So you’ve found yourself in Puerto Escondido and fancy exploring more of the Oaxaca coast? Well, lucky for you because I’ve done all the research. This short travel guide on the 6 best day trips from Puerto Escondido – plus advice on how to get there and what to do in each place – will have you covered.
Puerto Escondido is the perfect base as it’s sandwiched between some top spots: Mazunte, Playa Zipolite, Laguna de Chacahua, La Reforma Cascada and some wild, secluded beaches.
In my two months in Puerto Escondido, I explored the Oaxacan coast as much as I could, and now I’d say I’m clued up on the best day trips from Puerto on a small budget. As I’m a die-hard budget traveler, all of these day trips include using a scooter or public transport.
renting a scooter in Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido is split into distinct areas: Centro, Zicatela and La Punta and you can find plenty of scooter rentals in each area.
Read later: Where to Stay in Puerto Escondido?: Neighbourhood Guide.
A reasonable price for a 24-hour scooter rental in Puerto Escondido is MXN 300 (around €15). If you want to rent for a longer period of time, you can negotiate a lower price. You will have to leave a form of ID as a deposit. Here are well-rated scooter rentals for each area of Puerto :
- Centro: Dorados Scooter Rental and Ola Moto Scooter Rental Puerto
- Zicatela: Scooter Rental Puerto Escondido
- La Punta: Sun Vibes Scooter Rental & DMC and Scooter and ATV Rental Sunset Motors
My boyfriend and I rented a scooter from Edgar at Dorodos Scooter Rental and paid MXN 250 per day for a week. We accidentally lost the bike keys, and Edgar organised a new pair to be dropped to us, and we only had to pay MXN 300 which felt very fair.
Best day trips from Puerto Escondido
Ok, scooter sorted, suncream and towel packed. First up on this guide to the best day trips from Puerto Escondido – Mazunte.
1. Mazunte
75km down the coast from Puerto Escondido, you’ll find Mazunte – a once sleepy fishing town known for its sea turtle conservation work. I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s an off-the-beaten-track destination cos it’s not, but that doesn’t take away its value.
Mazunte is a low-key paradise for health-conscious backpackers. Walking along two roads to its beach, you’ll find yoga studios, juice shops, and walls plastered with posters advertising ecstatic dance and self-development workshops. The main beach is one of my favourites in Mexico; it’s insanely beautiful. Mazunte is next door to Mexico’s only nudist beach, so the care-free effect has brushed off on the town, and you’ll find people walking around topless. Freedom, baby.
Although you can go for the day, if you have the time, I’d recommend spending a night or two.
How to get from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte?
Reaching Mazunte from Puerto Escondido isn’t too difficult. You have two options, really:
- By scooter: it takes around 1hr 20 mins
- By local bus and colectivo.
If you want to take the local bus to Mazunte from Puerto Escondido, you can catch the bus leaving from opposite Chedraui supermarket here every 30 minutes. It’ll have Pochutla written on the front and cost you MXN 50. Drive for about 40 minutes, and the driver will drop you off on the main road at Las Cruces de San Antonio. Just look out for the Oxxo on the corner, just before the road turns towards the coast. The driver should shout ‘Mazunte!’, but perhaps mark it on Google Maps just to be sure.
Then you need to jump on a local colectivo that’ll be waiting at the intersection for the last 7km to Mazunte. It should take 20 minutes to reach Mazunte and cost only MXN 15-20.
What to do on a day-trip to Mazunte?
- Hike the Punta Cometa trail, preferably at sunset.
- Visit Playa Mermejita: Mazunte’s virgin, wild beach around 20-30 minutes from the centre of Mazunte.
- Visit Mazunte’s Turtle Sanctuary: all along the Oaxacan coast, several species of turtles return to lay their eggs on the beaches. In the past, there have been many man-made and natural threats to their presence. Mazunte Turtle Sanctuary is one of the sanctuaries working to preserve the turtles as well as educate locals and tourists.
- Try out a breathwork class | Check out Mazunte’s active FB page in advance
Mazunte foodie highlights:
- Cafe Panchata | coffee
- Luz de Sol | delish vegan food
- Icaro Cafe | best cafe
- La Pizzeria
- Tiburon Juice Bar | fresh juices close to the beach
2. Sunbathe at nude beach, Playa Zipolite
Just down the road from Mazunte, you’ll find Playa Zipolite: Mexico’s first and only legally recognised nudist beach. Imagine drinking your morning coffee as a group of butt-naked aged men take a morning stroll past – willies and bums and all. This is Zipolite, baby.
Playa Zipolite has been a hippy paradise for decades, and thankfully, it’s done well to fight off developers. It’s rustic, wild and the perfect getaway from Puerto Escondido.
Although you can definitely visit in a day, once you arrive and see the stunning beach and feel like the whole world has been lifted off your shoulders, you might be swayed to rent a place for the night. We spent an unplanned, dreamy night here, finding a beautiful private room on the beach for MXN 500 and woke up with the sound of the ocean and the abovementioned retired hippies walking past in their birthday suits.
What to do in Playa Zipolite?
- Embrace the beach baby life: Playa Zipolite is all about the chill life, so just lying on the long stretch of beach with a good book is exactly what you want to be doing.
- Wander the main street running parallel to the beach: this is where you’ll find delish tacos, baked goods and damn good coffee.
- Check out the artisanal market: From 5 pm every day, the main street is transformed into an outdoor hippy market full of handmade jewellery, clothing, and delicious food stalls.
Playa Zipolite foodie highlights
- El Delfin Taqueria | authentic cheap tacos
- Cafetaria y creperia San Cristobal | breakfast and crepes
- Trigo | a whole in-the-wall bakery serving delish cinnamon rolls; expect to queue!
- Kellyko | best chilaquiles
3. La Reforma waterfall
This guide on the 6 best day trips from Puerto Escondido wouldn’t be complete without a waterfall thrown in, and I know just the one. Casada La Reforma is a waterfall located 38km north of Puerto Escondido – but don’t let the distance fool you into thinking it’s close and easy to get to. I don’t use the term “off-the-beaten-track” lightly, but La Reforma Waterfall really is off the tourist trail. Its remote location away from civilisation has really kept away the hoards of tourists.
Measuring 147 feet (45 metres), it’s a proper day trip from Puerto Escondido. I’d advise you to leave as early as possible, as it’s most beautiful between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun hits the valley. Also, for safety reasons, you don’t wanna be driving back to Puerto Escondido in the dark.
As it’s so remote, there’s no public transport to La Reforma Waterfall. You have two choices:
- Rent a car or scooter from Puerto Escondido.
- Go on an overpriced day tour (no, thank you!).
The drive to LA Reforma Waterfall from Puerto Escondido
The drive to La Reforma Waterfall from Puerto Escondido is long and tough at parts but worth it. Head out of Puerto on the 131 Road towards San Pedro Mixtepec. Just before you reach the town, you have to turn off the tarmacked road, and then the fun really starts.
As soon as you turn, the road will get bumpy, and to be honest, it only gets worse! It’s very sandy in places and not for the completely inexperienced rider. If you need a break, you can stop halfway at the little village, El Pescadito
The drive to La Reforma Waterfall from Puerto Escondido is long and tough at parts but worth it. Head out of Puerto on the 131 Road towards San Pedro Mixtepec. Just before you reach the town, you have to turn off the tarmacked road, and then the fun really starts.
As soon as you turn, the road will get bumpy, and to be honest, it only gets worse! It’s very sandy in places and not for the completely inexperienced rider. If you need a break, you can stop halfway at the little village, El Pescadito.
After leaving the main road, it’ll take you about an hour and a bit to finally reach the waterfall. A lovely man charges MXN 10 to enter the waterfall, looks after your scooter, and sells cold drinks.
It’s likely you’ll have the waterfall to yourself; we had the place to ourselves for two hours before another group of people arrived.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab some snacks from OXXO and visit La Reforma Waterfall—it’s worth it. You’ll feel miles away from the business of Puerto Escondido.
4. Spend a secluded beach day at Playa Tierra Blanca
A 30-minute ride from Puerto Escondido, you’ll find Playa Tierra Blanca, a completely wild and unruined beach. It’s an amazing spot for relaxing, surfing, windsurfing, and bird spotting. You’re guaranteed to have most of the beach to yourself. The beach is so vast and has only sand (no rocks to hurt your feet when you go into the water). I still have dreams about this place.
Tip: no need to take a picnic with you as there’s a little restaurant on the beach called Luna Nueva that serves food and coconuts.
How to reach Playa Tierra Blanca from Puerto Escondido?
Playa Tierra Blanca is very much off the beaten track and definitely one of the best day trips from Puerto Escondido. But despite feeling secluded and in the middle of nowhere, it’s doable to reach by public transport due to its proximity to the highway.
From Puerto Escondido, take the same bus as I suggested to go to Mazunte, leaving from opposite Chedraui supermarket here every 30 minutes. Just let the driver know you want to go to Playa Tierra Blanca and they’ll drop you at the right spot on the Federal Highway 200. From the highway, you need to walk around 15 minutes along a dirt track road.
If you’re renting a scooter, it’s easy. Just head down Federal Highway 200 until you reach this junction. Be careful; it’s easier to miss! Drive down the dirt track road, and you’ll be met with the beach of your dreams.
5. Whale Watch at Playa Aqua Blanca
I tied in my visit to Playa Aqua Blanca with Playa Tierre Blanca as they’re close to each other. In the morning, I would head to Playa Tierra Blanca, relax, read, and drink some coconuts, and then head back out to the 190 Road and drive a little further along to Playa Aqua Blanca. It’s a pocket of the Oaxacan coast that is still undiscovered by international tourism.
Known for its seafood, the local fishermen fish at Playa Aqua Blanca for yellowtail tuna, oysters, and lobster. All of which you can eat at one of the lovely beach restaurants on the beach. We ate at Don Kangrejo, which was delicious and felt really local. Next door to it was Resaurante Mestiza by Shavanna, which looked a bit more bougie and pricier but was busy with people, so it must also be good!
After our lunch, we were drinking a few coronas and the owner of Don Kangrejo ran to our table to tell us there were whales passing by just off the shoreline. Pretty cool.
6. The Colotepec River and la barra
This one requires no transport, just your legs!
Only a few km from La Punta, you’ll find La Barra de Colotepec, a neighbourhood with seriously local vibes. Often overlooked by travellers who prefer to stay in the bubble of La Punta or Zicatela, La Barra is a super chill, off-the-beaten-track spot and makes for the perfect half-day trip.
By walking around the rocks at the end of Punta Zicatela, you can access La Barra de Colotepec beach, a serene beach stretching for as long as the eye can see: worlds away from the busy beach in La Punta. There is a great AllTrails route you can follow that takes you across the rocks, past the lighthouse (be sure to leave at low tide) and onto the isolated beach to the mouth of River Colotepec. The route then goes inland along the river to the La Barra neighbourhood.
I’d recommend stopping at Restaurant El Rio for an aqua fresca and observing the wildlife on the river.
So that’s a round-up of the best day trips from Puerto Escondido that can be done with a scooter or public transport. There’s only one place missing from this list, and that is Laguna de Chacahua: a sleepy village that is a haven for surfers and long-term travellers. It’s too much of an isolated and wonderful place to go just for one-day, so that’s why I couldn’t possibly include it in this list. Its worthy of whole blog post in the future.
Until then, go and try out the 6 best day trips from Puerto Escondido I suggested. As always, reach out if you have any questions!
1 thought on “The Best Day Trips From Puerto Escondido, Mexico”
Amazing guide and tips! That’s exactly the trip I was looking for my summer trip to Mexico. Thanks guys 🙂