Puerto Escondido
From Wikitravel
Puerto Escondido is a town in Oaxaca known for its big waves and excellent surfing conditions. Has a reputation for being chill and nice, yet this seems undeserved. Fairly cheap, but not much to do beyond surfing. You are probably better off going to Zipolite or other nearby smaller places if you are looking for the "hidden" (=escondido) port.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By bus
Buses serve Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca and Mexico City as well as some nearby cities on the Pacific coast of Mexico e.g. Acapulco, Huatulco, Puerto Angel. Avoid the Express Service if you want to guarantee the most comfortable ride possible. Take the coach for a few more pesos. The bus ride from Mexico City is about 12 hours and goes through Acapulco. From Oaxaca, the bus ride is about 7 hours long.
[edit] By car
Driving to Puerto Escondido is only advisable if you have experience with windy, poorly-maintained mountain roads. That said, it is an exhilarating, scenic drive from any direction. The roads that connect Puerto Escondido to Acapulco and Oaxaca are both narrow, twisty two-lane roads in poor condition, that traverse the sparsely populated Western Sierra Madre. Driving your own car will not save you much time over taking the bus.
[edit] By air
Flying into Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM) is a much more enjoyable experience. As of April 2007 only Mexicana de Aviación operates a regular flight through its subsidiary Click between Mexico City (MEX) and Puerto Escondido. You can avoid Mexicana's stratospheric fares by flying to Oaxaca (OAX) and then reaching Puerto Escondido with Aerovega's (+52 951 5164982) daily flight. Another alternative is flying into Huatulco (HUX) and taking a taxi to Puerto Escondido (~90 min drive, ~$50-60 USD if you negotiate in advance).
Shared taxis (called colectivos) from the Puerto Escondido airport are cheap - about 35 pesos or $3.50 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.
[edit] Get around
The fixed price for a taxi in town is 20 pesos and 40 pesos for the airport and Bacocho beach. The local bus is 3 pesos. Night Rates are 30 Pesos beaware some taxis will Charge 40 pesos if you do not specify 30 pesos before the ride.
Budget Rent-A-Car charge hefty rental fees for their fleet of subcompact manual transmission cars. They may also have some minivans available.
- Económica Rent-A-Car [1] is a more reasonable option, renting convertible VW Bugs and motorcycles among other vehicles.
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.
You may be able to hire a cab driver for the day for about 800 pesos ($80).
[edit][add listing] See
Catch some waves on Playa Zicatela - 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. Also a good place from which to watch over breakfast when there's a surf competition on.
The Andador is the path around the lighthouse. It is a fun walk, and beautiful, but the surf can be dangerous in spots.
The best and safest beach for swimming is Playa Carizalillo. Take a taxi unless you want a half-hour walk. Carizalillo 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.
[edit][add listing] Do
Surf. You can even take lessons if you're a beginner - try one of the friendly surf instructors on Carizalillo beach or Central Surf.
You need to look for the silver surf shop. Negotiate the price and ask for Tarzan (Alejandro/Alex). He may be hung-over but the guy is awesome. He loves his Corona after a day of surfing.
Try an indigenous type of steam-bath known as a temazcal. Sit in a small building with heats that go up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and then either be covered in towels or dunked into cold water.
One of the most exhilerating 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 dolhpins arching over the surface. Again, it is an amazing experience and well worth the money (around 300 pesos on average).
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 1000 pesos) but you can sometimes get a deal that your catch gets cooked at a local restaurant for your eating pleasure in with the cost.
[edit][add listing] Buy
- Puerto Escondido Oasis on the Adoquín pedestrian mall is a gift shop that offers gifts, clothing as well as local and imported home furnishings and accessories.
- Odyboards Surf Shop & Factory The largest selection of new and used surfboards and accessories in Puerto Escondido. Ask for Ody, he's a super friendly guy that can handshape you a wicked custom epoxy surfboard. </buy>
[edit][add listing] Eat
- Carmen's, multiple locations around town. The best breakfasts in town. They bake their own bread and pastries and serve big breakfasts of huevos rancheros and other hearty meals.
- Cafecito',on Zicatela, has a great club sandwich with fresh avocados.
- El Jardin, on Zicatela, serves good pizzas and salads - and yes, they're safe to eat. These guys use purified water to wash their vegetables, make ice for drinks, etc.
- Mango's, on Zicatela, has some amazing licuados (fruit smoothies) you can enjoy on the beach.
- Los Vaqueros, on the Rinconada has good food and when you need one Hamburguesas.
- Flor de Maria, a hotel has an excellent restaurant although a half liter of the house wine is more expensive than any of the meals. Service is very good.
- Guadua, [2]. 17-23. Great restaurant on he beach. Wonderful food for a good price. The decoration is very tasteful and the staff friendly. Can recommend the fish. edit
- Pascal, located at Playa Principal (just off Adoquin) is the best restaurant in the area. The French cuisine is given an incredible lift by the extreme freshness of the seafood. An amazing setting, where the seating pours out onto the sand, and a few small changes in the decor make this place amazing. The service is excellent but the food even more so. Try the paella with lobster.
[edit][add listing] Drink
- BarFly, a couple of blocks down the street from Casa Babylon. Dancing till about 2am.
- Casa Babylon is a lovely bar on the main drag off Playa Zicatela. They make really good mojitos and there's sometimes lots of cool beautiful people there.
- La Flayita is a little palm-thatched bar on the beach. Have a coco natural (fresh young coconut) to drink or a pina colada while relaxing in a hammock or bean bag chair. They have lots of magazines in many languages, if you've run out of reading material.
- La Piedra de la Iguana - Good after-hours bar.
- Wipe Out, in El Adoquin. Hip hop and electronic music plays all night.
- Congo´s. Located in the Adoquene 20 meters from Playa Principal. Live music cheap drinks amazing enviroment. edit
[edit][add listing] Sleep
There are numerous other hotels on Zicatela with great beachfront locations and moderate to downright cheap rates (especially off-season, i.e. spring and early summer). For longer stays (e.g. 1 month or longer), which seem to be common, renting an apartment is also an option - you'll probably want to stay the first few days in one of these hotels while you scout out what's available.
- Villas Casanuna, Calle Vista Del Sol, ☎ 045 954 111 8174, [3]. High on the "La Punta" of Zicatela beach, Casanuna offers the best view in "Puerto". The estate is 10,000 sf [930m2] 5 suites, 4 car garage, a fun Palapa/Bar, and gated security. The landscaping, tranquility, ocean breeze and the view, make Casanuna "magical". It is a 10 min walk to Zicatela Beach and a 5 min drive to any restaurant in town. Full time staff is on duty 6 days. The villa is transformed by the night. Spectacular lighting sets your mood for dining, friends, or romance. Accommodations are for up to 22 people. $70-$150. edit
- Tower Bridge Hostel, Calle Oceano Atlantico (The hostel is near by restaurant Mayodomo, a well-known restaurant. It's about 15 minutes from the restaurant, and 5 minutes from Benito Juarez market). checkout: 12pm. The Tower Bridge is a fairly chill place, with a kitchen, pool table, internet, pool, 10 Peso Coronas and cable tv. Ask the owner Steve about surfing lessons or Spanish school which is nearby. Bungalows for 2 people 200 pesos. A fair bit outside the town center, in a mediocre neighboorhood. The facilities are by themselves nice, but have a worn look, and cleanliness and security (no lockers e.g.) is not their strength. Good vibe in the evening when there are others there, and definitely one of the most chill hostels. Owner (Steve) is a bit of a hassle, and manager (Aaron) is friendly, helpful, albeit weird. $80 (pesos). edit
- Quinta Lili [4] is a charming small hotel with great sea views in the Carrizalillo area of Puerto Escondido. Fantastically beautifull www.quintalili.com
- Bungalows Zicatela is a great hotel on Zicatela beach with moderately priced rooms, two pools and a bar and restaurant. The view is great and the staff are friendly and helpful. Ask for room #13 and get their least expensive room!
- Hotel Casa Blanca is located at the heart of Puerto Escondido, along Av. Perez Gasga, the city’s main tourist road. Hotel Casa Blanca offers 22 rooms, ranging from single to quintuple occupancy, and has an outdoor pool and restaurant. The hotel provides surfing lessons and ecological tours on request. Free wireless Internet is also available.
- Beach Hotel Ines and Hotel Rockaway are a couple of examples, with rooms ranging from about $18 to $70/night off-peak. $70 can get you an air-conditioned double room with a balcony near the front of Ines, looking right over the beach, while $18-$35 can get you simple rooms with a fan and private shower, but not necessarily a full bathroom.
- Bungalows San Pedro [5] is a bit more up-market, with one-bedroom air-conditioned units, very close to the more-secluded Playa Bacocho.
- Puerto Real Estate, [6]. Real estate & vacation rentals - offers an alternative to hotels with rentals and sales of oceanfront homes, condos and properties.
- Quinta Carrizalillo, Fraccionamiento Rinconada Focas No. 5 esq, con Delfines, Tel. No.: +52 (954) 582 356 Centrally located in Puerto Escondido, Quinta Carrizalillo offers 11 spacious rooms perfect for families and large groups. Every room has its own kitchen, where you can prepare your own food. Secure online reservations are ensured.
- Bungalows Santa Cruz combines a quiet, rustic ambience and sweeping vistas of the sea with all the essential amenities you’ll need. It features Mediterranean-style architecture, fully equipped kitchen, large verandas, swimming pool, and a great location near the beaches of Puerto Escondido for a most enjoyable vacation. Address: Calle Del Morro N/N, Apartado Postal 96, C.P. 71980, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. Phone Nos.: + 1 (800) 712 7057, +52 (954) 582 0170, +52 (954) 582 0260, +52 (954) 582 0266.
- Sexso Senso, ☎ 00529541093057. This Is an amazing little hideawayfor all sorts of people visiting Peurto Escondido, Very fairly priced accomodation for either the lone traveller, couples and familys visiting Peurto Escondido.With 3 large private bungalows (sleeps5,2 double beds 1 single) with own shower, toilet and sink. these rooms are very spacious, all came aquipped with a fan and mosiquito nets. There are other sleeping options available like a dorm room with bunk bed's, and also a camping area, with tents available to rent. All the accomodationIs directly ON the Beach, Also traditional Italian food Is served, like hand made pizza and most pastas on a nightly basis, alot of fresh fish is served too. food for breakfast and lunch Is just as yasty.For amazing veiws and the beach being a foot step away this is the place to relax In peurto Escondido. Tel. 0052 954 1093057 Email. sextosensomex@gmail.com edit
- Mayflower Hotel and Youth Hostel on Andador Libertad. The oldest hostel in Escondido, great location and normal if not a bit average in most ways.
- (near Playa Principle).
- Hostel Shalom, Playa Carallizo. Hostel Shalom is located next to Playa Carillizo only 200 meters from the beach. The israeli hostel in puerto escondido edit
[edit] Get out
- You can visit nearby Mazunte, with much less tourism than Puerto Escondido, enjoy quite beaches, see the turtles and practice some real tantra yoga in the Agama Yoga Mexico school [7].
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