The Mexico Tourism Board is honoured to announce the selection
by Lonely Planet Travel Guide of Oaxaca as the top world tourism destination
for travel with children. This magical city in southern Mexico,
famous for being the chocolate capital, reveals its charms for all age groups.
Oaxaca, ideal for a family trip
According to the Lonely Planet, a guide specialized in
destination and country discovery, Oaxaca
is the perfect city for young travellers. The colonial city boasts many activities
that allow children to play and enjoy their stay during their vacations.
Oaxaca has a cultural,
artistic, and historical history, which it would like to share with the world.
Children will be captivated by the cultural centre Santo Domingo, which offers a huge open
space and an ethno-botanical garden. Oaxaca?s
CulturalMuseum
and Rufino Tamayo?s PrehispanicMuseum will also be sure to awaken
children?s imagination. A tour bus will allow you to see some of the most
beautiful historic and cultural sites of the city. In short, children are
bound to love this magical destination that vibrates with colours and
music.
Oaxaca, chocolate capital of the world
The MTB furthermore invites you
to discover a less well-known part of Mexican culture: chocolate! Few people
know that Mexico
is the country where chocolate originated. Nor do many people know that Oaxaca is considered
the chocolate capital of the world!
This cultural encounter has reached a delicate balance
perhaps best paralleled by this flagship of local cuisine, the mole
(pronounced moh-lay). This unusual mix of cocoa,
peanuts, hot chiles, clove and so on, is
considered perfect when none of its dozens of ingredients dominate the
others.
Oaxaca, a millennium culture
From the winter Carnival to the Guelaguetza,
in July, lively public events punctuate the year and beckon visitors to
discover the peculiar adventure of Oaxacan culture.
The Guelaguetza is a large festival steeped in
native traditions, whose colourful and unique activities make it a must-see
for anyone planning to visit Mexico
at that time of the year.
Far from living in its already glorious past, Oaxaca is gaining
international recognition as a cultural cutting-edge meeting point. From the
encounters of the past came the encounters of today and tomorrow, and international
artists such as Rufino Tamayo (painter), Alvaro
Carrillo (composer), Francisco Toledo (Plastic
artist) found that magical Oaxaca
was the ideal place to express their creativity. You may find their work
displayed in the many galleries scattered around the HistoricalCenter, for example the MACO (Museum of Contemporary Art), Museo
Regional de Oaxaca and the MuseoRufino Tamayo.
The Mexico
Tourism Board (MTB) brings together the resources of federal and state
governments, municipalities and private companies to promote Mexico's
tourism attractions and destinations nationally and internationally. Created
in 1999, the MTB is Mexico?s
tourism promotion agency, and its participants include members of both the
private and public sectors. The MTB has offices throughout North America,
Europe, Asia and Latin America.
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JOURNALISTS ONLY
For
additional ideas, help with a story or general travel and tourism information
about Mexico,
please contact the MTB?s Canadian Press Room
directly at 1-866-895-5297, by e-mail at canadianpress@visitmexico.com, or
visit our Press Web site at www.visitmexicopress.com. To access
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