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Puerto Escondido is located on the South West coast of Mexico, in the state of Oaxaca. It’s a small surf town that has absolutely BLOWN up in the last year or so, to become a bit of a hub for backpackers. As a result, it is quite hard to get accommodation last minute, so make sure to book in advance. It is also now a spot with big parties every night of the week. There is so much to do on a budget in Puerto Escondido, from surfing to releasing baby turtles to seeing dolphins and whales in the wild. It’s hotter and more humid here than it is on the Carribean Coast, so bring plenty of sunscreen and be prepared to sweat! Puerto Escondido is one of the most amazing places I visited in Mexico, and now is the perfect time to visit, before the whole rest of the world discovers it and it becomes like Tulum.
How to get to Puerto Escondido
FLY
The airport in Puerto Escondido is only a 5 minute drive from the centre of town, and you can get cheap flights there from other parts of Mexico daily. Check out the best deals on flights on KIWI.COM.
BUS
You can get a bus to Puerto Escondido from most places in Chiapas or Oaxaca. You should bear in mind the road to Puerto Escondido is famously windy, so while most busses operate at night (it takes at least 10 hours to get there from Oaxaca, and 12 from San Cristobal de Las Casas), don’t expect a good night sleep. I always recommend getting an ADO bus.
RENT A CAR
If the idea of windy mountainous roads doesn’t scare you too much, you can also rent a car, which many people we met around Mexico did. Check out the best car rental deals at Rentacar.com
Where to stay in Puerto Escondido
No matter where you stay in Puerto Escondido, I always recommend booking through Booking.com.
Booking.com allows you to book with free cancellation and no deposit, for more flexibility. However, Hostelworld is also great and gives you lots of reviews to compare. It’s best to check both as they both offer different places too.
My main piece of advice for booking accommodation in Puerto Escondido is to do it a few weeks in advance. I wouldn’t normally advise this but it seems the whole world has got the memo about how great it is there at the moment and the place can be fully booked with only really expensive private rooms left if you leave it till a few days before.
TOWER BRIDGE: € Really nice hostel with cheap dorm beds and a really nice pool. Great breakfast for 60 pesos. Book here!
BONITA ESCONDIDA: €€€ The party hostel! Book here!
VIVO ESCONDIDA: €€ We didn’t in Vivo Escondido, but it came really highly recommended. Book here!
RESIDENCIA ARTISTICA: € Really cheap private rooms, great chill atmosphere and yoga twice a week. Book here!
How to get around Puerto Escondido
TAXI
Taxis from the centre to La Punta are should cost between 50 and 70 pesos (€2-3)
COLLECTIVO
Collectivos go up and down the main road and cost about 10 pesos (30c) each way.
Where to eat in Puerto Escondido
We were on quite a budget in Puerto (and also I was really sick for a few days) so we didn’t eat out too much but we did have some good food there!
CASA AZUL: A great breakfast and lunch place near Tower Bridge hostel. Cheap with big portions.
HERMANITOS TACOS: Also near to Tower Bridge Hostel. Mexican Middle Eastern fusion – tacos with kebab meat or hummus and falafels.
LA OLITA: Famous for its fish tacos. The veggie ones were only alright, but I heard great reviews about the fish ones! Near Zicatela.
CAFE LOSODELI: Near the centre of town. Amazing Mexican Italian fusion. Everything is made using local ingredients and the food is to die for.
MUNDAKA: This was more of a treat – amazing stone-baked pizza near Zicatela beach. We ate here after a long day surfing and it was amazing. Pizzas were about 150 pesos each.
Where to drink in Puerto Escondido
PUNTA VIDA : Every Sunday, Punta Vida at La Punta Beach organises a volleyball tournament, barbecue and techno party in an abandoned building on the beach.
CACTUS : Cactus do a big techno night every Monday
XCAANDA: Xcaanda is a club with big parties every night.
CONGOS: The place to be on a Wednesday!
Things to do in Puerto Escondido
GO TO THE BEACH
Apart from the usuals of La Punta and Zicatela, there are sooo many beautiful beaches in Puerto Escondido. Some of the nicest are Playa Carrizalillo, which is really secluded (and involves a big walk down some stairs), Playa Coral (also really secluded, you have to enter via a hotel if you want direct access and pay 60 pesos which includes food and a drink), and Playa Bacocho (where the baby turtles are released).
WATCH THE SUNSET
Puerto Escondido has the most magical sunsets in the world from literally every single beach so make sure you catch one while you’re there.
RELEASE BABY TURTLES
The baby turtle release happens every day at 5pm at Playa Bacocho. Check out my blog post all about releasing baby turtles here!
GO ON A DOLPHIN/WHALE/TURTLE TOUR
We did a tour with Tower Bridge hostel for 500 pesos (€20) which took us out to see dolphins (which swam alongside our boat for 30 minutes), turtles, and whales (which sadly we didn’t get to see but we met many people who did).
LEARN TO SURF
A private lesson should set you back about 400 pesos (€17) per hour. We did ours with Ponte Chingon and they were amazing.
