Puerto Escondido Travel Guide: Beaches, Surfing & Coastal Culture
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Puerto Escondido is a tropical surf town on Oaxaca’s Pacific coast. Relaxing days on palm lined beaches make way to lively evenings along sandy streets.
A Tropical Escape
There are few better things than the sand between our toes and salt in our hair. We sat on the beach for three days, sunbathing, surfing, drinking tropical cocktails, eating seafood tacos and getting tattoos.
La Punta
La Punta is a neighborhood on the far eastern end of Playa Zicaleta. It’s popular with surfers, digital nomads, expats and young travelers. Under the bamboo and palm thatched buildings are shops selling beach attire, tropical jewelry and surf boards. Coffee shops, taquerias and cocktail bars line the neighborhood’s sand covered streets and dirt roads. Posters advertising nightly parties are displayed at hostels and tattoo parlors.
Beaches
Playa Zicaleta. A long tan sand beach stretching across a large expanse of Puerto Escondido’s shoreline.
Playa Punta. The most eastern section of Playa Zicaleta. The beach is a surfer's paradise with lessons, board rentals and surfers riding waves from first light until sunset. Tanned and tattooed beach goers relax under umbrellas, walk along the shore and frolic in the ocean waves. Beachfront restaurants rent umbrellas and lounges, serve seafood dishes, tropical cocktails and inexpensive local beers. It’s a popular spot to watch the sunset over the ocean. We were even lucky enough to witness the green flash as the last of the sun dipped below the horizon.
Things to Do
Lounge on the Beach. Visit Punta Puerto on Puntas Beach, an ocean front restaurant and bar with rentable sun lounges and umbrellas. At the time, prices cost 200 pesos for a lounge and umbrella for the full day with no minimum spend. This was significantly less than any of the other spots nearby. Service and drinks were great, the food was a little bland but for the price, it was absolutely worth it.
Take a Surf Lesson. Puerto Escondido is a surfer’s haven with plenty of waves for beginners to experts. I booked a two hour group lesson with Silva Surf School, meeting the instructors at 7am and catching the morning’s first waves as the sun was rising. The instructors were very helpful providing a push to catch waves and pointers on how to “pop up,” balance on the board, ride and safely fall off. They provided a 9ft fiberglass surfboard that glided through the water with plenty of stability, making it easy to catch every 3 to 5 foot wave that came in.
Places to Eat & Drink
Armonía Café. A small cafe with smoothie bowls, juices and strong coffees. We stopped in after surfing ordering the açaí bowl, made with mixed berries and banana as well as the spirulina bowl, made with greens and banana.
La Punta Restaurant & Bar. A beachfront restaurant and bar with sun lounges and cold Mexican beers.
La Ola Taquería. A taqueria along a narrow and sandy alleyway leading to the beach with a vast menu of seafood tacos and dishes. We ordered multiple dishes a la carte including the coconut shrimp tacos, fish tacos, tamarind ceviche and octopus tostada!
Fish Shack La Punta. A seafood shack preparing fish tacos, baskets and sandwiches. It’s the perfect lunch spot after spending time on the beach! Come for their fried fish sandwich or shrimp po’boy paired with a Mexican beer.
Helados Palma Negra. A shop serving tropical flavored ice cream and paletas. Try the mango passion fruit, mango tajin or chocolate coconut.
Terraza Los Costeños. A cozy oceanfront terrace nestled between the swaying fronds of verdant palm trees with tiki, tropical and mezcal cocktails. Try the Tropical, a mezcal, rum and passion fruit cocktail or the Tiki Taka, a floral gin and strawberry cocktail.
Bikini Cocktail Bar. A tropical beach shack style bar with bamboo walls, wooden swings for seats and Mexican inspired tiki cocktails. We quickly became regulars here, sampling half the menu. Try the Boo Loo, a mezcal, passion fruit and pineapple cocktail or the Elderflower Tiki, a mezcal, St. Germain and kombucha cocktail.
Juana Mezcala. A mezcal cocktail bar with shareable bites and nightly live music. To drink, try the Hibiscus Mezcalita or Santa Juana made with mezcal, chartreuse and hoja santa. To share, order the grilled pineapple and shrimp skewers cooked in mezcal or jalapeño poppers.
Where to Stay
Punta Bungalows. A boutique hostel a few streets from the beach with private rooms, a large shared kitchen, an outdoor pool, comfy hammocks and a tropical garden. We loved waking up to the scent of the plumeria trees, wearing fallen flowers above our ears each morning. Reserve on Airbnb.
Getting to Puerto Escondido
We took an ADO Bus from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido. The ride took 3 hours through mountain roads and tunnels. The roads winded as we came down from the mountains and approached the coast. The desert landscape transitioned into a verdant paradise.
Elsewhere in Mexico
From Pacific surf breaks and coastal villages to colonial cities, ancient ruins and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean coast, discover more of Mexico through these travel guides:
Caribbean Mexico
Riviera Maya Travel Guide: Beaches, Cenotes & Mayan Ruins. Discover the Riviera Maya's white sand beaches, turquoise waters, hidden cenotes, ancient Mayan ruins and vibrant culture along Mexico's Caribbean coast.
Tulum Travel Guide: Cenotes, Beaches & Mayan Ruins. Explore Tulum's cliffside Mayan ruins, white sand beaches, hidden cenotes and jungle landscapes along Mexico's turquoise Caribbean coast.
Bacalar Travel Guide: The Lagoon of Seven Colors & Hidden Gems. Discover Bacalar's Lagoon of Seven Colors, where turquoise waters, shallow sandbars and ancient stromatolites create one of Mexico's most remarkable landscapes.
Central Mexico
Mexico City Travel Guide: Neighborhoods, Food & Local Culture. Wander through Mexico City's vibrant neighborhoods, local markets and cultural landmarks where centuries of history, cuisine and modern life converge.
Day of the Dead in Mexico City (Día de los Muertos) Travel Guide. Experience Day of the Dead in Mexico City through cultural traditions, lively celebrations and vibrant ofrendas honoring loved ones and ancestral heritage.
San Miguel de Allende Travel Guide: Food, Art & Colonial Charm. Stroll through San Miguel de Allende's cobblestone streets and historic plazas where cuisine, art and music bring one of Mexico's most charming colonial cities to life.
Southern Mexico
Oaxaca Travel Guide: Food, Mezcal & Cultural Experiences. Immerse yourself in Oaxaca, Mexico's cultural hub for vibrant markets, artisanal mezcal, regional cuisine, scenic landscapes and centuries of tradition.
For Next Time…
Explore El Centro. We made the most of our time in the Puntas neighborhood. When we return, we plan to explore the beaches, markets, restaurants, cafes and bars of the city’s central neighborhood.
Playa Zipolote. Mexico’s only official nude beach located an hour and a half down the coast. It’s popular for swimming, surfing and sunbathing. Unlike most nude beaches, it has beachfront bars and restaurants.
Playa Del Amor. A queer friendly nude beach at the east end of Zipolote Beach. We can’t wait to return to Oaxaca’s coast for this alone.
