Staying In Local Communities Around Oaxaca: Tourist Yu''u
In 1994 SEDETUR and the Secretaria de Turismo opened the first batch of Tourist Yu'u - Zapotec for "house" - small self-contained houses scattered through the villages of the Oaxaca valleys. These help to bring income to the local villages while minimizing the disruptive effects of mass tourism. Visitors are shown around the village by the locals and are given the opportunity to view community life at close quarters. Alternatively, SEDETUR can make reservations at a number of other locally built and run hostels for tourists. Some of these are equally charming and even more off the beaten track, though facilities tend to be a little more basic. Either type of accommodation makes a convenient and economical base for exploring the communities and archeological sites in the centre of Oaxaca state. Many communities have their own particular handicraft tradition, such as carpet-weaving, wickerwork or pottery; others often have their own museum devoted to archeological finds from the area and the life of the villagers. Some are in areas of outstanding natural beauty, where locals will take you horseback riding, trout fishing or caving. The Tourist Yu'u are designed to sleep six (the hostels sleep more), with a bedroom, a fully equipped kitchen with stove and refrigerator, and outside shower and toilets which can also be used by people camping in the grounds. Each facility has a custodian who collects US$5 per person (US$3 for students), US$15 for groups of six, and US$2 for campers. Reservations can be made - preferably a few days in advance, especially for the more accessible sites - through SEDETUR, Oaxaca's tourist office, inside the Palacio Municipal (tel 9/516-0984, fax 516-1500)
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