Things to do in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

In this blog post you can learn about all the cool and unique things to do in Puerto Escondido, the Pacific gem in Oaxaca, Mexico. Whilst many people come here to relax on the beach, to surf or to party, in reality there are definitely some other unforgettable activities that attract even mountain lovers like us to the beach.

After spending 6 weeks travelling around Jalisco, San Luis Potosi and Mexico City we headed to the state of Oaxaca and in particular to the coast. We decided to spend one week in Puerto Escondido before heading to the city of Oaxaca itself. During this time we visited pretty much every single beach in town, ate at many restaurants, drank quite a few coconuts and did some unique activities such as swimming with bioluminescent plankton.

If you’d like to see our Puerto Escondido adventures then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. You can also check out our Mexico Playlist for more adventures.

About Puerto Escondido

Located in the state of Oaxaca about 290km to the southwest of Oaxaca de Juarez is the city of Puerto Escondido. With an average annual temperature of 27 °C it’s definitely the most popular tourist destination in the state of Oaxaca.

Puerto Escondido in English translates to ‘Hidden Port’ and the name is apparently connected to a legend of a woman who managed to escape from her pirate captors. 

Did you know? – Puerto Escondido as a settlement didn’t exist before 1930. The port was used mainly to ship coffee in the 1900s but due to the lack of drinking water the town wasn’t established until later.

The towns population and also popularity started to grow after they finished Highway 200 in 1960 that provided a road connection between Puerto Escondido and Acapulco. Although the tourist facilities are far more developed today – hence the reason why many digital nomads choose to stay here for a longer time – it’s still more authentic and laid-back compared to places like Cancun or Los Cabos. 

Where to Stay in Puerto Escondido

Where to stay in Puerto Escondido will really depend on your interests and of course budget. Hotels and hostels are everywhere, but each area is slightly different to one another. 

If you’d like to be a walkable distance to some of the best beaches and the Rinconada strip which is filled with cool bars and restaurants then you should consider the Bacocho area. It’s also not too far from Centro either if you’d like to eat or shop for local products.

For beach and especially surf lovers I highly recommend finding a place to stay in the Playa Zicatela area. They have tons of bars and restaurants and you’ll be minutes away from the beach.

The Centro area will probably be your cheapest option which is great if you’re on a tighter budget. You won’t be far from shops and many local restaurants either which will be much cheaper than the eateries along Rinconada and Playa Zicatela. The downside is that it’s a bit of a walk to the beaches. 

You can also stay in Los Tamarindos and La Punta which are located further down Playa Zicatela. Whilst Los Tamarindos will be quieter, La Punta is basically the party and backpacker paradise. Bear in mind that these two locations are pretty far from everything else so you’ll need to pay extra for taxis or colectivos. 

How to Get to Puerto Escondido

No matter where you come from or which mode of transportation you decide to take to Puerto Escondido, you’ll either have to be in a smaller airplane or will have a very long car or bus ride on a windy road.

I personally think that this is one of the reasons why Puerto Escondido is still somewhat a hidden gem and not as popular as other places like Cancun or Los Cabos. 

Before you pick one mode over the other I recommend taking into consideration potential flight anxiety, motion sickness, affordability and how much time you have.

How to Get to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City

By Plane: Puerto Escondido has a small airport that has direct flights to Mexico City and Guadalajara.  The flight ticket could cost anywhere between $50 and $150 USD or more depending on how in advance you’re booking, luggage allowance and which airline you pick. The journey should be around 1 hour 30 minutes.

By Car: You can also rent a car and drive to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City. It’ll be at least a 12 hour drive along a rather windy road. Of course you can stop as many times as you wish. Before you rent a car, I would do more research about driving in Mexico.

Alternatively, you can always book a shuttle between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido.

By Bus: A cost effective and also more environmentally friendly option is to take a bus from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido. There are different companies that offer services between the two places. We chose ETN which is one of the most luxurious and also most expensive bus companies in Mexico. It was a 13 hour long overnight bus ride so we wanted maximum comfort. The bus ticket cost around 1,500MXN per person. Click here to plan you trip with ETN. 

Click here to check out other bus companies and learn more about bus travel in Mexico. 

How to Get to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca

By Plane: There are two options when it comes to flying from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido or vice versa. You can either choose AeroTucan or AeroVega. AeroVega is actually operated by the pilot himself called Juan Carlos Vega. Whilst it’s going to be a very short flight, bear in mind that the plane will be a tiny one with only a 15kg luggage allowance. It’ll also be rather pricey (between $150 – $200 USD) depending on how far in advance you book it.

By Car: You can also rent a car and drive to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca. It’ll be at least a 7 hour drive along a rather windy road, but of course you can stop as many times as you wish. Before you rent a car, I would do more research about driving in Mexico.

By Shared Van: We actually opted for a shared van transport from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca, so of course you can do the same to get to Puerto Escondido. It definitely wasn’t as luxurious or spacious as our way there with ETN, but the van stopped a few times for toilet breaks and food. The journey was at least 9 hours long but it only cost about 250MXN each.

By Bus: One again, there are two main bus companies providing services between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido: ADO and OCC. (Well, they’re technically the same company.) They mainly offer overnight buses, which would save you a night’s accommodation. The bus will take a minimum of 10 hours, but the seats will be a bit more spacious and comfortable than the shared van. Depending on when and which bus you take it will cost you between 400MXN and 500MXN. 

Click here to plan your trip with ADO.

9 Best Things to do in Puerto Escondido

Below are a list of things you can consider doing during your stay in Puerto Escondido. There are obviously plenty more activities such as dolphin watching, horseback riding or other day trips you can do depending on your time and interests. 

1. Swim with Bioluminescent Plankton

Let’s start with probably the best and also a pretty popular activity in Puerto Escondido: swimming with bioluminescent plankton.

The phenomenon of bioluminescence is basically light that is produced by a chemical reaction within a living organism. Whilst it’s a certain type of chemiluminescence it’s called ‘bioluminescence’ because it’s happening in a living organism. It’s also considered ‘cold light’, because less than 20% of the light generates any type of heat. Which is also the reason why it looks a blueish/whitish colour. 

Note that on your tour you will be swimming with the plankton in a lake rather than the ocean. There are actually 2 different places tour operators offer a tour to. One is only a 20-minute ride away from the town centre called Laguna de Manialtepec. The other one is much further – about an hour away – called Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. When we asked which one to pick, they said that Lagunas de Chacahua was much better than Laguna de Manialtepec because the bioluminescent plankton were more intense due to the time of the year we visited. 

So, we opted for the recommended one, which was a bit more expensive as it was much further. They’ll pick you up from your accommodation after dark and will drive you to the lake. From there, you’ll get into a boat and will ride to the middle of the lake. It might be a bit scary at first because it’s dark. However, once you start experiencing the phenomenon you’ll forget about everything else. Every time you touch the water or move in it, the plankton shine and you’ll feel like you’re covered in glitter. It was such a great and unique experience.

I can’t tell whether it was better to pick the more expensive tour or not, so I recommend asking a few tour companies before you pick one or the other.

Top Tip – Make sure to put mosquito repellent on before you get out of the van, otherwise you’ll be eaten alive by them! Also pick a night where the moon isn’t full to see the phenomenon more brilliantly!

2. Release a Baby Sea Turtle into the Ocean

Did you know that you can release a baby turtle at Playa Bachoco every day at 5PM?

The program is run by Vive Mar and it costs 100MXN to release one baby turtle. Turtle conservation is huge in Puerto Escondido and volunteers are constantly monitoring the beaches around the town. Unfortunately poachers are looking for eggs at night and sell them to people who are still consuming them. So, Viva Mar workers try to prevent this by patrolling the beaches and collecting eggs so they can hatch safely.

There are many turtles hatching every day that need to be released the same day. I recommend getting there at least 10 minutes before 5PM because it gets busy every day. 

Once you’ve registered and paid, you’ll get a coconut shell, information about the conservation effort and important instructions on how to release your turtle.

Please Note – Although they will tell you this on the day, I’d like to emphasize that you won’t have time to take hundreds of photos with your turtle. They tell you to release them as soon as possible, but of course you can take a few quick snaps for memory’s sake. Let me warn you that it won’t be an easy task! Your little turtle will be pretty lively and very eager to get home to the ocean.

Also note that you have to let your turtle free on the beach and they will have to find their way into the water. There will be predators such as crabs and seagulls waiting for them. This is the circle of life, so you can only hope that your baby turtle will reach the sea and won’t get caught by a seagull. 

3. Relax on a Different Beach Every Day

The thing I loved most about Puerto Escondido was that I could literally visit a different beach every day. As a mountain lover who gets bored lying on the beach very quickly, this was a huge selling point of visiting Puerto Escondido.

Beaches in Puerto Escondido come in all sizes and shapes. Small, big, calm, dangerous, filled with bars or not much at all, you name it. No two beach experiences will be the same, so I highly recommend visiting a few during your stay. 

4. Watch Surfers on Playa Zicatela

I don’t know much about surfing…okay let me correct that! I know nothing about surfing. However, I think there’s just something cool about watching people who can actually surf. Especially in a place that’s a world famous surfing spot.

From the late 1950s, Puerto Escondido slowly turned into the Mexican surfing Mecca. Playa Zicatela is also home to the ‘Mexican Pipeline’ because of the massive swells and dangerous beach breaks. There’s even a big competition held here every year called Puerto Escondido Cup Surf Open. During the event you can watch some of the most elite surfers in the world competing. 

Since it’s a beach for more advanced and pro surfers, you can definitely get some fantastic entertainment whilst lying on the beach. 

5. Take a Surfing Lesson

If you love water sports then I recommend taking a few surfing lessons during your stay in Puerto Escondido. They offer lessons literally everywhere. So depending on whether you’re a newbie or more experienced I would pick a different beach.

Some beaches such as Carrizalillo have more beginner friendly waves. Whereas Playa Zicatela is known for its deadly waves. Therefore, I would avoid surfing there unless your skills are more advanced.

Since I’m not a strong swimmer, I only appreciated other surfers from the beach.

6. Try Some of the Bars and Restaurants Along Playa Zicatela

There are numerous beach bars, restaurants and cafés along Playa Zicatela, so I highly recommend trying out a few during your stay.

Since Puerto Escondido is becoming a big digital nomad hotspot, you’ll definitely find food from all over the world here. If you’re looking for nightlife this area will be the best one to come to. 

They all have that amazing tropical beach vibe, so I’m sure you won’t have trouble finding a spot that fits both your diet and budget. 

7. Watch the Sunset from a Different Beach Every Day

There’s just something peaceful about watching the sun going down on the beach, don’t you agree? If I had to pick a reason why I enjoy beaches it would be because of the amazing sunsets you can experience there.

So grab your beach towel, some drinks and snacks and head to one of the many beaches in Puerto Escondido.

Basically, you can enjoy the sunset from a different beach every night, so no two experiences will be the same.

8. Try Some of the Restaurants Along Rinconada Strip (Benito Juarez Road)

Rinconada Strip is located close to Playa Carrizalillo but also not super far from other beaches either.

The strip is filled with bars, cafés, restaurants and tour operators. Although the choices are a bit less than along Playa Zicatela for example. However, I personally preferred this to the crazy amount of bars and restaurants along Zicatela.

9. Enjoy the Sunset from Mirador Las Tortugas

If you’d like to enjoy the sunset from a slightly different location than the beach, then head to Mirador Las Tortugas. It’s basically a small outcrop where you get some amazing views of the ocean and the coast line of Puerto Escondido. 

The sunsets are really amazing from this viewpoint too, so it’s definitely worth coming here towards the end of the day. 

Please Note – It’s a bit steep to walk down to it.

Top Tip – This place gets quite busy at every sunset, so make sure to arrive early and find a spot where you can say goodbye to another day. 

Final Thoughts on Things to do in Puerto Escondido

Since I’m not a huge water sport person and generally get bored quickly just lying on the beach, spending one week in Puerto Escondido was just the right amount of time. As I mentioned at the start, to me personally swimming with bioluminescent plankton and releasing baby sea turtles in the ocean were the main reasons I wanted to go to Puerto Escondido. However, I also loved the fact that we could visit a different beach every day, so no two days were the same and I didn’t get bored as quickly as I thought I would.

Although I’m a true mountain lover, I genuinely enjoy watching the sunset on the beach and we definitely had some pretty spectacular ones during our stay.

Have you ever been to Puerto Escondido before? If so how long did you spend there and what was your favourite activity. If not, would you visit this beautiful Pacific gem? Let me know in the comments below.