Puerto Escondido is a traditional Mexican fishing village located 180 miles south of the city of Oaxaca and 70 miles west of Huatulco Bay on the southern Mexico Pacific coast. Puerto is very Un-Cancun and offers a taste of old Mexico with some of the best Mexico beaches and world class surfing.

Puerto Escondido was officially founded in 1928, and has long since been a shipping point for coffee plantations. During the 1960's, when the coast road was built, tourism began to develop and continued to increase with the opening of a small airport in the 1980s.

Best of Puerto Escondido Photography By Bruce Woodworth © 2006

Puerto Escondido is also renowned for its Turtle Assistance Ecological Camp, located a few miles from the port, and The Living Museum of Sea Turtles, located on Mazunte Beach. The museum is designed to protect sea turtles and prevent extinction and displays a variety of sea turtles that inhabit Mexico's shores.

Puerto Escondido has two seasons, the summer/wet season, and the winter/dry season. With temperatures ranging from 75-95 in the summer and 65-85 in the winter, Puerto enjoys the perfect tropical climate. Sunrise enjoyers will want to bring a sweatshirt for the breezy dawns; otherwise, a wardrobe of swim suits, shorts, and t-shirts will suffice. Most important: bring sun screen and mosquito repellant for all tropical climates.

Looking SE from the point at Playa Marinaro in front of the Hotel Santa Fe. Playa Zicatela starts about halfway on the photo with La Punta (The Point) at the top. This is a wonderful 2 or 3 mile walk during the day with palapas for food and cold beverages along the way. View Playa Zicatela Aerial
Playa Principle is the main beach in the harbor area and includes the "Audoquin" - a pedestrian shopping, eating and nite life area which parallels the harbor. This is a family beach area where the panga and other fishing boats moor and depart from for the daily catch. Night life on the Audoquin starts after 11 and lasts til early morning. It is advised to avoid swimming for a day or two after heavy rains due to run off.
Further up the coast, below the Riconada retirement area is the emerald green Carrizalillo Cove with Palapa style food and beverage service at the base of 100 foot cliffs. The outer cove has a nice left point reef break for surfing and a quiet interior cove for swimming and snorkling.
Puerto Escondido is home to a beautiful cliffside walk. With its endless expanse of deep blues, the ocean needs no adornment to be appreciated. Yet the sheer audacity of this path rivals the majestic sea. Fashioned out of stone and cement, these steps hug the cliff at sea level, offering tourists and locals alike a wonderful walking experience. The trail follows the natural line of rocks and includes some subtle jags out to look at tidepools.
Playa Bacocho is another white sand beach bordered by massive granite rocks that meanders for several miles and is a favorite for beach walks. Enjoy Coco's Beach Club at the beginning, lower end of Playa Bacocho.