A swarm of long-distance second-class buses runs from the camionera central segunda clase southwest of downtown, just north of the Abastos market. Get there by taxi or by walking due west about eight blocks from the zócalo to the west end of Calle Las Casas. Inside, you’ll find an orderly array of snack stalls, a cafeteria, luggage lockers, a long- distance telephone and fax, and a lineup of taquillas (ticket booths).

With one exception (see the last paragraph of this section) all ticket booths line up along the terminal to your left as you enter. Fletes y Pasajes (tel. 951/516-2270) dominates the terminal, with three separate ticket booths. All three Fletes y Pasajes booths sell tickets to most of their destinations. They offer very broad second-class service, connecting with nearly everywhere in Oaxaca except north. In addition, Fletes y Pasajes offers luxury-class “super” expressway connections with Mexico City.

In approximate consecutive order, moving left from the entrance, first find Transportes Oaxaca Istmo (tel. 951/516-3664). Departures connect with dozens of destinations east and south.

Cooperating Auto Transportes Oaxaca–Pacífico (tel. 951/516-2908) and Autobuses Estrella del Valle travel the Highway 175 north–south route between Oaxaca and Pochutla–Puerto Ángel. Both lines continue, connecting along east–west coastal Highway 200 with Bahías de Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, and Pinotepa Nacional.

Estrella Roja del Sureste and Trans Sol (with some first-class) buses, tel. 951/516-0694, connect directly with Puerto Escondido along Highway 131 north-south via Sola de Vega (with side trip to Juquila pilgrimage shrine). Several other semi-local lines connect mostly with Valley of Oaxaca points.

Finally, to the right of the entrance as you enter, Pasajeros Benito Juárez buses climb the mountains edging the Valley of Oaxaca’s north side to the cool, pine-shadowed mountain-top communities of Benito Juárez and Cuajimoloyas (koo-ah-hee-moh-LO-yahs).