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City in Oaxaca, Mexico
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aepedraza/, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Puerto Escondido is a town in Oaxaca on the Oaxaca-Pacific coastline, with around 30,000 inhabitants. It's known for its big waves and excellent surfing conditions. "Escondido" means "hidden", but in a well-connected world that's no longer true. Once considered a well-kept secret, "Puerto" has grown into a sometimes-awkward mix of small industrial city, beach destination, backpacker party mecca, and French expat community.
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This is the location of the famous Mexican Pipeline, with several international surfing competitions being held here annually. This beach is only for expert surfers and very strong swimmers; even experienced surfers have been injured here, and many people have drowned. The southern end of the beach near Punta Zicatela has consistently good waves. If you don't surf, you should at least make it over to the beach restaurant Los Tios and have a beer on the beach while you watch people surfing in the sunset. This is also a good place from which to watch over breakfast when there's a surf competition on.
The most scenic and safest beach for swimming is Playa Carrizalillo. Take a taxi unless you want a half-hour walk. Carrizalillo is small, gorgeous, and not too crowded, 167 steps from street level down to the beach (then back up again). There are some surfers and some boats, but mainly swimmers enjoying the waves. This is a good beach for swimming or learning surfing with few restaurants.
A good, pleasant beach for swimming, with a few beachside restaurants with loungers. Visitors can use the loungers for free provided they purchase a drink or food from the restaurant. The rocky area between this beach and neighboring Playa Puerto Angelito is probably the best place in town for snorkeling - sea turtles and stingrays can often be seen here.
This beach is good for swimming and boogie boarding, and very popular with locals.
Two-tank dive US$70, single dive $40.
Try an indigenous type of steam-bath known as a temazcal. Sit in a small building with heats that go up to 49°C and then either be covered in towels or dunked into cold water.
One of the most exhilarating experiences for non-surfers is the boat trip into the ocean to catch a glimpse of the wildlife; in particular, the turtles and dolphins. A few tour operators run similar trips out into the Pacific in search of the animals. More often than not, you get a glimpse of the turtles and, if you're lucky enough, the tour guide sometimes jumps in and catches hold of one! Unperturbed, the creatures come onto the boat for some photos and free food courtesy of the tour guide. It's kind of surreal, but incredible. Less often, you will get to see the packs of dolphins arching over the surface. Again, it is an amazing experience and well worth the money.
Another good ocean-based activity is the regular fishing trips you can go on. For the keen fisherman, this is a dream activity. The waters host vast amounts of species of fish including tuna, marlin and red snapper. It isn't the cheapest (some operators can charge around M$1,000) but you can sometimes get a deal that your catch gets cooked at a local restaurant for your eating pleasure in with the cost.
During the high seasons you can do a sky dive at the Zicatela beach for M$2600. It's one of the nicest places in the world to do this. They're just left of Café Babylon.
Cool down from the heat in Puerto Escondido in a waterfall located about one hour outside Puerto Escondido. There are tours which will take you all the way but it's a bit inaccessible due to quality of the road. The waterfall offers basins in which it's possible to swim and a simple restaurant which serves local food.
From July to September thousands upon thousands of olive ridley sea turtles wade ashore to lay their eggs at Playa Escobilla, between Puerto Escondido and Mazunte. Prices vary, and you can shop around, but from Puerto Escondido day trips normally cost around M$500. Regardless of your tour operator, you will be escorted by a friendly but watchful local guide.
Coastal area with 5 lagoons, sandy Pacific beaches, dense mangrove swamps, a Mixteco archaeological site, a crocodile nursery, and more. Small hotels and waterfront restaurants are in the area. To get there from Puerto Escondido, use a colectivo going toward Rio Grande. Tell the driver you going to Chacahua National Park and need to exit at El Zapotalito.
An authentic (and authentically cheap) family-run Mexican restaurant worthy a try for its flavor, prices and lovely service. A nice break from the gringo-oriented restaurants in La Punta.
Good Italian food, especially pizzas.
Set beneath a palapa with great ocean views, this places serves not only Mexican favorites but also an extensive listing of vegetarian dishes.
Has great club sandwiches with fresh avocados, good salads, and even soy burgers. Good coffee. Very popular for breakfast, expect to stand in line to get seated at late mornings.
Hotel restaurant, open only during the high season from mid-December to mid-March. A half-liter of the house wine is more expensive than any of the meals. Service is very good.
Dancing until 02:00.
They make really good mojitos and there's sometimes lots of cool beautiful people there.
Live music, cheap drinks amazing environment.
Good after-hours bar.
Feel at home in their clean, spacious rooms. Each is amply appointed with the essentials to ensure you of comfortable rest throughout your stay. Some of its facilities and services includes a sun terrace, swimming pool, free Wi-Fi, car rental, and facilities for disabled.
Standard single, double, and suite with A/C, cable TV and WiFi. Restaurant, swimming pool, snack bar and room service.
Bungalows and suites with A/C, balcony and internet. Outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, massage services and car rental.
Has two pools, a bar and restaurant. Good views and the staff are friendly and helpful. Ask for room #13 and get their least expensive room.
American-owned, has 18 self-catering studio, 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, all set around a lovely garden and pool. The owner is very helpful and can help arrange tours, call a taxi, or even give you a ride into town. Pets accepted (M$100/night).
Hotel Barlovento offers single, double and triple rooms with air-conditioning, TV with cable channels and phone. Its facilities include bar, restaurant and wireless internet connection at the reception area.
Has 22 rooms with single to quintuple occupancy. Outdoor pool and restaurant. Surfing lessons and ecological tours on request. Free WiFi.
Offers rooms ranging from about US$18-70/night off-peak. US$70 can get you an A/C double room with a balcony near the front of Ines, looking right over the beach, while US$18-35 can get you simple rooms with a fan and private shower, but not necessarily a full bathroom.
Rincón del Pacífico provides fan-cooled rooms (triple and quadruple), and air conditioned rooms (quadruple with TV with cable channels, telephone and complimentary breakfast). Its facilities include bar, restaurant and wireless internet access.
Offers rooms ranging from about US$50/night off-peak. US$75 (late peak) can get you an A/C double room with a balcony near the front of Ines, looking right over the beach, while lower prices can get you simple rooms with a fan and private shower, but not necessarily a full bathroom.
Isreali managed hostel next to Playa Carillizo, only 200 m from the beach.
Spacious hacienda style home with 7 suites, all have A/C, cableTV, fully equipped kitchen and free continental breakfast. Patio, a swimming pool in a tropical garden, and a lounge area.
Oldest hostel in town, fairly average in most ways. Great location near a beach - though often a very packed one. 11PM curfew.
A/C suites, cable TV, coffee/ tea maker, and a safe. Free Wi-Fi and parking.
Rooms with A/C, TV, internet. Outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, massage services.
A fair bit outside the town centre. Kitchen, pool table, internet, M$10 Coronas and cable TV. Surfing lessons available, Spanish school is nearby. OK, but has a worn look, and cleanliness and security is not their strength, no lockers. Good vibe in the evening, individually themed staff.
A highly-rated hostel, a little farther out than most, that offers mainly private rooms since the pandemic. Has a fantastic view out over Zicatela beach and the ocean. Outdoor swimming pool, kitchen, bar (open on select nights), beer fridge, rooms with A/C and internet.
This hotel will appeal to architects and designers. It was designed by world-renowned architect Alberto Kalach, who wanted a sustainable resort built by emulating earth-friendly techniques pioneered by the Maya civilization. Rooms don't use energy-intensive air conditioning, but instead rely on passive solar with cross ventilation and open air public areas. Nature lovers and architects will love the place. Travelers expecting pampered luxury should stay elsewhere.
A typical Mexican market with everything on offer, including fresh fish and produce, kitchenware, and clothing.
Gifts and clothing from Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico. Local and imported home furnishings and accessories.
Surfing accessories, board repairs, surf tours, surf lessons for beginners, surfboards for sale, and last but not least, a Spanish language school.
Large selection of new, used surfboards and accessories in Puerto Escondido. Custom boards are available.
The largest grocery store in town, this carries all necessities and also has a pharmacy.
A well-stocked smaller grocery store which caters to the gringo market.
Mini Super Rubi's twin, across the street.
By bus
TuriStar and Estrella Blanca from Mexico City are the most comfortable and most expensive way to get here (M$500-900, 12 hours), traveling via Acapulco.
By shuttle van
A less expensive and faster alternative to the bus, two shuttle van companies do multiple daily runs between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca (city).
By car
Highway 200 between Puerto Escondido and Acapulco is in fair-to-good condition and can be confidently driven with reasonable care - but watch for speed bumps.
By taxi
The fixed price for a taxi in town is M$30-50 (Sep 2014) for the airport and Bacocho beach. Night rates are M$35 (Sep 2014).
By car
There are lots of great spots to visit if you have a vehicle, such as the nearby lagoon of Chacahua, the nudist beach of Zipolite, beach towns like Puerto Angel and Huatulco, all within two hours of…
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Puerto Escondido · Regional · PXM
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