Whilst the Zocalo and the cathedral might be the centre of Oaxaca, the aesthetic and cultural hub, and restaurant central, are San Domingo. The Dominicans built on a  whole city block  after outgrowing their old site and also experiencing earthquake issues, they got it right here. Today it is a church, a museum on the former convent/monastery and a botanic gardens full of cactus’s and endemic species.

From the plaza on a grey wet day:

The gardens  around the monastery have only been developed in the last 15 years since they managed to kick the military out who had been using the huge site as a barracks.

The church might be quite plain on the outside, but step inside and see this:

In addition to this wonderful series of buildings, there are some of the very best restaurants in Oaxaca within a couple of blocks of here. No wonder we liked it.