Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Surfer central and a laid-back vibe threatened by development.
Puerto Escondido had always been on my radar. As the pandemic was closing down offices and people were moving abroad to work remotely, it was one of the towns that kept on coming up in digital nomads’ go-to lists. Puerto had it all: great weather at an affordable price, a fantastic bay with world-class surfing, and easy access from Mexico City.
However, every review ended on a cautious note: the internet is at best unreliable, and can go out for days. Have a backup plan if you don’t want to be cut off from work for too long.
Puerto Escondido was one of the towns that kept on coming up in digital nomads’ go-to lists.
The idea that any digital nomad could consider moving to Puerto Escondido knowing internet service was spotty was unconscionable to me. Weirdly, it also made me want to check out the town. I love finding places off the tourist radar, and I thought to myself “if I wait until they solve their connectivity issues, it’ll be too late”.
As a result, I decided to spend a few days in Puerto at the tail end of my trip to Zipolite. The flights back to Mexico were conveniently cheaper from there (the other airport that serves Zipolite, Mazunte, and a few other gems like Puerto Angel, is in Huatulco, further to the east) so it felt like a good opportunity.
I left Zipolite on a Saturday morning (which, if you don’t love the crowds, is the best time to go, as people come in from CDMX or Oaxaca state from Friday to Sunday), took a colectivo to San Antonio and then one of the notorious autobuses Delfines to get into Puerto. I spoke about a similar bus trip in my Playa Agua Blanca entry, however this time I took the bus almost all the way to its terminus.
Getting to Puerto Escondido from the west, as in getting into town from the airport, is definitely the most scenic route. The road gradually loses altitude and gets closer to the water as you get into town, and at some point, past downtown, makes a left turn that unexpectedly unveils the immensely long Playa Zicatela in front of you. From the east (from Zipolite), one doesn’t get that vista, although the bridge over Rio Colotepec is quite impressive in itself. The road loosely follows Zicatela beach from half a mile away as it gently slopes down towards the town center.
There is always a roaming dog or two pretending to be after your calves.
I stopped just before we got there. I had picked my Airbnb to be close to Playa Zicatela, and indeed it was, perched on the gentle hill climbing from the sea. Highway 200, the famous one which I talked about in my Troncones trip, divides the urban areas between the beach side and the hill side. It’s hardly noticeable at first, but once you start walking around, you realize the beach side, where most American tourists are, is getting developed at a rapid pace. Old houses are torn down to make way for modern condos touting the Puerto lifestyle. On the hill side, the more traditional Mexican houses prevail. There is always a roaming dog or two pretending to be after your calves and a small bodega selling everything you may need at all hours of the day.
I don’t ever like being in the center of the action. I feel it’s always better to walk to it when you want to be a part of it, so my BnB location was perfect. The place was brand new, and clearly designed for digital nomads on a budget, with an incredible terrace overlooking the ocean.
It would be hard to deny that Puerto Escondido has been discovered, internet issues or not (as a side note, I experienced great, consistent Wi-Fi and very decent Telcel 4G service on my mobile phone). The town is clearly booming. Beyond the condos going up almost every other block by Playa Zicatela, the airport is bursting at the seams – a new terminal is being built to accommodate more passengers and welcome international flights, which will undoubtedly bring additional interest to Puerto Escondido as the new hot destination in Mexico.
It's hard to exactly pinpoint when Puerto became one of Mexico’s it-resorts. Lots of residents will tell you they knew it would happen, given the town’s natural beauty. Some point to the opening of Hotel Escondido in 2019 by Grupo Habita, a Mexican hospitality group renowned for their beautifully-designed hotels, 45 minutes away to the west. A Member of Design Hotels, it probably helped put Puerto Escondido on the map. It’s hard, however, to dismiss the pandemic as another accelerator of Puerto’s fame. For a class of American workers who could work from anywhere, the allure of this paradisiac surfing town was hard to deny.
It's hard to exactly pinpoint when Puerto became one of Mexico’s it-resorts.
For now, Puerto Escondido still has the best of both worlds. You can find cool hotels and fancy restaurants if that’s your thing, but walk a few blocks, or step away from the beaches, and you’ll see Puerto’s more untouched side.
Although Playa Zicatela is gorgeous, and its sunset incredible, I actually liked Puerto’s smaller, more intimate beaches better. Playa Principal, which, unlike its name, isn’t the town’s main beach but rather the one where most fishing boats are moored, isn’t necessarily as pretty, but it’s a popular beach for locals, with easy access from downtown. My favorite beaches, however, were Playa Carrizalillo and Puerto Angelito.
Both of these are located west of Puerto’s centro, off tall cliffs that hide them from the unsuspecting visitor. Both look like small protected coves with restaurants and bars lining the shore. Getting to the sand requires effort (long stairs or a very steep road) but the reward is worth it.
When I visited Playa Carrizalillo, the day was Sunday and although it wasn’t very late by Mexican standards, the beach was packed, all the sun loungers taken, and the curiously strong waves ended up lapping at the feet of the brave sunbathers on the front line. I’d promise myself I’d come back again to enjoy less crowded sand, and walked past the beach towards another cove to the west. There was not a soul to be seen, but the pebble beach definitely seemed less welcoming. Although the beach was very crowded, its location, surrounded by lush terrain, with just a few isolated houses perking up above the tree line, made it feel like a castaway beach somewhere far, far away.
Puerto’s beaches are picturesque mini-paradises.
Learning from my mistakes, I chose to visit Playa Puerto Angelito early Monday morning. While getting up before 8am was a struggle, the reward was I had the whole place to myself. Puerto Angelito beach is only one part of a narrow cove carved into the coast. Playa Manzanillo, separated by a few rocks over which meanders a treacherous path, occupies the eastern end. Both beaches are picturesque mini-paradises with white powdery sand, swaying palm trees, gentle waves, and the ever-present fishing boats stranded on the sand.
Puerto Escondido isn’t just beach and piña coladas. It’s first and foremost known as one of the best spots on the Mexican Pacific coast for surfing, and in the surfing world, Zicatela Beach is nicknamed the Mexican Pipeline. The reason: the lack of continental shelf on this part of the coast means the strong waves coming from the southern hemisphere encounter virtually no resistance until they get close to the shore, and as a result, can turn into monsters above 10 feet high, with a strength that scares even the most seasoned surfers.
Puerto’s Zicatela beach is one of the best spots on the Mexican Pacific coast for surfing.
I am not a big surf fan so I didn’t spend a lot of time watching the waves, but the surfing crowd gives a cool vibe to the town. It’s interesting to witness the contrast of the chill vibe, low-budget surf motels with the modern condo construction. This is especially noticeable on the southern part of the beach, towards Punta Zicatela, where what used to be a bunch of small blocks housing low-cost hostels and cool hangouts is now full of scaffoldings.
One of the highlights of my four days in the city was Almoraduz. While in Zipolite, a few people had mentioned the place (I didn’t know at the time the New York Times was in on it as well) so I decided to have dinner there once. The restaurant is located on the curiously wide Benito Juarez boulevard, among many other eateries catering mostly to foreign tourists. The full experience was incredible. The cuisine is local, fresh, sophisticated but approachable, and the service is top notch. It felt like I got closer to knowing about Oaxacan culture as I enjoyed my three-course meal.
Ultimately, while I truly enjoyed Puerto Escondido, it really wasn’t for me. It is too far down the road of development for my taste. The city has kept its undeniable charm, and there are plenty of areas that feel authentically Mexican, down to el Centro with its eclectic mix of small shops and big box retail, but pay close attention, and development is everywhere. More importantly, all the concrete pouring along the beach made it clear this is the beginning of a new era for the town and the region. The new buildings will be ready when the upgraded airport opens up, and a few daily non-stop flights from the US will seal the fate of the region.
Go further down the coast, however, and development is much less prevalent or even welcome. See my article about Zipolite to understand why.
Images: Cocos Frios store close to el Centro, entrance to La Principal on Playa Zicatela, sunset from the hills above Playa Zicatela, Do Not Swim sign on Playa Zicatela, Playa Manzanillo and a street in the Punta Zicatela neighborhood.
All images are mine.
Almoraduz Cocina de Autor: website