In the foodie district of Rinconada, local chef Quetzalcoatl Zurita puts a haute spin on traditional Oaxacan cuisine – what else would you expect from an alumni of Mexico City’s world-famous Pujol? That said, its open restaurant is anything but stuffy. Produce is organic, fish is plucked from the Mexican Pacific and menus are short, seasonal and inspired by his grandmother, Doña Aurea Santiago. Can’t choose between the black seafood risotto and beef-tongue barbacoa? Plump for the tasting menu. Mezcal flight, highly recommended.

Playa Zicatela has a buffet of thatch-roofed palapas feeding hungry surfers with sea-to-fork tacos and blonde beers wedged with lime. Our pick? Caycuo, where rainbow ceviche is sparkling fresh and healthy(ish) plant-based options are plentiful. Think pineapple juice in one hand and salt-rimmed Paloma cocktail in the other. Maybe some cinnamon-sugared Mexican buñuelos on the side. Music turns up a little as the sun goes down and fairy lights flicker into life.

For a real taste of Puerto Escondido, tuck into Mercado Benito Juarez, where Zapotec vendors prepare nopal cactus, and tamales de tichinda are stuffed with shellfish from the Colotepec River. Oaxaca is the “land of seven moles” and the negro iteration tastes best drizzled over tlayudas Oaxaqueñas, a giant corn tortilla and the region’s favourite street food. Snack on a bag of chapulines – spicy, toasted grasshoppers – or an icy watermelon paleta as you explore tangled stalls overflowing with tropical produce, local handicrafts and bars of rich Oaxacan chocolate. How many is too many to cram in the suitcase home?