Oaxaca coast: Puerto Escondido to Mazunte
A coast still free of hotel towers: mythical surf beaches, villages where turtles come to nest, and sunsets from Oaxaca's southernmost point — the Pacific as it used to be.
Suggested stay — 3 to 4 nights
For decades it took seven hours of hairpins to earn this coast; the highway opened in 2024 put it two and a half hours from Oaxaca, and everything is about to change — one more reason to hurry. Puerto Escondido remains the capital: Zicatela and its monstrous barrel reserved for the pros, the gentler Punta for learning, the fish market at dawn and the compulsory siesta. Thirty kilometres east the coast slows further: San Agustinillo, Mazunte and its Mexican turtle centre, Zipolite the anarchist with its historic nude beach.
Come evening, everyone converges on Punta Cometa, the state's southernmost finger of rock, for the sunset into the Pacific — humpback whales thrown in from December to March. The two outings worth the dawn: Manialtepec lagoon, phosphorescent on moonless nights (you swim in sparks), and Chacahua park, mangroves, crocodiles and an Afro-Mexican village reached by lancha.
Don't miss
- Sunset from Punta Cometa, a 20-minute walk from Mazunte
- The bioluminescence of Manialtepec lagoon on a dark night
- Zicatela to watch the pros, La Punta or Carrizalillo to surf yourself
- A baby-turtle release with an accredited camp (nesting season)
Our tips on the ground
- Swim where the locals swim: Oaxaca's Pacific has serious currents and Zicatela does not forgive — Carrizalillo, Puerto Angelito and San Agustinillo bay are the wise options.
- Take the new highway (185 D) rather than the legendary switchbacked 175: three times faster, and your passengers will thank you — save the 175 for the return leg if you enjoy the bends.
- On the coast, cash is king and ATMs are scarce outside Puerto Escondido: stock up on pesos before Mazunte.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Mexico on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Oaxaca coast: Puerto Escondido to Mazunte
Can you learn to surf in Puerto Escondido?
Yes — but not at Zicatela, one of the heaviest waves in the world. The schools teach at La Punta or Carrizalillo, on ideal learner waves, for 500-700 pesos a lesson with board included. November to April brings the most consistent conditions for beginners.
Mazunte or Puerto Escondido as a base?
Puerto for the energy: surf, restaurants, nightlife and easy logistics. Mazunte-San Agustinillo for the deceleration: walkable villages, yoga, calm coves — but limited ATMs and shops. The road-trip ideal: two nights in Puerto, two in Mazunte, in that order — you don't wind the pace back up the other way.