We recommend taking a two-pronged approach to your Oaxacan honeymoon. First, learn how to pronounce it. (It's wa-HA-ka, people.)

Second, prepare to step into a time warp. Because even though your wedding invitations were postmarked "the 21st century", walking through Oaxaca is like taking a trip to Way-Back-When B.C. Begin at the beginning, with the ancient ruins of Monte Albán and Mitla. Though crumbling, they stand as reminders that while Oaxaca is known as a colonial city, it wouldn't be the same without the Zapotec, Mixtec, and Aztec descendants who come here to sell crafts:wildly colorful, fantastically shaped wooden animals called alebrijes, shiny black-on-black ceramic pots, and ornately embroidered peasant blouses like those worn by Salma Hayek in Frida. (The tormented artist was a major Oaxacan-crafts lover.) Want to really get a taste of the town? Work your way through the city's seven renowned moles (rhymes with olé!) -- complex, piquant sauces made with nuts, seeds, chiles, and even chocolate.

Continue your cultural journey at the Camino Real Oaxaca,
a gorgeously restored convent dating to 1576. As Gregorian chants waft from well-placed speakers, you'll wander through hibiscus-scented courtyards filled with lush blooms and faded frescoes. At night, candles point the way to your dazzling high-ceilinged room, a Mexican dream of folk-art weavings and terra-cotta Talavera tiles. It's the answer to all your postwedding prayers. Doubles from $205, including breakfast, your-round; 1-877-7CAMINO (877-722-6466) or camino-real-oaxaca.com.