPEC
The place of the black pottery is another name we know it by, where we’ll visit a small workshop that shares with us the elaboration process of their beautiful black pottery pieces.
We’ll explore the valley of Ocotlan, a place full of colorful handicrafts in small villages near the city.
The backstrap loom woven by women in the local market, don Jose the Lord of the Mermaids, Ocotlan’s traditional Friday Market full of local products, and the traditional black pottery of Oaxaca
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Richard –
Wow what a wonderful and interesting day! Such a great experience meeting the artisans themselves and watching them create their exquisite crafts. You won’t be able to resist purchasing – so much better quality than the tourist shops and no commissions involved. Really a special privilege to see incredible Rodolfo Morales murals in Ocotlan. Our guide Fernando was a delight & spoke excellent English and explained in depth. .100% recommended!
Liz @CuadradoChronicles –
This was our second tour with Yeti and was especially meaningful. What was a recurring theme in all of her cultural tours was how she guided us not just through each workshop’s process, but through the stories behind the art — giving voice to the artisans themselves. Hearing their personal journeys, challenges, and triumphs added such depth and heart to the experience. Yeti is a master herself of weaving those stories into her tours in a way that feels both respectful and curated with lots of thoughtful consideration.
One of the highlights was visiting the workshop of Maestro Don Jose, who has worked with clay since the age of eight. We learned about his life, his techniques, and the unique qualities that distinguish his work in the region. Walking through his lovely courtyard which doubles as his workshop and seeing his team in action was a gift — and being able to purchase a piece to bring home made the experience even more special.
On our visit to the Friday market, we had a delicious lunch of traditional moles — and what made it even better was being able to taste different types beforehand before choosing our dish. For someone new to Oaxacan cuisine, that moment of discovery was incredibly helpful — and DELICIOUS! Afterward, we wandered through the market to take in all of the sights and sounds was its very own feast for the eyes!
Later in the day, we had the opportunity to see the backstrap loom weavers at work — witnessing the process firsthand was incredible, and it gave us a new level of appreciation for the skill and artistry involved. We then visited a black pottery workshop and watched Julio shape a piece right in front of us, while Yeti shared the story of his family’s work. His wife showed us the intricate detailing process and the creative tools they’ve developed over time.
Together, these experiences made purchasing a piece so much more meaningful — it wasn’t just about the beauty of the object, but knowing the people and the legacy behind it. That’s what makes this tour so special: it doesn’t feel like a canned experience or a one-size-fits-all itinerary. It feels curated — thoughtful, immersive, and deeply personal. Yeti graciously answered all of our questions and we were able to get to know each other in such a lovely way, which further enhanced the entire experience. For anyone who values craftsmanship, culture, and connection, I couldn’t recommend this tour more!!! ♥
Marian Young (verified owner) –
We spent the day with Yeti today and what a treat it was. We were extremely privileged to have a woman tour leader on our trip that focused on female artisans. The Lord of the Mermaids was the highlight for me where we witnessed generations of master potters create whimsical ceramics which we couldn’t resist. Lunch was extra special with a Frida look alike. Highly recommended and Yeti was the best.
Vonelle –
This was our second tour with the amazing Yeti! We liked this one actually better than the first one but both were amazing. Yeti has a wonderful personality and she makes you feel like you’ve known her forever. We saw everything that was listed on the website for this tour. It was so inspiring to meet Don Jose who is blind yet has this amazing attitude about life and continues to make his pottery with the help of his family. He is going to be featured in a Netflix documentary soon which he proudly told us about. Eating at the Ocotlán mercado was especially memorable as we got to meet a Frida look alike at her food stall. You MUST eat here. She gives you a bunch of samples of mole and then you get to pick from at least 5 options with the mole of your choice….WOWZA. The best food ever!!! Lastly we stopped at the black pottery place (there are many in the village of San Bartolo) which is always fun. I highly recommend this tour and actually ANY tour that Yeti does. She does it up right. Congratulations, Yeti! Un abrazo!
Don Edmunds (verified owner) –
Our friends suggested we take this tour with Yeti. She was everything you could wish for. Extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic on seeing Oaxaca and the surrounding communities. Loved the places we went. Don Jose and his family of potters were inspiring. As a ceramicists, he reminds me to follow your passions. Going to the Ocotlan Market and having food prepared by a lady who dresses and looks like Frida. The food was sooo good.. Enjoyed going to the San Bartolo village to learn about the Black Pottery. Yeti gave of other suggestions and restaurnts to check out. I would take a Yeti tour again in a heartbeat. See, learn and enjoy Oaxaca with Yeti!!!
Steve R –
Our multiple trips with Yeti as our guide were superb. She was knowledgable, passionate and amiable.
She knew about the different areas, local history and had stories to share. Her selection of sites was also well planned and a great sampling of the various artisian workshops for each trip. We will continue scheduling with Yeti while we are in Oaxaca.