Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido… What an amazing beach town this is! I’ve spend over 1 month here and I can say I did my homework regarding the hotspots in town. So if you want to soak up the relaxed, laid-back surfer vibes and everything else this little town has to offer, read along!
Puerto's beaches
Puerto Escondido is very big! Well, it’s not a cute little surfers town as one might expect. They even have an airport… And the beaches are very wide spread, and the ocean is very rough… But don’t let that scare you away, here’s my ultimate beach guide to have an amazing beach holiday in Puerto!
- Coral beach – The best beach in town! Don’t tell anyone I told you though ;). It’s a bit tricky to get there, you’ll have to walk over a dirt road or go via the hotel that grants you access (they might force you into buying a 70 pesos hamburger though…).
- Chill at Bacocho Villasol beach club on Bacocho beach – For the flashpackers under us (me!) this is the perfect combo for enjoying the sun, but not being thrown around in the ocean by the waves. Villasol has a swimming pool át the beach, for those days when the sea in Puerto is just a bit too rough. You only need to spend 200 pesos on their menu, which is easily spend because their drinks are good and their food as well
- La Punta – The cool, hippie, surfer part of town. Here’s a beach club called Punta Puerta where you can sit all day on their beach mattresses (minimum spending 100 pesos). Enjoy the sunset here, watch people play beach volleyball or frisbee and relax & chill.
- Playa Carrizalillo – Bit of effort to go there, it’s a 167-step down, but then you’ll reach a tranquil and beautiful beach
- The main beach Zipolite is not the best for chilling (for surfing it is good though). It is also better in the night time because most beach clubs are situated here.
Where to sleep
Oke, so when I visited Puerto Escondido, I was flourishing in the life of a backpacker. Meaning that I didn’t mind hostels, loved the parties, really really enjoyed socialising and above all, did not mind any lack of sleep… However, fast forward 2,5 years later, my needs kinda shifted. So with the places to sleep I’ll divide them in hostels and nice other places :).
Jacarandas 8, Sector Juarez, 71984 Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico
Barriletes 7, Rinconada, 71983 Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico
Prolongacion 2da Norte, Esquina Carretera Costera, Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico
Food
Food = plentiful in Puerto! And since eating is my favourite thing to do in the world, I have prepared the ultimate eating guide for y’all. Be a bit precious with it though, we don’t want these places to get overrun with tourists 😉
El Bunker de JP – Downtown
El Bunker – I almost do not want to share this diamond of a place, because if too many people know about it, it will probably get ruined. However, since my blog isn’t read (yet) by thousands of people, feel blessed to have this absolute hidden gem of a tip.
Because at El Bunker you can get the best and cheapest sashimi you will ever eat. It is cheap (100 pesos per big plate), they flavor the dishes with perfect seasoning and give you tostadas with it as well. Go for the regular tuna sashimi or the dish called “tiritas”. You will want to come back here, guaranteed.
Ps. the best time to go is between 13:00 and 18:00, because they catch the fish in the morning, prepare it fresh and sell out around 19:00.
The JP Bunker, 71980, Calle Primera Pte. 305, Centro, Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico
Pinches Tacos & bar – La Punta
Benito Juárez 227 Alejandro Cardenas s/n la punta, Pt Escondido
Café Olé – La Punta
Great breakfast place, also really good coffee. Try the pancakes and you won’t want to see any type of other food for the next 3 hours. The prices seem a bit high, but don’t judge too soon, the portions are massive.
Calle Alejandro Cardenas s/n La Punta Zicatela, Puerto Escondido 71980 Mexico
El Mercado de Puerto Escondido – Downtown near Puerto Dreams
Go to the big mercado in Puerto Escondido downtown. Besides having a great fruit and veggie section, they also have amazing meat stands where the pig heads and dead cow carcasses welcome you at the entrance. If this didn’t feed your apetite, I don’t know what will!
Jokes aside, please just go, don’t hang around La Punta for 1 week and think that you’ve seen Puerto Escondido. This market is an *experience*. You can buy your groceries for daaays without spending anything. They even have fresh made meals and schnacks on the right side of the entrance.
Calle Alejandro Cardenas s/n La Punta Zicatela, Puerto Escondido 71980 Mexico
Pepe’s Fish Tacos – Reforma
Going out
If there’s one thing Puerto is good for, it’s her nightlife! So many options, that even in low season on a Monday night you will find something to do (speaking from experience here). It has shifted a bit the nightlife, from chill surfers vibe to party party place. But hey, if you’re down to party, you won’t notice the difference.
- Start your pre-drinks at Bikini bar or Palapita (different bars, same concepts) because you can order here during happy hours 5 pm – 8 pm piña coladas for 85 pesos with refills that will only cost you 25 pesos! The whole experience is awesome because they serve their drinks inside an actual pineapple as well.
- Bar Fly – The place to go if you’re into electronic music, upstairs they play reggeaton
- Cañabrava – Good parties with mixed music (reggaeton, house, pop etc.). The place does get full at some point, so you might have to wait outside for a bit if that happens.
- Congo – Best day of the week to go here is on Wednesday evening. First, catch the salsa evening at Puerto Dreams Hostel and then go to Congo. Good vibes, loads of salsa, locals mixed with travellers and overall a fun night guaranteed!
- Casa Babylon – Not the best bar in Puerto, but if everything else is closed on a Monday night, it serves as a great place to have a little dance and drink a beer.
- Selina hostel – IF they throw a good party, check out their Facebook or Insta page to see if there’s anything going on! It can be from electronic music to reggae nights
Puerto Escondido to do's
- Fishing trip – One of my absolute favourite things Puerto Escondido, to do was this trip. We did not only catch two tuna’s, we also came across a giant group of dolphins! And I mean hundreds and hundreds of them. Absolutely amazing.
You can arrange this trip via Cactus bar in Zicatella. Oh yeah and the captain is a character, I will not spill too much because you actually have to just go and book a trip with him, he’s a legend. People say he and Pepe (remember, Pepe’s tacos?) are friends and I know why!
- Wednesday evening movies at Villasol on the beach at Bacocho beach club (free entrance & bring your own snacks, even though they don’t like that). Check their Facebook page for the movies they play that evening
- Release baby turtles – Everyone generally goes to Bacocho beach to do this, however, there’s another place where you can release the turtles and it’s called Reserva de Tortugas. It’s a bit more tricky to find, it’s all the way near ‘Fraccionamiento Playa Delfín’ and ‘Casa Sueños‘. But in my opinion worth the drive! Exact location: 71997 San Pedro Mixtepec, Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Play sunset beach volleybal in La Punta – Every evening there is sunset beach volleybal. There are groups that are actually really good, so if you’re good you can join them, otherwise join the losers further down the beach :). You can also go to Palapita bar (Zicatella) on their happy-hour-sunset-beachvolleybal-evenings (last time I was there that was on Tuesday, might have changed).