Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido is a town in Oaxaca on the Oaxaca-Pacific coastline. 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.

In early 2024, a new high-speed highway opened between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido, cutting travel times between the two to just three hours, and causing an explosion of visitors to Puerto Escondido, with the Semana Santa holidays overwhelming the town's infrastructure and, sadly, its beach cleanup volunteers. Due to the rapidly changing situation, be aware that a lot of this article might be out-of-date!

Though less walkable than beach towns like Mazunte or Zipolite, Puerto Escondido retains some appeal for its newfound nearness to Oaxaca city by bus or car, its good surfing, its party scene, and its slightly more scenic beaches, which are surrounded by green vegetation year-round, compared to drier areas Mazunte and Huatulco where the forest loses most of its leaves in the dry season.

By plane


Another alternative is flying into Huatulco and taking a taxi to Puerto Escondido (~90-min drive, US$50-60 if you negotiate in advance).

Shared taxis (called colectivos) from the Puerto Escondido airport are cheap - about M$35 per person- and reasonably quick. The airport is close to town, but you may have to wait a few minutes as the colectivo driver waits to get a few more passengers, or drops one or two off ahead of you.

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. These buses only leave from the South (Taxqueña) bus terminal. Other first class buses leave from both the North and South terminals, traveling via Puebla and/or Oaxaca City, and taking several hours longer than the buses via Acapulco.

More comfortable but longer are the buses leaving from the 2nd class bus station. Do not take a 1st class bus because the trip is over 15 hours – it takes the longest route. 2nd class buses take around 7-8 hours. There are also many buses from Acapulco. For example, the AltaMar bus line leaves from the Ejido terminal 7 times a day and takes 7-8 hours.

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). The very scenic route winds directly through the mountains with hairpin curves and takes about 6-7 hours depending on road conditions. Passengers who are inclined to get car sick should definitely take motion sickness tablets. There is a toilet and snack break about midway.



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. Highway 131, the direct road to Oaxaca, is in mediocre-to-poor condition, especially west of the mountains where the rains often wash away the highway. Do not attempt this road after nightfall, as there are sudden craters where the surface has slid away down the hillside, and it will be a serious accident if you tumble down after. Reckon 6 or 7 hours, do not hurry even though local traffic often overtakes you - they know where the booby-traps are.

Bus
Frequent local buses (urbanos) ply the main roads. There is no route map, but all buses have their destination painted on the windscreen and pass through the (at the intersection of Carr. Costera and Av. Oaxaca). The fare is M$5 (Sep 2014) for a single ride, no transfers.

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). Some taxis will charge more than the going rate if you do not specify M$30 before the ride. A taxi from the airport to Punta Zicatela should cost you M$200 (Nov 2021), although this very much depends upon your Spanish negotiating skills and will often cost significantly more. You may be able to hire a cab driver for the day for about M$800 (Jan 2008).

Shared taxis (colectivos) travel along fixed routes that can be difficult to decipher, but all tend to travel through the crucero in El Centro and can be easily caught along the main road by giving a wave. The fixed price is M$10 (Nov 2021) within town.

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 Puerto Escondido.


 * Budget Rent-A-Car, charge hefty rental fees for their fleet of subcompact manual transmission cars. They may also have some minivans available.

See



 * Watch the sunset above La Punta - walk to the southern end of La Punta beach and walk around the cliff to a small rocky beach. From here you will see a lighthouse on the left and a small rocky hill on the right. Walk to the rocky hill and make the simple climb to the grassy top. From the top you will have a great view of the sunset and both beaches to your right and left. If the tide is high, you will not be able to walk around the cliff however there is a small path above it which you can follow. Be sure to bring some beers with you.

Surf
You can take lessons if you're a beginner – try one of the friendly surf instructors on any beach or at one of the surf shops. Female instructors are available for those who may find the roaming hands of some of the male instructors a bit more than just being friendly.



Scuba dive
You're in the Pacific for heaven's sake. If you don't try scuba-diving here then where? And Pacific Mexico is an example of a place where diving really scores over just snorkeling. That said, do check on day-to-day conditions - sometimes the Pacific really isn't terrific, as storms far out to sea can kick up the visibility. But when it's good, it's great.



Other activities




Sleep
As of April 2024, a basic hotel room in the city center (not at the beach) starts from about 400 without air conditioning, 600 with air conditioning, and 800 with air conditioning and a pool (not all hotels appear on online hotel aggregators, though hostels do, and all are generally a bit cheaper if booked in person). Nicer accommodations and beach hotels will obviously cost more, though there are also rustic, non-AC cabañas right on the beach starting from around 300 pesos, and similarly basic hostels near the beach for around 200 pesos per dorm bed. Farther from the beach, 200 pesos can get you can get a hostel bed with nighttime air conditioning and a pool (likely both needed during the hotter months). Most areas of town are no more than a short drive or taxi ride (40-100 pesos) from the beaches, but that can mean up to 30-60 minutes by foot.

Listings below are likely out-of-date unless otherwise specified.


 * Hotel Ines. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.
 * Hotel Ines. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.
 * Hotel Ines. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.
 * Hotel Ines. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.
 * Hotel Rockaway. 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.

Stay safe
Due to assaults and knife-point robberies, the beaches should be avoided from dusk until dawn; this especially applies to Playa Principal and Playa Bachoco. If you do not have a companion with you, it is best to not carry valuables on some of the more isolated stretches of beach even during the daytime. As of 2024, police are also known to stop tourists on the beach late at night and "confiscate" valuables.

And of course, be aware of water safety if swimming at the beaches. The surf can be pretty rough (hence the good surfing), and currents have been reported from some areas.

Connect
Connectivity in Puerto Escondido is surprisingly poor for a city of its size and growing popularity. As general rule, internet service gets worse the farther you are from El Centro. For example, in Punta Zicatela connections can be quite spotty, particularly on weekends during the high season when demand often exceeds capacity. Locations nearer to the center are not exempt from poor service, however, and even the city’s mobile data network has been known to fail for hours at a time. Should you find yourself in dire internet straits, usually your best bet is to change locations within the city. There are several internet cafes and coworking spaces available, including:

Telcel has the best mobile coverage in the area, although it drops off quickly as you leave the central city. Expect one or two bars at best in Punta Zicatela. You can buy a SIM card at various locations around town. Typically the most convenient for tourists (as opposed to locals and businesses) is the Telcel store located on Av. Oaxaca across from the Chedraui supermarket.

As of April 2024, some hostels have Starlink internet, which is generally faster but still not perfectly reliable.

Go next

 * Mazunte - A nearby town with less tourism than Puerto Escondido and quiet beaches, on the Pacific Coast Backpacker Route. Famous for its National Sea Turtle Museum.
 * Zipolite Mexico's only "official" nude beach. Popular since the 1960s and still has its hippy vibe. A beach where you loose track of time.
 * Lagunas de Chacahua National Park - Good for surfing and for bird watching, as well as exploring the mangroves with a guide by canoe. It's best to spend the night there so that you can take the canoe trip at sunset.