Correction Appended
Few places in the world have the magic of Oaxaca. Its deep roots reach back 2,600 years to the settlement of Monte Albán, the Zapotec capital, about as old as the Tree of El Tule, a cypress outside town, nearly 180 feet in circumference, that is one of the largest living things on earth. The life, the art and the food of the colonial city of Oaxaca, first laid out by Spanish conquerors in 1529, draw visitors from around the world, and the power of the attraction is never stronger than when the new year nears.
Oaxacan cuisine is among Mexico's best; the city is the capital of the seven classic moles, the complex and deep-flavored sauces that take days to make. The blocks north of Oaxaca's leafy zócalo, or town square, provide sublime strolls. When morning and late-afternoon light fall on the old stone buildings, painted in sienna, umber, pale yellow and other earthy shades, the colors seem to float in the air. The city is filled with art and some of the world's great weavings, and in the warp and weft of Oaxaca is a texture in which travelers happily become lost.
The city and its nearby valleys take in thousands of travelers each winter, and spur-of-the-moment trips at Christmastime may require some work to find lodgings. There are usually good rentals in private homes available if first-class hotels are fully booked. One online site for last-minute accommodations is the Oaxaca Forum (bbs.oaxaca.com).
Events
The Christmas season in Oaxaca begins Dec. 16, the first of nine nights of posadas, a Mexican version of caroling. In every neighborhood processions go from door to door in memory of the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. On Dec. 18, Oaxacans celebrate their patron saint, Santa María, also known as the Virgin of Solitude. They take armfuls of flowers to the Soledad Basílica, west of the zócalo, where there is dancing and revelry.
On Dec. 23, in the zócalo, is an extraordinary annual display of sculptures, both sacred and sassily secular, carved entirely out of huge radishes. Every Catholic church in town prepares a float for Christmas Eve, all converging on the Cathedral, just north of the zócalo, around 11 p.m.
Every night into the New Year is a fiesta in Oaxaca's public spaces and promenades, filled with music, dancing and celebration, including the ritual smashing of clay bowls against the side of the Cathedral, an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new custom whose origins are lost. Among free attractions, nothing beats the concerts by Oaxaca state bands, marimba Monday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and brass on Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. in the gazebo that sits in the center of the zócalo.
Two more traditional festivals that Oaxacans celebrate with passion are Epiphany, Jan. 6, ''the 12th day of Christmas'' and the gift-giving day that ends the holiday season in Mexico; and Candlemas, Feb. 2, in which families take images of the Christ child, dressed in finery, from their home altars to be blessed in church.
Tickets go on sale after Jan. 1 at the state tourist office, Independencia 607, (52-951) 516-0123, for Oaxaca's biggest event, the Guelaguetza, a festival of folk dance usually held on the last two Mondays of July. That's a long way ahead to plan, but it's necessary: advance tickets (up to $30, at 11.5 pesos to $1) are essential for the show at the Auditorio Guelaguetza north of town. Two weeks of concerts and celebrations surround the dates.
Sightseeing
The ancient ruins of Monte Albán, with its grand plaza and tombs spread out over roughly a square mile, are among Mexico's most impressive. At its peak, from the fourth to the eighth century, the city held about 25,000 people and controlled the countryside for miles around. It fell into ruin and abandonment sometime around A.D. 950. Admission $3.20 (free on Sunday); the site is open daily (52-951) 516-1215. A taxi from the city center costs about $7, or $20 an hour if kept longer.
Teotitlán del Valle is one of Mexico's greatest weaving centers. About 15 miles east of the city, the town offers a tremendous variety of textiles, including the kaleidoscopic works of the late Arnulfo Mendoza, a world-class master, and his followers. The centrally located Mercado de Artesanías is the best place to start; many smaller shops nearby have artisans at work. Most weavers still use natural dyes. Prices range from about $5 for a shawl to well over $1,000 for museum-quality work.
Two other important ruins lie down the highway from Teotitlán del Valle. Yagul, about 20 miles east of Oaxaca, was settled after Monte Albán began to decline around A.D. 800. The site is small, but the ball court, more than 100 feet long, is one of the biggest ever unearthed. The ruins at Mitla, about 30 miles southeast of Oaxaca, were a Zapotec religious center; they feature stonework from the 12th to 14th century. Admission at both sites is $2.50 (free on Sunday), and both are open daily.
Oaxaca has three noteworthy museums. The Rufino Tamayo Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art, Morelos 503, (52-951) 516-4750, www.oaxacaoaxaca.com/museums.htm, has 1,000 pre-Hispanic pieces. Admission $2.60, open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some of the treasures from Monte Albán can be seen at the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, corner of Alacalá and Gurrión, at the former convent of Santo Domingo, (52-951) 514-1825. Admission is $3.20; open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. www.inah .gob.mx/museos/regional/oaxreg .html. And the Contemporary Art Museum, Alcalá 202, (52-951) 514-2228 or (52-951) 514-7110, www.arts-history.mx/museos/maco, features contemporary Oaxacan artists. Admission, 90 cents; closed Tuesday.
Where to Stay
All rates are for a double room, including tax, in high season, November through January.
For a good value near the zócalo, there's the Gala de Oaxaca, Bustamante 103, (52-951) 514-2251, fax (52-951) 516-3660, www.gala.com.mx. It has 32 standard rooms ($56) and 4 suites ($74).
The Hotel de la Parra, Guerrero 117, (52-951) 514-1900, fax (52-951) 516-1558, www.hoteldelaparra.com, features 10 elegant rooms, with Internet connections, right off the zócalo. Rates: $105.
Budget: The Hotel Principal is an old favorite, at Calle 5 de Mayo 208, (52-951) 516-2535. There are 14 simple rooms with private baths; $34.
Luxury: A remodeled 19th-century house is the setting for the Hotel Casa Antigua, Calle 5 de Mayo 206; (52-951) 501-1240, www.hotelcasaantigua.com. The six standard rooms ($142), eight junior suites ($183) and one master suite ($192) are spare and elegant, and provide 24-hour Internet service. There are great views from the rooftop terrace.
Hotel Camino Real, Calle 5 de Mayo 300, (800) 722-6466, fax (52-951) 516-0732, www.caminoreal.com, is one of the prettiest hotels in Mexico. Formerly the 16th-century Santa Catalina Convent, the 91-room hotel is filled with frescoes, fountains and gardens indoors and out; rooms are spacious and colonial. Rates, $191 to $287, plus 17 percent tax.
Where to Eat
El Naranjo, 203 Trujano, (52-951) 514-1878, is a temple of mole (one of each of the seven classic varieties is served daily) set in a colonial courtyard. Specialties include pecan soup laced with chipotle and a mild poblano chile stuffed with zucchini blossoms. A three-course dinner for two is about $40 and up with wine. Lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday.
Lunch at Tlamanalli, Juárez 39, is a good stop on a day trip to the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle. The kitchen, led by a member of one of the great Zapotecan weaving families, Abigail Mendoza Ruiz, changes the classic menu with the seasons. The afternoon sunlight pours into the art-filled dining room as you linger over lunch. Specialties include squash-blossom soup and a variety of moles. About $30 for a three-course meal for two. Lunch only, Tuesday to Sunday; no reservations.
In front of the Oaxaca cathedral, La Casa de la Abuela, Hidalgo 616, (52-951) 516-3544, serves classic Oaxacan home cooking at this simply decorated and lively ''grandmother's house.'' This is the place to have a first taste of chapulines -- fried grasshoppers. They are delicious. Really. So are the homemade moles and handmade tortillas. About $30 for two. Lunch and dinner daily.
The Casa Oaxaca restaurant, at the Casa Oaxaca hotel, García Vigil 407; (52-951) 514-4173. is a good choice for haute Oaxacan cooking. The elegant salon features nuevo-wavo turns on Mexican classics, including the pork-based manchamanteles, or ''tablecloth stainers.'' A meal for two with wine is $70 and up; reservations required. Lunch and dinner daily.
El Mesón, Hidalgo 805, (52-951) 516-2729, is just off the zócalo. A $5 buffet and the basics -- tacos, quesadillas and tortillas -- are served out of an open-air kitchen every day from 8 a.m. to midnight. It would be hard to spend more than $20 for two.
Some of the best food in town is at the stalls of Mercado 20 de Noviembre, south of the zócalo: chicken in mole, goat barbecued in a banana leaf, and a hundred different snacks, each for about $3 or less.
Night Life
The Hotel Camino Real presents a version of the Guelaguetza, the annual folk dance festival, in its huge ballroom each Friday. The $25 tab covers the show and a 7 p.m. supper, but not drinks. Tickets available at the hotel. Two other nightly shows are at 8:30 at the Hotel Monte Albán, Alameda de Léon 1, (52-951) 516-2777 ($6), and the Cas Cantera, Murguía 102, (52-951) 514-7585 ($9.50).
Music in a hip, intimate and beautifully decorated setting is heard most nights at El Sol y La Luna, Reforma 502, (52-951) 514-8069, starting at about 9:30. The food is good and the Latin music and jazz are the best in town. Cover varies, usually about $3. Reservations recommended.
Shopping
The great variety of arts and crafts in Oaxaca includes some of Mexico's best work, most of it still handmade. The pottery, weaving, basketry, ironwork and jewelry are treats for the senses. Some shops close for lunch from 2 to 4.
La Mano Mágica, in Oaxaca at Alcalá 203, (52-951) 516-4275, one of the city's best art galleries, features the classic weavings of Arnulfo Mendoza of Teotitlán de Valle, as well as that of many of the region's finest and most inventive artisans.
The Mercado de Artesanías, at Zaragoza and Calle García, has a variety of authentic crafts, as does the MARO women's artisans cooperative at 5 de Mayo 204; (52-951) 516-0670. Another excellent co-op is Aripo, at García Vigil 809; (52-951) 514-4030.
One of Oaxaca's best products -- and one not generally known to Americans -- is mezcal. It is not tequila, or mescal, but a savory alcoholic drink made from the maguey plant. Shops sell it for $4 to $50 a bottle. The aged version, called reposado or añejo, is the best, and the widest selection is at Alipús, Gómez Farías 2128, a mile north of town. It goes without saying that mezcal is the perfect accompaniment to fried grasshoppers.
Photos: Guelaguetza dancers. Manuel Álvarez weaves a rug at his home in Teotitlán del Valle. At El Naranjo, Iliana de la Vega displays poblano chilies stuffed with zucchini blossoms. A guided tour of Monte Albán. (Photographs by Sarah Martone for The New York Times) Chart: ''Vital Statistics'' lists travel information and statistics on Oaxaca, Mexico. (Sources by National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information, weatherbase.com, local businesses) Map of Mexico highlighting Oaxaca.