Textiles from Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guatemala, plus jewelry from this part of the world and far-flung places. The event is produced by Cael Chappell and Fiber Arts of 4th and will also benefit WARP (Weave a Real Peace). If you are in New Mexico or nearby, please come and visit us. Credit cards accepted.
Dates are set and registration is now open — March 3-11, 2026
At Oaxaca Cultural Navigator, we aim to give you an unparalleled and in-depth travel experience to participate and delve deeply into indigenous culture, folk art, and celebrations. The Maya World of Chiapas, Mexico, spans centuries and borders. Maya people weave their complex universe into beautiful cloth. Symbols are part of an ancient pre-Hispanic animist belief system. In the cloth, we see frogs that signal coming rain, the plumed serpent — guardian of life, woman and man and family, earth and sky, the four cardinal points, moon and sun and stars, birds, flowers, and symbols of the natural environment. Each weaver chooses her and his themes based on what is important to her.
We go deep into the Maya world of southern Mexico, from March 3-11, 2026.While we focus on textiles, we also explore what it means to be indigenous, part of a cooperative, live in a remote village, have agency and access to economic opportunity, and understand the role of women in traditional life. We meet creative, innovative, and talented people who open their doors and welcome us.
8 nights, 9 days in and around the San Cristobal de Las Casas highlands.
Cost • $3,395 double room with private bath (sleeps 2) • $4,285 single room with private bath (sleeps 1) A $500 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space. Contact: Norma Schafer to register.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are designed as learning experiences, and as such we talk with weavers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them in their designs, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years, and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. Our interest is in creating connections and supporting artisan economic development.
We are based in the historic Chiapas mountain town of San Cristobal de las Casas, the center of the Mexican Mayan world. Here, we will explore the textile traditions of ancient people who weave on back-strap looms. Women made cloth on simple looms here long before the Spanish conquest in 1521, and their techniques translate into stunning garments admired and collected throughout the world today. Colorful. Vibrant. Warm. Exotic. Connecting. Words can hardly describe the experience that awaits you.
We are committed to giving you a rich cultural immersion experience that goes deep rather than broad. Yet, we cover a lot of territory. That is why we are spending eight nights in this amazing Pueblo Magico — Magic Town — to focus on Maya textiles, weaving, and embroidery traditions.
Our cultural journey takes us into villages, homes, and workshops to meet the people who keep their traditions vibrant. We will explore museums, churches, and ancient cemeteries. This is an interpersonal experience to know and appreciate Mexico’s amazing artisans.
Your Study Tour Leader is Eric Chavez Santiago. Norma Schafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC founder, may also accompany the group.
Eric Chavez Santiago is a weaver and natural dye expert. He is a Oaxaca native, born and raised in Teotitlan del Valle, and speaks Zapotec, Spanish and English. Eric was the founding director of education at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca from 2008 to 2016. In 2017, Alfredo Harp Helu and Isabel Granen Porrua asked him to open, manage and promote indigenous craft through their folk art gallery Andares del Arte Popular. He resigned in September this year to grow the family enterprise, Taller Teñido a Mano, and to join Norma as a partner in Oaxaca Cultural Navigator. Eric is a graduate of Anahuac University and has made textile presentations throughout the world. He is very knowledgeable about Chiapas textiles and techniques.
Norma Schafer is a retired university administrator and the founder of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. She has lived with Eric and his family in Teotitlan del Valle since 2005. She also lives in Taos, New Mexico. In 2006, Norma started offering textile weaving and natural dyeing workshops and cultural and textile study tours, concentrating on Oaxaca and Chiapas. She is a contributor to the textile guidebook, Textile Fiestas of Mexico, has been featured in The New York Times, and has published articles in the international Selvedge Magazine and literary magazines. She writes the blog Oaxaca Cultural Navigator about life and art in Oaxaca and other parts of Mexico. Norma also sews and embroiders, knits, and mends. She is a published creative writer and photographer, too.
We engage one of San Cristobal’s best bilingual cultural guides who has worked with weavers and artisans in the region. Gabriela is a native Chiapaneca who knows the region. You will enjoy learning from her. She is our compass to discern meaning.
Take this study tour to learn about:
culture, history and identity of cloth
cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation
wool spinning and weaving
clothing design and construction
embroidery and supplementary (pick-up) weft
Maya textile designs — iconography and significance
village and individual identity through clothing
social justice, opportunities and women’s issues
market days and mercantile economy
local cuisine, coffee, cacao and chocolate
quality and value
We will travel in a comfortable van as we go deep into the Maya world.
We visit 6 Maya weaving villages
We enjoy home-cooked meals
We meet makers and directly support them
We go far and away, off-the-beaten path
We decode the weaving designs unique to each woman and village
We explore three towns on their market days
We understand the sacred, mysterious rituals of Maya beliefs
The villages we will visit are Tenejapa, San Lorenzo Zinacantan, San Juan Chamula, San Andres Larrainzar, Magdalena Aldama, and Chenalho.
Who Should Attend: Anyone who loves cloth, culture, and collaboration • Textile and fashion designers • Weavers, embroiderers and collectors • Photographers and artists who want inspiration • Retailers and wholesalers who want introductions
PreliminaryDaily Itinerary
Tuesday, March 3: This is a travel day. Arrive and meet at our hotel in San Cristobal de las Casas. You will receive directions to get from the Tuxtla Gutierrez airport to our hotel. The airport is a clean and modern facility with straightforward signage. You will book your flight to Tuxtla from Mexico City on Volaris or Aeromexico. To find the best routes and rates, search on Skyscanner and then book directly with the carrier. Taxis and shuttle services can take you from Tuxtla to San Cris. The cost of transportation to/from San Cristobal is your own. Taxis are about $60 USD or 1,000 pesos. Shared shuttle is about 200 pesos or about $13 USD. Join us for a no-host dinner if you arrive by 6 pm. Overnight in San Cristobal.
Wednesday, March 4: On our first day in San Cristobal de las Casas, we orient you to the textiles of the Maya World. You will learn about weaving and embroidery traditions, patterns and symbols, women and villages, history and culture. After breakfast, we will visit Centro Textiles Mundo Maya Museum, Sna Jolobil Museum Shop for fine regional textiles, compare and contrast quality at the vast Santo Domingo outdoor market. We finish the morning together with a Group Welcome Lunch. In the early evening, we meet with Sergio Castro, famed humanitarian healer, whose vintage textile collection is an important basis for our orientation to understand the mix of Maya language groups and the location of their villages. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Thursday, March 5: Tenejapa is about an hour and a world away from San Cristobal de Las Casas. Today is market day when villagers line the streets that are filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and household supplies. Peer into dimly lit doorways to find hidden textile treasures. We’ll meander the market to see what’s there. In the past, I’ve found some stunning shawls, huipils and bags. Keep your eyes open. Then, we will visit an outstanding textile cooperative and then the best pom pom maker in the region. After a box lunch, we go to the centuries- old Romerillo Maya cemetery, then continue up another mountain to visit Maruch (Maria), a Chamula woman at her rural home. Surrounded by sheep and goats, Maruch will demonstrate back-strap loom weaving and carding and how she makes long-haired wool skirts, tunics, and shawls. Perhaps there will be some treasures to consider. Return to San Cristobal de Las Casas in time for dinner on your own. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Friday, March 6: Today, we make a study tour to the textile villages of San Andres Larrainzer and Magdalena Aldama. This is an ultimate cultural experience to immerse yourself into the weaving culture of two of the best weaving villages in the region. We visit four families of weavers in their humble homes. Their work includes blouses, dresses, bags, and home goods. One family is the last to work with ixtle, the agave fiber used to weave market bags that are often a deep coffee color, gotten by hanging the bags over the smoky cooking fire. A small bag takes 42-hours to make. Several of the artisans we visit are recognized as Grand Masters of Mexican Folk Art by Fundacion Banamex. We will see how they weave and embroider beautiful, fine textiles, ones you cannot find in the city markets or shops. They will host a show and sale for us, and we will join them around the open hearth for a warming meal of free-range chicken soup, house-made tortillas, and of course, a sip of posh! Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Saturday, March 7: We set out by foot to a nearby textile studio founded by Alberto Lopez Gomez, a Magdalena Aldama weaver and designer, who was invited to New York Fashion Week in 2020, Sweden Design Week in 2022, and the Santa Fe Folk Art Market in 2025. We hear presentations about creativity, style, innovation, and how to incorporate tradition while breaking new ground. Then, after lunch, we set out for Na Bolom, Jaguar House, the home of anthropologist Franz Blom and his photographer wife, Gertrude Duby Blom. The house is now a museum filled with pre-Hispanic folk art and jewelry. We walk the gardens and learn about Franz and Trudy’s work with the Lacandon tribe and their relationship with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Sunday, March 8: This is a big day! First, we go to San Lorenzo Zinacantan, where greenhouses cover the hillsides. Here, indigenous dress is embellished in exquisite floral designs, mimicking the flowers they grow. We meander the open-air market, then visit the church, bedecked in fresh flowers. The next stop is magical, mystical San Juan Chamula, where the once-Catholic church is given over to a pre-Hispanic pagan religious practice that involves chickens, eggs and coca-cola. You’ll find out why. We’ll roam Chamula’s abundant textile market, where you can compare and contrast fabrics and designs. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Monday, March 9: About an hour-and-a-half from San Cristobal de las Casas is the farming and weaving village of Chenalho, situated deep into the mountains with stunning views. This is not a tourist destination! We have found a cooperative there that was started 41-years ago by cultural anthropologist Christine Eber when she did her PhD dissertation about the weaving and women there. We hear the women’s stories, see demonstrations, and have an opportunity to support them by purchasing what they make if we wish. Then, we will return to San Cristobal de las Casas for you to choose your own lunch spot and enjoy the rest of the day on your own. Meals included: Breakfast and snack.
Tuesday, March 10: This is expoventa day! We have invited one of the finest embroiderers of Aguacatenango blouses, an organic coffee grower/roaster, and a pottery artisan to show and sell their work. The afternoon is yours to do last-minute shopping and packing in preparation for your trip home. We end our study tour with a Regret’s Sale (just in case you have any) and a Grand Finale Group Dinner. (B, D)
Wednesday, March 11. Depart. You will arrange your own transportation from San Cristobal to the Tuxtla Gutierrez airport. We can help. It takes about 1-1/2 hours to get to Tuxtla, plus 1-2 hours for check-in. Connect from Tuxtla to Mexico City and then on to your home country.
What Is Included
8 nights lodging at a top-rated San Cristobal de las Casas hotel within walking distance to the historic center and pedestrian streets
8 breakfasts
5 lunches
1 Gala Grand Finale Dinner
Museum and church entry fees
Luxury van transportation
Outstanding and complete guide services
The workshop does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips, travel insurance, liquor or alcoholic beverages, some meals, and local transportation as specified in the itinerary. We reserve the right to substitute instructors and alter the program as needed.
Cost • $3,395 double room with private bath (sleeps 2) • $4,285 single room with private bath (sleeps 1)
Reservations and Cancellations. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before October 1, 2025. The third 50% payment of the balance is due on or before January 1, 2026. We accept payment using online e-commerce only. We will send you an itemized invoice when you tell us you are ready to register. After January 1, 2026, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before January 1, 2026, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date less the $500 non-refundable reservation deposit. After that, there are no refunds.
If we cancel for whatever reason, we will offer a 100% refund of all amounts received to date, less the non-refundable deposit.
All documentation for plane reservations, required travel insurance, and personal health issues must be received 45 days before the program starts or we reserve the right to cancel your registration without reimbursement.
How to Register: Send us an email telling us you are ready to register. First, complete the Registration Form and send it to us. We will then send you an invoice to make your reservation deposit.
Terrain, Walking and Group Courtesy: San Cristobal de las Casas is a hill-town in south central Chiapas, the Mexican state that borders Guatemala. The altitude is 7,000 feet. Streets and sidewalks are cobblestones, mostly narrow and have high curbs. Pavement stones can be slippery, especially when walking across driveways that slant at steep angles across the sidewalk to the street. We will do a lot of walking. Being here is a walker’s delight since three flat streets are devoted exclusively to walking. We walk a lot, up to 10,000 steps per day at a moderate pace. We recommend you bring a walking stick and wear sturdy shoes.
NOTE: If you have mobility issues or health/breathing impediments, please consider that this may not be the program for you.
Traveling with a small group has its advantages and also means that independent travelers will need to make accommodations to group needs and schedule. We include plenty of free time to go off on your own if you wish.
We haven’t had any snow in Northern New Mexico since I arrived on November 19. It’s been sunny and unseasonably warm, with temperatures rising to the low 50’s. Great walking weather. At night, it dips down to the 30’s, just perfect for sleeping. I’m returning to Oaxaca on December 30, in time for our January 2, 2025, Women’s Creative Writing Workshop Retreat (we can accommodate one more person, if you are a last-minute decider!). My plan is to return to NM in early April to do my taxes and then go back until July. This is driven by (primarily) politics and climate. Since I’ve removed myself from WAPO and NYT alerts, and selectively reading Bulwark commentators, I’ve been feeling very calm. Mostly, I’m in a self-imposed news black hole. I know I have my head in the sand and one of these days, I’ll take it out and re-emerge into the world of fighting for justice, equality, and women’s health. For now, I’m content to look west out my kitchen window at the Rio Grande Gorge and east out my living room window at Taos Mountain, just barely snow-capped.
When I got to Taos I realized how many Oaxaca and Chiapas clothes were in my collection, most that I haven’t worn! I purchased them for their beauty, intricacy of weaving techniques, fine embroidery, and use of natural dyes. I have been fortunate to have met most of the people who made these garments. They live in remote villages and their families depend on the women for extra income that pays for health care, education, and food. One of my motivators, always, has been (and continues to be) to support indigenous makers throughout Mexico who are working to preserve traditional hand work.
This week, I’ll be offering a select part of my collection for sale. Scroll down. There are 17 pieces, priced at or below cost. More to come later this week. Keep your eyes open!
How to Buy: Send me an email to tell me which item(s) you want BY NUMBER and by name of item. Send me your name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. Tell me if you want to purchase using a Zelle transfer or a credit card. If you use a credit card, we add a 4% service fee. There is no extra fee for using Zelle. If you want Zelle, please tell me how your Zelle account is registered. For mailing, I will add a $14 packing and mailing charge. I am NOT putting these items for sale in the SHOP — only here!
Please purchase before December 18, 2024, when I’ll be preparing for the winter holidays and returning to Oaxaca for several months.
Thank you!
#1. Feather Poncho Black and Red
#1. From the Purepecha village of Ahuiran in Michoacan, Mexico, this amazing backstrap loomed poncho is embellished with dyed turkey feathers and fringes. It is made by Albertine Bautista Caballero, as talented as her more famous (now deceased) sister Cecelia Bautista Caballero, who created this pre-Hispanic method of individually tying the feathers individually into the warp threads. Measures 30″ wide x 30″ long. Sides are open. I could say, one size fits most! Just slip it over your head. Great holiday dressing. $395
#2 Ruana, All Natural Dyes34”w c 36” long back
SOLD. #2. A ruana is a pre-Hispanic garment that is similar to a poncho, but the front is open and the back is closed. This 100% hand-woven ruana features two 17″ wide panels in the front, and the back measures 34″ across. Length is 36″ front and back. The sides are open. The front panels can hang loose or you can drape one or both across your shoulders. This piece is from San Andres Larrainzar, Chiapas, from a cooperative that does very fine work. $225
#3. Chenalho Blouse
#3. In Chenalho, Chiapas, this intricate embroidery is called dog paw. I’ve watched women do this during our visits to a cooperative on the outskirts of the village. It takes more time than you can imagine. The inset bits of color create a stained glass effect in this textile. The embroidery is on striped commercial fabric that is a combo of cotton and polyester. This is exactly what women in the village wear. They do not make anything differently for the tourist market, as many villages do. Measures 28″ wide x 22″ long. $195
#4. Jamiltepec, Oaxaca Blusa
#4. Hand embroidered and back-strap loom woven blusa from the village of Jamiltapec on the Oaxaca Coast. The fabric is embellished with figures woven into the cloth. The bodice is decorated with embroidery designs specific to this area. Measures 24″ wide x 23″ long. $65
#5 Michoacan Embroidered Blouse
#5. The cross-stitched bodice and sleeves set off this stunning blouse from Michoacan. 100% cotton. This textile is top-quality with dense and detailed hand-work. Measure 22″ wide x 27″ long. $145
#6. Dancing Figures Huipil
#6. This amazing and colorful (tangerine and pink) huipil is woven on the backstrap loom in San Juan Colorado on the Oaxaca Coast. We know about a designer who has replicated similar, calls it a kaftan and sells it online for over $750 USD. This is a fun dress to wear in summer; perfect for winter with a white heat-tech long sleeve T-shirt for extra warmth. Measures 23″ wide x 40″ long. $285
#7. San Juan Guichicovi, Oaxaca
#7. Jewel tones define this blusa embroidered in the Oaxaca Isthmus in the village San Juan Guichicovi. Yes, it’s embroidered by machine, but this is different. Each seamstress embroiderer guides the needle by hand. It’s a free-form process that we consider made by hand. Measures 19-1/2″ wide x 23-1/2″ long. $145
#8. Indigo + Wild Marigold Huipil
#8 is from one of the finest weaving villages in Oaxaca, Pinotepa de Don Luis, high in the mountains above the coast. This is a six-weft piece joined with a very intricate stitch called randa. All the figures are woven into the cloth — called supplementary weft. Woven by Monica, the daughter-in-law of the purple snail dyer Don Habacuc. Measure 26″ wide x 37″ long. $385
#9. Cockadoodle-Doo Dress
#9. There are extraordinary embroiderers in villages all along the Oaxaca coast. A traditional motif is the double-headed eagle, replicated here in the center. They are flanked by two roosters. This is all hand-work. The red ribbon adds pizzazz. Base fabric is excellent quality commercial manta cotton. Measures 22″ wide x 38″ long. $65.
#10. Black + Red Blouse from Chiapas
SOLD. #10. A graphic beauty, this all-cotton blouse is woven on the back-strap loom in San Andres Larrainzar, Chiapas, from a cooperative we have been visiting for several years. Measures 23-1/4″ wide x 27″ long. $85
#11. Khadi Oaxaca Native Cotton
SOLD. #11. Khadi Oaxaca is an innovator in Oaxaca clothing design. They use the chakra (India’s spinning wheel) to process native white and coyuchi (brown) cotton into thread for weaving. This piece combines a warp of white thread with coyuchi cotton weft. The texture and softness is amazing. Measures 26″ wide x 34″ long. $195
#12. Embroidered whimsy from the Oaxaca coast. Look at the amazing detail on the collar with all the sea and land creatures from the neighborhood. On very good quality white manta cotton. Note the ribbon embellishments. 23″ wide x 24″ long. $125
#13. Ditto from #12. A different colorway in sunshine yellow with a square collar. Measures 24″ wide x 25″ long. $125
#13. Zinacantan Reversible Open Weave Dress
#13. This dress is hand-woven on the back strap loom in Zinacantan, Chiapas. It is an open weave which adds interest and texture. Here, you have two dresses in one. It’s reversible! Cotton. Suggest machine wash on cold separately or in a mesh laundry bag. 23-1/2×38. $125
#14. Arte y Seda designed dress
SOLD 14. The Rina Dress. Rina is a weaver, dyer and designer. She is part of the Arte y Seda weaving family in Teotitlan del Valle. She designed, dyed (with wild marigold), and sewed this beautiful dress with hand-made shell button. The waist is 32” in circumference. The bodice is 22″ wide and 46” long. $165
Shawl 24 x 82 $195
#15. Fuschine dyed shawl, handwoven on the back strap loom in Santiago Ixtlayutla, near Pinotepa de Don Luis on the Oaxaca coast. Fuschine is not a natural dye but coveted by locals for its purple color. The designs in the cloth are woven with silk. This protein fiber absorbs the dye. The fabric is then carefully folded while wet so that the color intentionally bleeds mimicking the design on the cloth. Measures 24″ wide x 82″ long. $195
Dress 31×48
#16. Fuschine dye huipil, with stunning patterning woven into the cloth. Note the simple and beautifully executed randa (joining stitch). See #15 more more detailed description of the dye process. Measures 31″ wide x 48″ long. $495.
38 long x 40w. $285
SOLD. #17. It’s rare to find this hand-woven textile from the Oaxaca coast. It is no longer being woven in its village of origin. We found this in a trunk on our last visit to Pinotepa Nacional — in perfect condition. A true collector’s piece and definitely wearable. Measures 40″ wide x 38″ long. $245
Don’t miss out! Sale ends TODAY, Tuesday, August 20 at 9 p.m. Mountain Time. Use Code AUG20 on Shop Oaxaca Culture our online store for all things Oaxaca and Mexico — through Tuesday, August 20. It’s still summer and we have some beautiful, lightweight clothing for sale in the Shop that will carry you through the dog days of August and into September. And, as we transition into autumn and then winter, check out some mid-to heavier weight blouses (blusas) and huipiles and ponchos. All are handwoven. Many are made with natural dyes. They come from Oaxaca and Chiapas. All personally curated by Norma and Eric. Plus, there are some great pieces for home decor and organizing, including handwoven baskets from Oaxaca’s Mixteca Alta.
The sale goes until 9 P.M. tonight, Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
Some examples of what’s in the Shop! Use your credit card or PayPal for no added fees. We pay the fee!
Posted onThursday, May 30, 2024|Comments Off on Zinacantan + San Juan Chamula, Chiapas: Magic Towns
My friend Chris Clark writes a blog called Color in the Streets. It is her musings about living on Lake Chapala, Jalisco, and visiting many regions around Mexico during the last six years since she moved there from North Carolina, where I first met her. Chris’ partner Ben died almost two years ago and she has decided to move back to North Carolina where she has a strong support system. She will return in August.
In February, Chris came with us to Chiapas to explore the villages she had always dreamed about visiting. She has been writing a three-part series about her experiences there, and I published her first piece earlier this spring. You can read all three posts HERE.
Chris has a way with words. Her descriptions are detailed and luxurious. Reading what she writes is almost like being there. She has a big heart and makes instantaneous connections with the people we meet along the way.
Here is an excerpt about Zinacantan:
The village is the largest supplier of flowers throughout Mexico and parts of the United States. The hillsides are covered with greenhouses. Most residents wear indigenous traje (costumes) handwoven and then embroidered with each year’s current colorful display of flowers. The designs are hand-drawn and then machine embroidered. The colors change regularly. On our visit we saw deep green, burgundy, black, and brightly colored accents.
Here is an excerpt about San Juan Chamula:
This is the village I’d heard most about from friends and neighbors in Ajijic, where I live, who’d visited the church of San Juan Chamula, noted for its mix of Christianity and Maya beliefs (syncretism). For some reason, I had expected a small, simple structure, maybe made of wood, with little space inside. Church pews, of course. But pine needles and candles? Surely not. Inside felt immediately sacred and mystical. The walls were lined with small, lifelike statues of saints. The floor covered with pine needles, brushed aside to hold tall, skinny candles creating “pop-up” altars honoring those in need of healing…unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
We know the culture! This is our land! We are locally owned and operated.
Eric Chavez Santiago is tri-lingual --Spanish, English, Zapotec.
Eric was founding director of education, Museo Textil de Oaxaca + folk art expert
Norma Schafer has lived in Oaxaca since 2005.
Norma is a seasoned university educator.
We have deep connections with artists and artisans.
63% of our travelers repeat -- high ratings, high satisfaction.
Wide ranging expertise: textiles, folk art, pottery, cultural wisdom.
We give you a deep immersion to best know Oaxaca and Mexico.
We organize private travel + tours for museums, arts, organizations, collectors + appreciators.
Creating Connectionand Meaning between travelers and with indigenous artisans. Meet makers where they live and work. Join small groups of like-minded explorers. Go deep into remote villages. Gain insights. Support cultural heritage and sustainable traditions. Create value and memories. Enjoy hands-on experiences. Make a difference.
What is a Study Tour: Our programs are learning experiences, and as such we talk with makers about how and why they create, what is meaningful to them, the ancient history of patterning and design, use of color, tradition and innovation, values and cultural continuity, and the social context within which they work. First and foremost, we are educators. Norma worked in top US universities for over 35 years and Eric founded the education department at Oaxaca’s textile museum. We create connection.
OCN Creates Student Scholarship at Oaxaca Learning Center Giving back is a core value. Read about it here
Meet Makers. Make a Difference
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC has offered programs in Mexico since 2006. We have over 30 years of university, textile and artisan development experience. See About Us.
Programs can be scheduled to meet your independent travel plans. Send us your available dates.
Arts organizations, museums, designers, retailers, wholesalers, curators, universities and others come to us to develop artisan relationships, customized itineraries, meetings and conferences. It's our pleasure to make arrangements.
Select Clients *Abeja Boutique, Houston *North Carolina Museum of Art *Selvedge Magazine-London, UK *Esprit Travel and Tours *Penland School of Crafts *North Carolina State University *WARP Weave a Real Peace *Methodist University *MINNA-Goods *Smockingbird Kids *University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Our Shop is UNABLE TO ACCEPT ONLINE PAYMENTS until we migrate to a NEW WEBSITE. Stay tuned! If there is something you want to purchase, send us an email.
January 8-15, 2026: Oaxaca Textiles, Craft + Culture Tour Plus Workshops with Taos Wools. Participate in weaving, natural dyeing workshops, and hand-spinning experience. Explore the Tlacolula Market, meet artisans, immerse yourself in Zapotec culture and history. In collaboration with Taos Wools.
January 22-February 2, 2026:Guatemala, Here We Come. A cultural immersion tour into the textiles and folk art of Mayan people. Off-the-Beaten-Path. Adventure travel. Into the rainforest. Indigo dye workshop and MORE!
March 3-11, 2026: Chiapas Textile Study Tour: Deep Into the Maya World. Based in San Cristobal de las Casas, we introduce you to some of the best weavers in the region, into off-the-beaten-path remote villages where culture and tradition remain strong.
Oaxaca Coast Textile Study Tour -- January 2026
Michoacan Monarch Buttterflies, Folk Art + Textiles -- Early February 2026
Oaxaca has the largest and most diverse textile culture in Mexico! Learn about it.
When you visit Oaxaca immerse yourself in our textile culture: How is indigenous clothing made, what is the best value, most economical, finest available. Suitable for adults only. Set your own dates.
One-Day Tours: Schedule When YOU Want to Go!
Ruta del Mezcal One-Day Tour.We start the day with a pottery master and then have lunch with a traditional Oaxaca Cook, who is the mole-making expert. In Mitla, we meet with our favorite flying shuttle loom weaver, and then finish off with a mezcal tasting at a palenque you may NEVER find on your own! Schedule at your convenience!
Teotitlan del Valle Map with select rug weavers, restaurants, village attractions
Tlacolula Market Map -- where to find food, shopping, ATMs, and more
Our Favorite Things to Do in Oaxaca -- eating, shopping, gallery hopping + more
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