One of the two places I planned on going to in the state of Oaxaca was Puerto Escondido, and the first being Oaxaca City. I had done little research about Puerto Escondido; I wanted to keep the element of surprise and get to know the town before getting there.
The friend I met at the hostel in Oaxaca City ended up joining me the day after I got there, and along with a German girl she met there too, we got to make really which resulted in many adventures together, and I ended up joining her in Zipolite which you can read more about here.
How to get from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido?
Even though Puerto Escondido is on the Oaxacan coast, it’s still very far from Oaxaca City. There are two popular ways to go from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido by land:
- The day bus, which takes 7-8 hours and costs $265 MXN.
I chose to take the day bus so I would be able to see the mountains and enjoy the views which I would have missed if I had taken the night bus. Other than severe carsickness for more than half the ride, the mountain views were beautiful and I got to see so much of the countryside that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. - The ADO or OCC bus. This route takes 11 hours overnight or during the day because they avoid going through the mountains, and this costs around $700 MXN.
Note: I read and I was told to take something for carsickness before hitting the road but I didn’t listen, I thought I was going to be fine. I was, eventually, and I got a delicious cup of fruits at the pitstop in a small town 4 hours into the trip.
The screenshot above gives an idea how crazy the road was for the entire trip.
Prior to going to Puerto Escondido, I was extra ambitious about how much time I was going to spend there. I booked my accommodation for three weeks, but actually ended up staying for 4 days. I stayed at Residencia Artistica Hostel which I would totally recommend if you’re looking to stay at a hostel but have a private room and bathroom.
Recommendations:
- Playa Carrizalillo
- Bahia Principal
- Zicatela
Activities:
- Bioluminescent bay
- Releasing baby turtles at playa Bacocho
I could write blogs and pages about the kindness and generosity I was met with from locals everywhere, but for now I will share one memory here:
I returned to Puerto Escondido from Zipolite to take a flight to Mexico City, and I had a few hours to kill before heading to the airport. I decided to end my time in Puerto Escondido at the beach to watch the sunset with my German friend Val. As a common thing to see with tourists, I walked with extra 30 pounds on my back, and I had to intention to take it up and down the stairs going to the beach. Luckily, while I was at Dulce Tierra Bakery (shout out to the kind kind ladies there), I asked them if there’s a place I could keep my bag for a few hours. They offered to keep it for me behind the counter if I made sure to pick it up before they closed for the day. Sure enough, I returned after the beach to pick up my bag and waved goodbye to a wonderful time in Puerto Escondido.
Laura Tannous 