Xoxocotlan Day of the Dead Tour: A Candid Review

Experiencing Día de los Muertos – so the Day of the Dead – in Oaxaca, Mexico, is almost always described as something extraordinary, a can’t-miss cultural event. And very right it is. I’ve just gotten back, you see, and wanted to share all about my tour of Xoxocotlan (pronounced Ho-ho-cot-lan), which is a town right next to Oaxaca known for its pretty remarkable Day of the Dead celebrations. Getting some real information prior to going might be what you’re hoping for, and hopefully I can provide that.

The Allure of Xoxocotlan

Xoxocotlan, very, very often overlooked by some tourists who flock right to Oaxaca’s city center, yet is seriously holds its very own, particularly during the Day of the Dead. As a matter of fact, you can see how local families honor their departed loved ones, so it’s very powerful to walk through these centuries-old cemeteries. The flickering candles and the ofrendas – so the offerings – really tell such incredible stories. The tour I signed up for promised pretty good access, and, you know, some real cultural insight, and it mostly delivered, yet. Let’s talk more about that now.

Booking the Tour: What to Expect

I found several tour options that popped up whenever I searched online, and of course that ranged in price. A lot of the differences come down to transportation, the size of the group, and whether the tour guide is someone bilingual. You could pay a fair bit more for an all-inclusive deal or just go pretty cheap. You probably would just hire a taxi or an Uber to take you out there, too it’s almost. A couple of pretty standard inclusions that I saw were things, and a visit to at least one of Xoxocotlan’s main cemeteries. The particular one I went with also had, so they say, “exclusive access” to a family’s ofrenda, which, yeah, seemed pretty unique at the time.

What “Exclusive Access” Really Means

Okay, I might want to dial things back a little here, but the “exclusive access” thing was very much oversold. To be honest, what that was saying is that we went to a house where the family, who welcomed us to come visit the display. Still, it’s almost felt very, very staged, and, to be frank, the only people allowed in there weren’t really held back from coming into the house at the same time. However, seeing their ofrenda was cool enough, really full of marigolds and sugar skulls, and I actually feel bad being too picky. We were able to listen to what the people did to celebrate and honor the dead relatives. It’s good that there was insight, even if slightly rehearsed.

Experiencing the Cemetery at Night

Without question, the high point was certainly visiting the cemetery late at night. The sheer sight of these hundreds upon hundreds of candles shimmering over gravestones, you know, it’s very powerful and evocative. There are lots of families just sitting near the graves, which could be the resting spots for their parents or the siblings, telling all of their life stories and sharing favorite meals. A couple of them sang songs or played music. You know, my guide helped translate whenever I wanted to talk to folks. As a matter of fact, some of the nicest and, yeah, emotionally resonant parts was how spontaneous some of the exchanges actually became.

Navigating the Crowds

Fair warning; there are actually quite a few people there. So you probably need to be prepared to contend with crowds, basically, especially during the main days – so that would be like November 1st and 2nd. Yet I kind of felt safe, actually. Everyone seemed kind of reverent. Still, a little tip to make it not as stressful is just being careful to hold onto your stuff. Also wear some shoes you don’t mind maybe getting stepped on. Arriving kinda early will certainly help beat out the worst part of it, too.

What I Ate and Drank

This is Oaxaca, right, which almost always is foodie central! The tour more or less included stops at some local food vendors, but a large part of my party did grab extra treats. A lot of them enjoyed the tamales, and, sure, ate some pan de muerto – so that’s ‘bread of the dead’. Obviously, if you just would like to explore that part on your own, just pick the tour where you can. Yet just, you know, you may want to sample things when you’re here.

Is the Xoxocotlan Tour Right for You?

Taking a tour versus actually just going by yourself might be something you might be asking yourself, right? It comes down to, I believe, what kind of experiences you generally want. So, someone like me likes getting just a little cultural insight. The tour also meant not needing to, say, drive and park, and it’s safer than needing to walk down back streets to try hailing a cab, especially so late at night. But on the other hand, if just exploring on your very own terms without any real schedule makes more sense, that works too.

Photographing the Day of the Dead

When it comes to taking photos during the Day of the Dead, it’s always good practice to approach people respectfully. Given the solemn and deeply individual, unique meaning that is being paid attention, not everyone wants cameras flashed at them. By and large asking prior to just snapping pictures often helps; the people will, you know, either approve or be thankful either way. If maybe you are doing any expert photography, seriously think about employing a lens and capturing the moods of these situations organically without becoming all up in peoples’ personal, close surroundings.

What To Bring On The Tour

To guarantee that experience is really comfortable, there are basically a couple things that I think are nice. Firstly, and to be sure to have comfortable and warm walking boots as there’s basically quite a bit of walking and the road may be, too it’s almost just uneven. Secondly and thirdly, layered warm sweaters are normally suggested to handle evening conditions that I usually wear. Thirdly and extremely basically I normally bring a camera with me to, kind of capture every detail; but also respect the sensitive qualities that that usually captures of this parties and celebrations . Essentially this are things to be sure of guaranteeing the trips go smoothly.

Safety And Sensibility Around Oaxaca

Whilst engaging and, certainly in Día de Muertos the place is lively with, clearly folks and tourist that will keep your visits so engaging, please be, certainly cognizant as there’s some, extremely small criminal conduct like pickpocketing occurring, like the normal thing as much as any events in urban regions, as a matter of fact. Usually try using things to be wise about in this events so keep all essential documents hidden in a secure place as any expert may warn that happens. Try also using to know that local weather or terrain which would probably impact those itinerary or activities and plans or otherwise, basically because those plans always helps you feel a part as one, certainly. Using a method about keeping hydrated helps also.

Making It Meaningful

To close up everything, it almost goes beyond being only any vacation by basically partaking into these traditions that gives deeper insights into one customs. This is extremely great chance, that you get insight through how it feels really for those culture! Whether this has been your interest with, of just history as there, it’s lots you find at most angle during tours or simply seeking unique things that might be discovered only as your interest of things you love doing!