Tips and suggestions - Mexico City to Oaxaca

I was thinking of taking the bus to Acapulco, then do a couple of stopovers on the Pacific coast until Puerto Escondido

Hmmmm... this idea isn't going to go over well. Yes, it's doable, but for a first trip in Mexico, when you could easily be enjoying the wonders of Oaxaca (city, not coast)? There really aren't many – i.e. any – viable stopovers on the coast between those places except for extremely independent types. Yes, the safety situation is real; travel there is still viable, but the question is, why? Note Acapulco is not a state: it is one the very few visitable places in the extremely violent Guerrero state.

If you're set on the beach, why not fly from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido or Huatulco, enjoy a few days there, then get up to the city (either bus, van, or fly) and spend a week there doing day trips, and bus (or fly) back to CDMX at the end?

I thought about Acapulco quite arbitrarily, just because it's famous

While it's still popular with domestic tourists and maybe 2 people on this board (1 who hasn't reported in ages... where is that guy?), it is NOT the Acapulco of yore – i.e. the fabulous 50's – and will be packed to the gills with local families around Christmas, as will many coastal spots. The places along the coast that are famous now for their beauty and relative safety are Mazunte, Huatulco, etc.

Hi enroutesiglo,

Actually I have an additional personal reason why I thought about Acapulco, it's because I have a passion for the history of the Pacific and I was curious to see the city of galleons.

But on the other side we are in the end of a long and complicated travel, and in Mexico we would like to relax without worrying too much about safety, so probably it's not a bad idea to just wander around Oaxaca and relax.

As I mentioned, we already have a flight back Oaxaca City - Mexico City. We could do a simple trip overland with some stops. Where would you suggest to make a stop? I see these possible candidates on the map, is there any that has something special to see?

Cuernavaca
Puebla City
Izucar de Matamoros
Tecamachalco
Tehuacan
Acatlan de Osorio
Cordoba
San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec

Also, I would really like to visit at least one place with not so many "gringos" around. Do you know any normal city that doesn't have anything to attract tourists, but that still has some nice atmosphere / architecture / landscape? Where we could spend a couple of days experiencing real local life. We don't mind if it's a city with almost no hotels or foreigners, as far as it's reasonably safe.

Thanks again for your time.

Well, others who do these kinds of super packed trips will be of more use (I'm more of a slow wanderer). Just keep in mind that 2 weeks is very little time when talking about destinations like this. One easy trip is to spend 1-2 days in Puebla, maybe a day in Tehuacán, and then base yourself in Oaxaca for a week where there are things to keep you occupied every day... trips to Hierve el Agua, Monte Alban, craft villages, etc. That would be 2 weeks with no beach though (and would still be a pretty packed trip).

Cordoba is in the wrong direction, but small towns like Acatlan or Izucar might be interesting to you... but that's getting into deep Mexico territory and the real beauty of these places is not very accessible when just breezing through. It really comes down to whether you want to spend half your time on a beach (as many people do), and realizing it will be really crowded. If you're into that, taking a flight from CDMX to Huatulco, for example, and then spending a day or two in San Jose del Pacifico on the way up to a full week in Oaxaca would be a great idea and show you a lot of variety.

I hear you on avoiding gringos for the most part, but I wouldn't overthink that too much. If you really, really don't want to see them, you'll have to plan your trip accordingly (and makes Acapulco a better choice), but missing out on a full 5-6 days in Oaxaca City just because of the pale folk would be a shame, as it really is a rewarding place to spend a few days.

First, I'd add more time to Mexico City. With your schedule, you could certainly add a day or two without having to sacrifice elsewhere. If I understand, you have two weeks before your three days in Mexico City so 17 days in total? If so, consider:
5 days - fly to the Oaxacan coast (e.g. Puerto Escondido
5 days - Oaxaca (including one day lost in transit)
2 days - Puebla
5 days - Mexico City
Or, you could drop Puebla and take days from the coast and/or Mexico City and go hiking in the Sierra Norte outside of Oaxaca (search/google "Pueblos Mancommunados") or visit one of the Pueblos Magicos near Mexico City like Malinalco. http://www.pueblosmexico.com.mx/

• I would really like to visit at least one place with not so many "gringos" around. *

You could stop in Tlaxcala on your way to Oaxaca. We spent 4 nights there in June and saw very few if any 'gringos'. (We were stopped on the street by an American ex-pat who was excited to hear English spoken.) Good food, warm welcoming people, beautiful town square, lots to see.

Puerto Escondido is a must go. Then, try to spend at least 5 days in Oaxaca. Then, I will recommend about 2 days in Puebla.
(And I wouldn’t go to Acapulco, there are more better places to visit)

Atlixco might fit the bill for fewer gringos -- it's small, pleasant. It's very close to Puebla, so you could spend a couple days in Puebla/Cholula and then Atlixco, before moving on.

Thanks guys for the many suggestions, it's really appreciated. Seeing that there are so many interesting things in Oaxaca and on the way to Oaxaca, we'll definitely skip Acapulco (after all we'll be in Mexico after 6 months in the South Pacific, we'll be quite satisfied of beaches).

Highly recommended... especially around December when there are so many interesting festivities going on in small towns and villages.