Feria del Mole

All seven of Oaxaca's legendary moles under one roof — negro, rojo, amarillo, verde, coloradito, chichilo, and manchamanteles, ladled over chicken or pork at food stalls that have been perfecting these recipes for generations. Two days, one plaza, and arguably the single best two hours of solo eating you'll find anywhere in Mexico.

The sampling format is built for a party of one: small plates from multiple stalls, no shared-order coordination required, just graze at your own pace and circle back to whichever mole hit hardest. It falls squarely within Oaxaca's July run of overlapping festivals — Guelaguetza and the mezcal fair both happening the same stretch — so solo travelers already in town for one of those have zero reason not to walk over for this too.

Cheap even by Oaxaca's already-affordable standards, and short enough that it slots into a single afternoon without reshaping the rest of your trip.