A Postcard from... Mexico City, Puerto Escondido & Oaxaca

Hello from…

Hello from Mexico City, Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca. We were wondering how we will manage all the travel with our little 5 year old Levi and how much we would actually get to explore, but turns out that our worries were unnecessary because we saw, ate and experienced so many things! The colours, food, culture, architecture and people of Mexico won us over in a heartbeat.

While all destinations were full of culinary highlights, each of the areas we visited were so different from each other. In Mexico City, we explored the vibrant city by foot and uber and I was impressed with how walkable our neighbourhood was. Oaxaca is the cultural and culinary heart of the and its low colourful houses reminded me of the Mexico I’d pictured in my head. From Oaxaca we drove down to Puerto Escondido. We stayed in La Punta and this place is so relaxed and tropical, exactly what we needed. We had so much fun watching surfers at sunset.

Where we’re staying…

The absolute highlight was Casa Hezbo in La Punta, Puerto Escondido. This brutalist dream house, designed by Ludwig Godefroy, had everything we needed and more, in fact we didn’t want to leave. The details of the concrete building, the pool with the bridge that Levi jumped into the water to at least 30 times a day, and the open outdoor living area made this place very special. 

In Oaxaca we stayed at Hotel Siglo 17, and in CDMX an Airbnb with a rooftop pool that was well-located for exploring Roma Norte and Condesa neighbourhoods. 

The best meals we’ve had…

We adore Mexican food so it’s difficult to pick the best meal, but I will say Chuí in Mexico City was great for families: it was the fluidity between outdoor and indoor space as well as the open kitchen and amazing Mexican and levante food that we loved. They also had a delicious pizza from the pizza oven for our picky little son. 

 

We even took Levi to a Michelin star restaurant called Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca for lunch and it was not a problem at all! Their menu centres on exquisite indigenous dishes including the best mole I’ve ever had. I also have to mention Humar which has delicious aguachile.

 

In Puerto Escondido Chicama stood out with Peruvian ceviche like I never tasted before.

 

Needless to say you find amazing tacos everywhere!

 

The most fun things we’ve done…

The most fun thing we did was visiting Monte Alban, a Zapotec archeological site with pyramids. Levi loved exploring the site and the views were amazing too.

Another thing we really enjoyed, and actually I enjoyed the most, was visiting Casa Wabi: it’s not a typical museum and even though the tour is 90 min long, Levi loved it! We were guided through the different in and outdoor areas of this art centre, designed by Tadao Ando. Chris and I have a great interest in art and architecture, so we explored many museums and brutalist buildings.

 

Some things we learned…

One thing we learned is visiting two restaurants for the evening is ok, especially with a very picky eater. Often we went to grab food for Levi first (quesadilla, fish tacos or fries) and then went to a restaurant with more elevated food for Chris and me. Little play cards, a notebook and crayons are a must.

 

The souvenir I’m bringing home…

The souvenir I bring home is a perfume from Xinu for me and handmade keychains for Levi from each of the places we visited. 

 

What my little one will remember most…

Everything felt adventurous to Levi. He got to see and experience things he wouldn’t be able to back home in Amsterdam, like seeing wild dolphins in the Pacific ocean. He also loved that he could wear shorts every day and he got to jump in the pool every day. What Levi will remember the most is definitely the pool at Casa Hezbo and the dog friends he made.