WELCOME TO
Alma de mi Tierra Tours
Nora Andrea Valencia is a native-born Oaxaqueña who has been guiding visitors and teaching cooking classes in Oaxaca for over twenty five years. She earned her federal tour guide accreditation at La Universidad del Mar (UMAR) where she wrote her thesis on the "Textiles of Oaxaca”, and she believes that when people acquire a deeper understanding of their surroundings, their experiences in those places become more memorable.
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Nora will take you on fascinating excursions to local markets, archeological sites, and the workshops of master crafts people where you can feel what she calls “alma de mi tierra”, the soul of my land.
Nora’s family are natives of Oaxaca, descended from the indigenous Zapotecs of the Central Valleys, and the family has been in the hospitality business in one form or another ever since she can remember. As a young girl growing up in a multi-generational household, Nora learned to prepare traditional Oaxacan recipes with her grandmother in the family kitchen and enjoyed talking about her beloved Oaxaca with the international students who rented rooms in her parents’ home. She attended law school as a young woman, but ultimately came to realize that she derived much greater pleasure from sharing her culture with others through her cooking classes and her cultural tours. Nora is fluent in both Spanish and English, and her approach is based on the belief that understanding leads to more memorable experiences for those who join her.
