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.
Arrive on Tuesday, December 2, and depart on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 — 8 nights, 9 days in textile heaven! Home in time for winter holiday preparations. Please send us an email to tell us you are ready to join!
December is a perfect time to visit the Oaxaca coast. The weather is at its best, and the Pacific Ocean promises stunning views and abundant seafood. Here, we go deep and also cover a lot of territory. We give you an intimate, connecting experience. We spend time to know the culture. You will meet artisans in their homes and workshops, enjoy local cuisine, dip your hands in an indigo dye bath, and travel to remote villages where you may never get to independently.
This study tour focuses on the revival of ancient textile techniques and Oaxaca’s vast weaving culture that encompasses the use of natural dyes, back-strap loom weaving, drop spindle hand spinning using the malacate, and glorious, pre-Hispanic native cotton in warm brown called coyuchi, verde (green), and creamy white. We cover vast distances on secondary roads, traveling to secluded mountain villages. This tour is for the most adventurous textile travelers! 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 cost is $3,595 per person for a shared room or $4,395 per person for a private room. See details and itinerary below. To register, please send an email to Norma Schafer at norma.schafer@icloud.com Thank you.
This entire study tour is focused on exploring the textiles of Oaxaca’s Costa Chica. You arrive to and leave from Puerto Escondido (PXM), connecting through Mexico City or Oaxaca. You might like to read about why on the Oaxaca coast, it’s about the cloth, not the cut.
Villages along the coast and neighboring mountains were able to preserve their traditional weaving culture because of their isolation. The Spanish could not get into those villages until the late 18th century. Much is now the same as it was then. Stunning cotton is spun and woven into lengths of cloth connected with intricate needlework to form amazing garments. Beauty and poverty are twin sisters here.
What we do: Visit weaving villages in Oaxaca and Guerrero Meet back-strap loom weavers, natural dyers, spinner
See, touch, and smell native Oaxaca cotton — brown, green, natural Participate in a Ridley sea turtle release with a sunset dinner on the beach Swim in a rare bioluminescent lagoon
Visit local markets to experience daily life Travel to remote regions to discover amazing cloth Learn about Afro-Mexican identity on the Pacific Coast Support indigenous artisans directly Enjoy a beach vacation
Take this study tour to learn about: Culture, history, and identity of cloth Beating and spinning cotton and weaving with natural dyes Native seed preservation and cultivation Clothing design and construction, fashion adaptations Symbols and meaning of regional textile designs Choice of colors, designs, and fibers showcase each woman weaver’s aesthetic and identity The work of women in pre-Hispanic Mexico and today
PRELIMINARY ITINERARY Tuesday, December 2: Fly to Puerto Escondido—overnight in Puerto Escondido, Group Welcome Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Please schedule flights to arrive accordingly. Meals included: Dinner
Wednesday, December 3: After breakfast, spend the day lingering by the pool or exploring the strand. We depart in late afternoon to participate in the Ridley turtle release and explore the Manialtepec bioluminescence lagoon with a beach dinner. Overnight in Puerto Escondido. Meals included: Breakfast and dinner
Thursday, December 4: After breakfast, we depart for Ometepec, Guerrero where we will spend the night. We will stop in Pinotepa Nacional for lunch and meander through the town market. Overnight in Ometepec. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Friday, December 5: After breakfast, we go to Zacoalpan, a bygone Amusgo village where Jesus Ignacio and his family weave native coyuchi, green and natural white cotton to make traditional huipiles. They are rescuing designs from fragments of ancient cloth. Then, we have lunch in nearby Xochistlahuaca with an outstanding weaving cooperative that creates glorious, diaphanous textiles embellished with a palette of colorful designs reflecting the flora of the region. Overnight in Ometepec. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Saturday, December 6: After breakfast, we head south along the coast highway, stopping at the Afro-Mexican Museum to learn about the rich cultural history and traditions of Mexicans whose roots are from Africa and the slave trade. We continue to Pinotepa Nacional for a late lunch and check into our hotel. Here we will enjoy an expoventa and demonstration with embroiderers from a town several hours away. Overnight in Pinotepa Nacional. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.
Sunday, December 7: After breakfast, we head up the road to the weaving village of San Juan Colorado for a home-cooked lunch and visit two women’s cooperatives working in natural dyes, hand-spinning, and back-strap loom weaving. Overnight in Pinotepa Nacional. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Monday, December 8: After breakfast, we go back up the mountain to the village of Pinotepa de Don Luis to meet noted weavers who work with naturally dyed cotton. Here, we will see jicara gourd carvers who make jewelry and serving containers. We have lunch with Tixinda Cooperative members who are licensed to harvest the purple snail dye. In this village, the almost extinct caracol purpura snail is the traditional color accent for many textiles. Overnight in Pinotepa Nacional. Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Tuesday, December 9: After breakfast, we return to Puerto Escondido, a two-and-a-half-hour van ride. The rest of the day is on your own to explore, relax, and pack. We meet in the early evening for our Grand Finale Dinner. Overnight in Puerto Escondido. Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Wednesday, December 10: Depart for home and arrive in plenty of time to prepare for the winter holidays. Meals included: None.
Note: We suggest you arrive a day early (your own hotel expense) to avoid any unforeseen winter flight delays, and stay later if you wish to enjoy the beach.
Your Oaxaca Cultural Navigator: Eric Chavez Santiago Eric Chavez Santiago is a Oaxaca Cultural Navigator partner with Norma Schafer. He joined us in 2022. Eric is an expert in Oaxaca and Mexican textiles and folk art with a special interest in artisan development and promotion. He is a weaver and natural dyer by training and a fourth-generation member of a distinguished weaving family, the Fe y Lola textile group. He and his wife Elsa Sanchez Diaz started Taller Teñido a Mano dye studio where they produce naturally dyed yarn skeins and textiles for worldwide distribution. He is trilingual, speaking Zapotec, Spanish and English and is a native of Teotitlan del Valle. He is a graduate of Anahuac University, founder of the Museo Textil de Oaxaca education department, and former managing director of the Harp Helu Foundation folk-art gallery Andares del Arte Popular. He has intimate knowledge of local traditions, culture, and community and personally knows all the artisans we visit on this tour.
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Founder Norma Schafer may participate in all or part of this tour. We have invited a noted cultural anthropologist to travel with us. She did her thesis in a nearby textile village and has worked in the region for the past 15 years. She knows the textile culture and people intimately, too. Together, we learn about and discuss motifs, lifestyle, endangered species, quality, and value of direct support.
Who Should Attend Explorers of indigenous cloth, native fibers Collectors, curators, and cultural appreciators Textile and fashion designers Retailers, wholesalers, buyers Weavers, embroiderers, dyers, and sewists Photographers and artists who want inspiration Anyone who loves cloth, culture, and collaboration
Policies — Reservations and Cancellations. A $500 non-refundable deposit will guarantee your place. The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before July 1, 2025. The third payment, 50% balance, is due on or before October 1, 2025. We accept payment using Zelle or a credit card. For a Zelle transfer, there is no service fee. We add a 4% service fee to use a credit card. We will send you a request for funds to make your deposit when you tell us you are ready to register. Registration Form.
After October 1, 2025, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before October 1, 2025, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date (less the $500 non-refundable deposit). After that, there are no refunds UNLESS we cancel for any reason. If we cancel, you will receive a full 100% refund. Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health insurance that includes $50,000+ of emergency medical evacuation insurance. Check out Forbes Magazine for best travel insurance options. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/ Proof of insurance must be sent at least 45 days before departure. . Be certain your passport has at least six months on it before it expires from the date you enter Mexico! It’s a Mexico requirement.
Cost to Participate $3,395 shared double room with private bath (sleeps 2) $4,195 for a single supplement (private room and bath, sleeps 1)
Your Oaxaca Cultural Navigator: Eric Chavez Santiago Eric Chavez Santiago is a Oaxaca Cultural Navigator partner with Norma Schafer. He joined us in 2022. Eric is an expert in Oaxaca and Mexican textiles and folk art with a special interest in artisan development and promotion. He is a weaver and natural dyer by training and a fourth-generation member of a distinguished weaving family, the Fe y Lola textile group. He and his wife Elsa Sanchez Diaz started Taller Teñido a Mano dye studio where they produce naturally dyed yarn skeins and textiles for worldwide distribution. He is trilingual, speaking Zapotec, Spanish and English and is a native of Teotitlan del Valle. He is a graduate of Anahuac University, founder of the Museo Textil de Oaxaca education department, and former managing director of the Harp Helu Foundation folk-art gallery Andares del Arte Popular. He has intimate knowledge of local traditions, culture, and community and personally knows all the artisans we visit on this tour.
Oaxaca Cultural Navigator Founder Norma Schafer may participate in all or part of this tour. We have invited a noted cultural anthropologist to travel with us. She did her thesis in a nearby textile village and has worked in the region for the past 15 years. She knows the textile culture and people intimately, too. Together, we learn about and discuss motifs, lifestyle, endangered species, quality, and value of direct support.
Who Should Attend Explorers of indigenous cloth, native fibers; collectors, curators, and cultural appreciators; textile and fashion designers; retailers, wholesalers, buyers; weavers, embroiderers, dyers, and sewists; photographers and artists who want inspiration; anyone who loves cloth, culture, and collaboration
Full Registration Policies, Procedures and Cancellations– Please READ Reservations and Cancellations. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your place. The balance is due in two equal payments. The second payment of 50% of the balance is due on or before June 1, 2025. The third payment, 50% balance, is due on or before September 1, 2025. We accept payment using a Zelle transfer or credit card. For a Zelle transfer, there is no service fee. We add a 4% service fee to use a credit card. We will send you a request for funds to make your deposit when you tell us you are ready to register.
After September 1, 2025, there are no refunds. If you cancel on or before September 1, 2024, we will refund 50% of your deposit received to date (less the $500 non-refundable deposit). After that, there are no refunds UNLESS we cancel for any reason. If we cancel, you will receive a full 100% refund.
Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health insurance that includes $50,000+ of emergency medical evacuation insurance. Check out Forbes Magazine for best travel insurance options. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-insurance/best-travel-insurance/ Please send proof of insurance at least 45 days before departure.
About COVID. Covid is still with us and new variants continue to arise. We recommend that you wear face masks on the plane and in crowded areas during your trip and after arrival. Please also bring COVID test kits with you just in case! We ask this to keep all travelers safe, and to protect indigenous populations who are at higher risk.
Be sure your passport has at least six months on it before it expires from the date you enter Mexico! It’s a Mexican requirement.
Come to Oaxaca for a two-week vacation and leave with excellent reconstructive dentisty.
And, if it isn’t, it should be!
Two years ago while in Taos, I had a front tooth break off. It wasn’t pretty and I needed an immediate remedy. I could not be walking around with a missing front tooth! My local dental group is excellent. My doctor said, You need an implant. I wasn’t going to argue with the cost, which came back at almost $4,000 USD. This included a bone graft, impressions, X-rays, a temporary, and then the porcelain tooth. It was definitely sticker shock, but I had no choice. With no dental insurance (and I suspect most of us do not have this coverage), everything was out of pocket.
Aging teeth are fragile and often need attention. What can happen is unpredictable. This can occur at any age, in reality. In the summer of 2024, I got an infection and needed a back tooth removed. It was beyond saving. My Taos dentist recommended a bone graft to prep for another implant. Cost: $1,500. Three months later, and the graft didn’t take. He suggested a bridge. I left for Oaxaca wondering if I could live out the rest of my life with a hole in my mouth. It didn’t show when I smiled!
When I got here I immediately asked a good friend if she had any dentist recommendations. Yes. Dr. Daniel Tenorio Oda, a reconstructive dental surgeon, an excellent prosthodontist. He had made a crown for her, and it fit perfectly, she told me. So, I made an appointment. He took me within the week, evaluated the situation, sent me to a periodontist to see if a bone graft would work to make an implant. The periodontist saw me immediately, the same day! This consultation was $25 (500 pesos). No, she said, it won’t work. After that, I went to get a panoramic x-ray. This cost $12 and I left with x-rays in hand.
The following week, I was in the dental chair all morning prepping for a four-tooth bridge. It was half the cost of an equal procedure in the USA. The temporary fit perfectly, and two weeks later, the bridge came back from the lab and, after some adjustments, it fit perfectly, too.
I have a good friend who was concerned about my getting dental work done in Mexico. She has had a lifetime of expensive reconstruction. She was afraid the quality would not be good. To the contrary. The craftsmanship and technical skill was equal if not better. The cost was half. The speed was astounding. and the personal care and consideration was incredible. Dr. Tenorio answers his own phone and text messages within minutes. He is a compassionate, responsive practitioner.
Come to Oaxaca for your dental work. You will be amazed to discover the culture of the city and region, and also the great dental outcomes.
.Dr. Daniel Tenorio Oda, Av. Mexico 68 #307, San Felipe del Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico. 951-516-2613.
If you have other recommendations in Oaxaca, please send an email with contact information!
We call native corn here CRIOLLO. This term refers to landrace varieties of plants that have adapted to local conditions over generations. Maiz (corn) criollo is a traditional, non-hybrid corn variety grown by indigenous and rural farmers. Criollo can mean something authentic, traditional, or deeply rooted in a region’s culture.
I’ve written a Substack essay about what I notice when I drive the Pan-American Highway between Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, and San Pablo Villa de Mitla. Even here in our small village of 6,500 people, my neighbors are planting espadin agave. Fewer and fewer fields are growing the traditional milpa — corn, squash, and beans.
This is an important topic for all of us who love Oaxaca, live here permanently, visit regularly, or come for a first-time exploration. Corn in Mexico is part of our culture.
I wonder if Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) will win the long game in Mexico, as native corn production declines and people need to eat. The nutritional value of genetically modified corn is questionable. Because it is grown with pesticides, scientists are afraid there are possible links to cancer and other health issues. GMO products are not labeled. GMO seeds are patented and controlled by large agribusinesses, cost more, and require chemical fertilizers.
When I return to the USA, I will bring back a couple of mezcal bottles for my son. He loves Gracias a Dios Agave Gin. I need to double-check with Emmy Hernandez to reconfirm that they do not use fertilizers in the growing process. It’s like, Who made my clothes? Who made my mezcal? Who grew the corn I eat? Sustainability is not to be taken lightly.
Posted onSunday, February 16, 2025|Comments Off on Pop-Up Sale: Norma’s Collection + Rugs, Teotitlan del Valle
When: Saturday, February 22, 2025
Time: 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Where: Norma’s Casita, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
RSVP: WhatsApp or text +1 919-274-6194. Send an RSVP and I’ll send directions.
Payments: We accept pesos, dollars, Zelle transfers. With PayPal, Venmo, and credit cards we add a 4% transaction fee.
Spend $100-299 and we will give you a $10 credit off your taxi ride, or $25 credit for anything over $300. Many choices for $20-$50 USD. Make sure you reserve your taxi for a round-trip. We are unable to get you a local taxi to return to Oaxaca. Share the ride and come with friends.
These are examples of what we are selling. They will be similar but not exactly the same. Textiles will be from San Mateo Del Mar woven by Francisca Palafox and her daughters, from Pinotepa de Don Luis, San Juan Colorado and other Oaxaca villages where we have traveled. Most are now too large for me to wear. There are also handwoven pieces from Guatemala where I have just returned. There are also textile yardage and jewelry. Rugs are woven by Tenido a Mano Studio and Galeria Fe y Lola. Refreshments available for including handmade tamales.
We are returning to Guatemala in 2026. If you are interested in joining us for a 10-day textile focused adventure and want more information, please email me.
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
We require 48-hour advance notice for orders to be processed. We send a printable map via email PDF after your order is received. Please be sure to send your email address. You can click here to Buy Map. After you click, you can check PayPal to double-check you included your email address. We fulfill each order personally. It is not automatic.
