From average weather, 2021 to 2025: warm, sunny days with little rain score highest (the air stands in for the sea, which is not included). Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Puerto Escondido is your base for the first three nights, with a long day down the coast on the last.Details
Getting here
Puerto Escondido has a small airport a short ride from town, with flights from Mexico City and a few other cities. The other way in is a long road or bus from the city of Oaxaca, through mountains. Book the last leg to your door ahead.
Getting around
The town sits on a hillside above its beaches, so expect steps and short climbs. Short hops are easy by local taxi or on foot. The lagoon and Mazunte need a rental car, a driver or a place on a small group trip. Keep to main roads in daylight.
The waves
The Pacific here has strong surf and rip currents. Zicatela is a break for experienced surfers only, so watch it from the sand. Swim only in the calmer coves, and ask a lifeguard or a local about the day before you go in.
Sun and the evening
The sun is strong, so bring a hat, a long sleeved shirt and water. Day 1 starts at Playa Principal, the town beach, so settle in and take an easy walk along the bay before supper.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.8 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 99.1 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. Puerto Escondido and its bays and Zicatela and the south beaches
3 stops · 4.6 km by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
MorningBest early
Playa Principal
The town beach on the bay of Puerto Escondido, where the fishing boats are pulled up on the sand and the town begins. It is a working beach more than a resort one. Walk along the water, watch the boats, and keep to the shore if the swell is up.
Go whenEarly morning, when the boats and the first walkers are out.
Local tip Walk the whole bay once and stay on the sand if the swell is up. Ask a local about the water before you swim, and carry water, since shade is scarce.
About 9 min by car or transit2.2 km
2
Evening
Playa Zicatela
The long beach south of the bay, a surf break known across Mexico. The waves are fast, heavy and break close to the shore, and strong currents run along it. It is for experienced surfers only, so do not swim here. Watch from the sand and let the light fade.
Go whenLate afternoon, for the light on the waves (about 6:14 PM).
Local tip This is a break for experienced surfers only, with strong currents. Watch from the sand and never swim here. If you want to surf, ask a local surf school about a calmer beach for lessons.
Lunch
Fish tacos
Soft corn tortillas with fish, cabbage and a squeeze of lime, eaten at a table near the water. A simple lunch after a morning at the coves.
The cobbled walking street of Puerto Escondido, a stretch of Pérez Gasga closed to most traffic, with open air tables, small shops and craft stalls. It is where the town gathers once the heat goes, so come as the light fades.
Go whenEvening, once the heat has gone (about 6:14 PM).
Local tip Walk it slowly from end to end, then choose a table. Carry small notes for the stalls, and keep a hand on your phone in the crowd.
Dinner
Pescado a la talla
A whole fish split open, rubbed with a red chile paste and grilled over coals, served with rice and salad. A dish of the Pacific coast, eaten with the hands.
Local tip Share one fish between two, and squeeze plenty of lime on it.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 2. Puerto Escondido and its bays
3 stops · 0.8 km on foot
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Playa Carrizalillo
A small cove of pale sand tucked below the cliffs, reached by a long staircase from the street above. Local fishing families and surfers share it. The cove is more sheltered than the open beach, but check the waves and ask a lifeguard before you swim.
Go whenMorning, when the cove is quiet and the light is soft.
Local tip The staircase is long and uneven, so wear shoes you can climb in, and leave nothing of value on the sand. Ask a lifeguard about the water before you go in.
About 8 min walk0.6 km
2
Midday
Playa Manzanillo
A small sheltered bay beside the town centre, with calmer water than the open beaches and rocks at either end. Many people swim here, but waves and currents change from day to day, so ask a lifeguard or a local before you go in.
Go whenLate morning, before the day gets hot.
Local tip The bay is more sheltered than the open beaches, but not always calm. Ask a lifeguard or a local about the day, and stay close to the shore.
Lunch
Fish tostadas and ceviche
Crisp tostadas topped with fresh fish ceviche, raw fish cured in lime juice with onion and coriander, a cool lunch for a hot day.
Local tip Ask what came in that day, and go easy on the chile.
About 3 min walk0.2 km
3
Midday
Playa Puerto Angelito
A small, sheltered cove west of the main bay, with a short stretch of sand between two headlands. Boats rest here, and the water is generally calmer than at the beaches around it. Ask locally about the day, and wear a hat, since shade is scarce.
Go whenMidday, for a short swim if the water allows.
Local tip Go in only where the water looks calm and others are swimming, and ask a lifeguard or a local about the day. Keep away from the rocks at either end.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 3. The lagoon and the west beaches
3 stops · 1.0 km on foot, 30.1 km by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Playa Puerto AngelitoAbout 31 min by car or transit16.1 km
Where Day 2 ended.
1
MorningBest early
Laguna de Manialtepec
A large lagoon behind the coast west of Puerto Escondido, ringed by mangroves and fed by the sea at its edge. Local boatmen take visitors out to see the birds that use it. Some nights the water can glow, but only sometimes and never on demand, so check ahead and do not count on it.
Go whenEarly morning, when the birds are active and the water is still.
Local tip Go with a local boatman, wear insect repellent and keep to their advice. Do not swim, and check ahead on what is running. Any glow on the water is rare and never promised.
A long, open beach west of the bay, backed by dunes and palms, where the surf is strong and the currents run hard. It is a place for a walk on the hard sand and a look at the sea, not for swimming. Take water, a hat and your own shade.
Go whenLate afternoon, for a long walk (about 6:14 PM).
Local tip Walk the hard sand and look at the sea, but do not swim, since the surf and the currents are strong. Take water, a hat and shade of your own.
Lunch
Fried whole fish
A whole fried fish with rice, tortillas and a squeeze of lime, eaten at a plain table in the shade near the water.
Local tip Eat after the lagoon, and drink plenty of water.
About 12 min walk1.0 km
3
Afternoon
Playa Coral
A quieter stretch of sand and rocks at the western edge of town, away from the busiest beaches. Walk the edge of the water and look at the rocks and the birds. Waves can be strong here, so ask a local before you go in.
Go whenAfternoon, when the light is warm on the rocks.
Local tip Watch your footing on the rocks, and ask a local before you swim. Take your rubbish with you.
Dinner
A tlayuda in the evening
A tlayuda is a large, crisp tortilla spread with black bean paste and topped with Oaxaca cheese, lettuce and a meat of your choice, a supper from the city of Oaxaca that is eaten along the coast too.
Local tip Share it, and fold it like a book.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 4. Mazunte and the turtle coast
3 stops · 1.7 km on foot, 61.1 km by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Drive from Playa CoralAbout 1 h 5 min by car61.1 km
Where Day 3 ended.
1
MorningIndoor
Mexican Turtle Centre
The Mexican Turtle Centre, the Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga, a research and conservation centre in Mazunte with tanks of sea turtles and other species of the coast. It grew out of a place where turtles were once hunted. Check ahead on when it is open.
Go whenMorning, before the heat.
Local tip Look and do not touch. Ask the staff how the centre works, and check ahead on when it is open. It is a research place, so keep your voice low.
A small cove of sand in the middle of Mazunte, between two rocky arms. It is a gentle place to sit, with a few simple places to eat behind it. Even in the cove the sea can move, so watch it first and ask a local about the day.
Go whenMorning, when the cove is quiet.
Local tip A small sheltered cove in the town, but the sea still moves. Ask a local about the day before you swim, and stay near the shore.
Lunch
Grilled fish with garlic
A whole fish grilled with garlic and chile, served with rice, salad and warm tortillas at a simple table with the sea in front of it.
Local tip Ask what was caught that day.
About 15 min walk1.2 km
3
Afternoon
San Agustinillo
A small fishing village next to Mazunte, with a long, curved beach and fishing boats pulled up on the sand. It is quiet and low, with a few small places to stay and eat along the shore. The surf can be strong, so watch it first.
Go whenAfternoon, for a long meal by the sea.
Local tip A quiet fishing village with a long beach. The surf can be strong, so watch the water and ask locals before you swim.
If it rains. Mexican Turtle Centre is covered, so keep it. Move Playa Rinconcito and San Agustinillo to a dry day if you can.
Day 5. Mazunte and the turtle coast, part 2
3 stops · 2.2 km on foot, 3.3 km by car
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from San AgustinilloAbout 11 min by car or transit3.3 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
MorningBest early
La Ventanilla
A small community on a mangrove lagoon, a short way west of Mazunte, with a quiet beach on the sea side. Local people run boat trips through the mangroves, and a project looks after the animals of the lagoon. Check ahead, go with their guides and keep out of the water.
Go whenEarly morning, in the cool.
Local tip Go with the local community guides and follow their rules. Do not swim in the lagoon, and take insect repellent. Wildlife is never promised, so go for the walk and the quiet.
A quiet beach west of Mazunte, with a long, open shore and a few simple places to sit. The surf is strong and currents run along this part of the coast, so walk the sand and look at the sea. Do not swim unless locals say the day is safe.
Go whenMidday, for a long look at the sea.
Local tip Bring water, shade and food. The surf and currents are strong, so walk the sand and do not swim unless local people tell you the day is safe.
About 13 min walk1.1 km
3
Evening
Punta Cometa
A rocky headland that marks the southernmost point of the Oaxaca coast, reached by a footpath from Mazunte. The path is rough and has little shade. Go in good shoes, take water and watch the sun go down over the sea. The rocks can be slick, so keep well back from the edge.
Go whenLate afternoon, so you see the sun go down (about 6:14 PM).
Local tip Wear closed shoes, take water and a torch for the way back, and keep well back from the cliff edge. The path is rough and the rocks can be slippery.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. Plan the road to your airport before you go, and leave a margin.Details
Getting out
Book the ride the day before. Puerto Escondido has its own airport, and the airport at Huatulco is the nearer one if you sleep in Mazunte. The coast road is long and winding, so travel in daylight and allow extra time.
Your last morning
If you are still in Puerto Escondido, walk once more along the bay before you go, and watch the boats and the early surfers from the sand. Look rather than swim if the sea looks rough.
Your bag
Rinse sandy shoes and pack wet swim things in a bag of their own. Spend your pesos before the airport, since they are hard to change outside the country.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Puerto Escondido?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to March are the best months for a beach trip to Puerto Escondido. This plan is built for november to April, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 5 days in Puerto Escondido, planned for november to April. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.8 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 99.1 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of nine bays, quiet coves and old ruins in HuatulcoAbout 90 km awayAn easy add-on
6 days of slow eating in OaxacaAbout 140 km away
3 days of mole, tiles and a pyramid in Puebla and CholulaAbout 380 km away
