Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

Puerto Escondido is a coastal town located in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. 

It is home to some pretty stunning beaches, and a vibrant surf culture. 

Puerto Escondido offers a blend of adventure, relaxation and cultural experiences, making it a versatile destination for various types of travellers.

How to get there:

You can fly directly to Puerto Escondido (PXM)! This is probably the simplest option if you're arriving from another country.

Or you can fly to Huatulco and take a bus or taxi from there. Which gives you an opportunity to spend a little time in Huatulco as well. 

That is what we did. We had a large group so we hired a minibus.

It takes approximately 2 hours to drive between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido.

Where to stay:

That really depends on the type of traveller you are, and the activities you want to do. 

If you're into surfing and/or nightlife you'll want to stay closer to Zicatella. That's the main spot for nightlife, and has the best waves. 

(You can swim at Zicatella too, but you have to be a strong swimmer and happy to get dunked in the waves.)

If you're looking for something more relaxed, you should look to stay close to Rinconada. There's a beautiful promenade with stores and restaurants, which is only a stones-throw from Playa Carrizalillo. 

The beaches near Rinconada are in small bays, and there are little to no waves, making it perfect for relaxing in the water, or bringing kids along. Most of these beaches, however, are accessible only by stairs.

If you want to feel more secluded, and stay away from the town, you could look at staying closer to Playa Bacocho. 

Half of our group stayed a couple blocks north of Rinconada, while the other half (including us) stayed at an airbnb close to Bahia playa Manzanillo. 

Ocean view from our airbnb

Manzanillo was the cheaper option, since it's a little further away from the shops and restaurants. But we didn't mind walking. And we were there for a month, so cheaper accommodation was important to us. Also that way we were forced to work for our drinky drinks.

Beachside bar at Zicatela

What to do:

1. Visit all the beaches. They are marvellous

Playa Carizalillo

Playa Bacocho

Club de Playa Cocos

Crystal clear water at Playa Manzanillo

Playa Zicatela

Breakfast views at Playa Principal

2. Take a Surfing Lesson

You could get a surfing lesson at Playa Carrizalillo. They are inexpensive and a lot of fun. Bring cash, and have a rash guard and boardshorts. 

The waves are very small, making it a great place for beginners.

surfing lessons at Playa Carizalillo

3. Go see the bioluminescence in the lagoon

There are many tours that will take you to the lagoon. The tour company we used first took us for a boat ride along the lagoon all the way to the ocean, where we spent a little time swimming and then roasting marshmallows in a bonfire on the beach.

Birdwatching on the lagoon

Our group on the boat

Boats on the lagoon

Bonfire

After sunset we were taken back to the lagoon and waited to be able to see the bioluminescence. 

To be able to truly see it, you have to be willing to jump into the lagoon at night in pitch darkness, and swim under a tent to view the bioluminescence. For this reason we don't have any photos to share.

Overall it was a fun experience.

4. Release a Baby Turtle 

Playa Bacocho has the Baby Turtle Release Centre. You can pay to release a baby turtle into the wild. It costs $5 usd

Turtle hatching area

Meet Doug the sea turtle

The long journey to the ocean 

The baby turtles making their way to the water

A word of caution on the turtle release: You are given enough time to give your turtle a name and bond with it before you release it for it's epic journey across the beach and to the water. 

You are kept a long way back from the waters edge, probably to allow the turtles time to get their coordination right or something. 

But all the seagulls happen to know that the turtles are released at sunset every day. Also the crabs were popping up and grabbing some of the turtles.

It was devastating for children to see their baby turtle snatched up and eaten just seconds after it was released.

We are happy to share with you that Doug made it to the water at least. 

But after that demoralizing experience we renamed the area 'Turtle Murder Beach.' 

Just keep that in mind. 

5. Do the sea cliff walk 

You can follow the sea cliff walk between the Mirador Un Sueño Posible (lookout) and Playa Principal. 

Mirador Un Sueño Posible

Seacliff/Coastal Walk at sunrise 

The path is damaged and washed out in some areas, so agility is a must on this one. 

If you're looking for a more leisurely stroll - start at Playa Principal. The path is maintained a lot better around that area. 

6. Dolphin Tour

There are so many tour companies that you can get a dolphin and whale watching tour from. 

The vendors are always set up along the beaches, or will walk up and down and approach. So if theres something you want to know about, feel free to ask them. Most are very friendly, you can get their phone number and text them when you are ready to book.

Waiting at sunrise for our boat tour

Our tour guide let us do some fishing. We caught nothing, but it was fun

We did dolphin tours in both Puerto Escondido (December) and Huatulco (January), and we saw dolphins, turtles and whales on both tours. 

We were able to jump in and swim with the dolphins

7. Take a day trip to Mazunte

Mazunte is only about an hour drive from Puerto Escondido. 

It is easy to arrange for a taxi to take you there. But be sure to arrange for a pickup at the end of the day too. 

Mazunte Beach

The beach at Mazunte is beautiful. But what we really loved was the town. It has a very unique, laidback vibe. 

There are many more fun and exciting things to do in Puerto Escondido!

Hopefully you feel inspired to go check it out yourself.

Dean & Kay