Staying at Las Bugambilias is like staying in a family home, decorated by someone with a lively eye for craft and colour. Silver wall hangings, cheerful folk paintings, bright textiles, religious icons covering everything from angels to skeletons - this is a crash course in the quirky beauty of Mexican art. Table settings for the communal breakfasts are exquisite, and changed daily; what doesn’t change is the interesting guests you’ll meet over your morning meal, many of whom return to Las Bugambilias every year - you’ll even see photos of them dotted around the walls.
The family-like atmosphere works so well because there’s a real family behind Las Bugambilias: the Cabreras. One sister runs the popular next-door restaurant, the wife of a brother is the efficient manager, and the behind-the-scenes matriarch tends to the medicinal garden with its blissful temazcal (traditional steam bath) treatments. Outside the hotel, husband René offers excellent personalised tours of local markets, mezcal distilleries, the Zapotec city of Monte Alban, the stunning cascades of Hierve el Agua, and more besides. And everyone contributes to the wonderful ambiance of authenticity and true Mexican hospitality.
Highs
- The location is ideal: on a relatively quiet street, within easy walking of Oaxaca's Zócalo (main square), shops, restaurants and museums
- This is no cookie-cutter hotel: every room is different, with family heirlooms, vintage furniture or local crafts
- Our breakfasts were both delicious and healthy
- We loved the relaxed, social and friendly family atmosphere
- An easy and affordable way to experience Temazcal treatments - soothing herbal steam baths
Lows
- This is essentially a simple townhouse B&B, with no pool or grounds to speak of
- Car parking is tricky
- Some rooms are above the next-door restaurant and can get a bit noisy
Best time to go
Come at any time of year - Oaxaca is blessed with a temperate climate all year round, though you might experience some rain between May and September.
If you time it right, you can join the family for local celebrations, including Day of the Dead (1-2 November), Noche de Rábanos (‘Night of Radishes', held in December), Christmas, Easter, and Guelaguetza (a dance festival held in July, and the largest fiesta in Oaxaca)
If you time it right, you can join the family for local celebrations, including Day of the Dead (1-2 November), Noche de Rábanos (‘Night of Radishes', held in December), Christmas, Easter, and Guelaguetza (a dance festival held in July, and the largest fiesta in Oaxaca)
Our top tips
Take time to look through the small trunk in reception - it's filled with shimmery scarves, hand-woven tunics and artisan silver jewellery collected by an American friend of the family. The items can be purchased if anything catches your eye.
- Boutique Guesthouse
- 10 rooms
- Breakfast (+ restaurant next door)
- Over 2s welcome
- Open all year
- Pool
- Spa Treatments
- Beach Nearby
- Pet Friendly
- Disabled Access
- Car not necessary
- Parking
- Restaurants Nearby
- WiFi
- Air Conditioning
- Guest Lounge
- Terrace
- Garden
- Gym
- Concierge Service
Rooms
In keeping with the guesthouse’s focus on natural health and beauty, the 10 rooms are named after flowers, and are beautifully decorated with their own distinctive colour. We stayed in vibrant pink Bugambilias; equally striking are pale green Magnolias, magenta Iris, canary-yellow Margaritas and the (very) cyan Camelias.
Expect atmospheric paintings by local artists, traditional furniture including elegant wooden armoires, carved writing desks and pewter-framed mirrors. The enticing beds (kingsize or twin in all rooms except Orquideas and Camelias, which have queensize beds) are adorned with Oaxaca’s famous hand-woven cushions and bedcovers. Each room has a tiled ensuite bathroom; most rooms are air-conditioned, and three have a balcony or private courtyard.
There’s also a suite, Girasoles (‘Sunflowers’), with 2 bedrooms (both with either kingsize double bed or 2 singles) and a small sitting area. It's located above the reception, separate to the main house, and is the best option for families.
Features include:
- Air conditioning
- Cots available
- Fan
- In-room treatments available
- Safe box
- WiFi
Eating
Lavish breakfasts are served at a beautifully-set communal dining table in the main house. Enjoy fruit platters, freshly squeezed juices, yoghurt, homemade granola, French pastries straight from the oven, and daily egg specials like black bean omelette. This is a good chance to exchange travel tales with fellow guests and get sight-seeing tips or restaurant recommendations.
Although no other meals are served at the hotel, one supper suggestion that’s bound to come up is the family-run restaurant next door, La Olla ('The Cooking Pot'). It’s well-known locally and takes pride in its gourmet presentations of Oaxacan cuisine - dishes include a range of organic salads and soups (like squash blossom), and tasty fish (the herb-wrapped red snapper and ‘devil’ shrimps in chilli sauce are winners). We jumped in feet first and ordered the Botana La Olla, a sharing plate of Oaxacan appetisers, including chicharrón (pork scratchings) and chapulines (grasshoppers) - both very crunchy!
When milder palettes prevail at lunchtime, the restaurant also offers whole-wheat sandwiches with fresh fruit on the side. Or you can stop in for an evening cocktail on the pretty roof terrace before trying one of the many excellent restaurants, cafés and market stands in Oaxaca's historic centre, all within walking distance of Las Bugambilias.
Don’t be shy about signing up for a cooking class with La Olla’s head chef, Pilar Cabrera. It’s a fun half-day of shopping (she’ll take you round the local market), chopping (you’ll be hands-on assembling the food) and, of course, cooking. Afterwards participants sit down for lunch and tuck into tamales and tortillas, plus delicious dishes made from Pilar’s original recipes - copies of which are available for you to keep.
Features include:
- Breakfast
- Restaurants nearby
- Room service
Activities
- Learn the secrets of Oaxacan cuisine by joining one of Pilar Cabrera’s fun, and tasty, cooking classes (located off site)
- Treat yourself to a revitalising temazcal steam bath treatment or a massage with the wise and wonderful Mariana Emilia
- Visit the famous Zapotec sites at nearby Monte Albán, Mitla and Yagul (husband René runs an excellent day tour)
- Go shopping at one of Oaxaca’s famous handicrafts markets; or head to the amazing food market at Tlacolula (you'll appreciate having René as your guide)
- Marvel at the pre-Hispanic treasures on display in the ‘Louvre of Oaxaca’ - the Museum of Oaxacan Culture - and learn about modern Mexican art movements at the Museum of Contemporary Art
- Explore Oaxaca’s churches, including the 17th-century Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, and admire the frescoes in the grand 2-storey cloister of 16th-century former monastery Santo Domingo de Guzmán
- Visit the mesmerising ‘frozen waterfalls’ (natural rock formations) at Hierve el Agua
- Hire a car and tour the villages surrounding Oaxaca, stopping off to see the oldest tree in the Americas at Santa María del Tule
- Mountain bike rentals and horse-riding can be arranged through a local agency
Activities on site or nearby include:
- Art classes
- Cooking classes
- Cycling
- Golf
- Hiking
- Historical sites
- Horse riding
- Language courses
- Museums / galleries
- Nightlife
- Private guided tours
- Shopping / markets
- Traditional cultures
- Yoga
Kids
Children over 2 are welcome at Las Bugambilias, and the relaxed, family-run atmosphere makes you feel immediately at home. We'd recommend it for school-age children with an interest in history (pretty spectacular history, note), scenery (ditto) and culture. The city is easy and safe to explore on foot, or you can rent bikes with child seats (but do keep alert on the busier roads).
Best for:
Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)
Family friendly accommodation:
The best room for families is the Girasoles Suite, which has a second bedroom with the option of twin beds. It's above also reception (separate to the main hotel) meaning you don't have to worry about disturbing other guests. Some other rooms are adjacent, or share a sitting area, which can work for a family with older children.
Cots Available, Extra Beds Available
Kids Activities nearby:
Families Should Know:
Breakfast is taken at a communal table so, if eating with fidgety pre-schoolers, you might feel a bit self-conscious - though in our experience, both staff and other guests couldn't have been more delightful.
For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection
Location
Las Bugambilias is located in the provincial city of Oaxaca, 500km south of Mexico City. It's 5 blocks north of the Zócalo, Oaxaca's historic centre.
By Air
Oaxaca Xoxocotlán (10km) has domestic flights from Tijuana and Puerto Escondido, plus occasional services from the US. Alternatively, try Bahías de Huatulco (270km), from where you can hire a car or take the air taxi service to Oaxaca. From Europe, it's usually best to fly via Mexico City (500km), from where there are daily flights to Oaxaca.
By Bus
First-class bus services operate regularly between Oaxaca and Mexico City (6 hours), Pochutla (7 hours), Puerto Escondido (9 hours), San Cristóbal de las Casas (12 hours), Tehuacan (6 hours) and Villahermosa (14 hours).
By Car
If exploring further afield easier, it helps to have a rental car, but you can certainly manage without - by using local transport or booking organised tours. There's no off-street parking at Las Bugambilias, but parking on the road outside is generally not a problem.
Detailed directions are provided when a booking is confirmed.
Airports:
- Oaxaca Xoxocotlán International 10.0 km OAX
- Bahías de Huatulco International 270.0 km HUX
Other:
- Beach 250.0 km
- Shops 0.2 km
- Restaurant 0.2 km
Our guests' ratings...
Based on 2 independent reviews from i-escape guests
Feedback is only from guests who have booked and stayed through i-escape