There are a few things that you MUST do when visiting Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca's surfers paradise on the Pacific coast. Keep scrolling down for our top 3 recommendations.

And for more information about Puerto Escondido and how to visit, check out our blog on how and why to book a trip.

1. Spend a beach day at Playa Coral 🐚

There are many beautiful beaches in the area around Puerto Escondido, but Playa Coral is one of the most heavenly beaches I have ever been to, and it's very special due to the lack of crowds but with everything you might need for a day away at the beach.

There's white sand, tall green palm trees, big waves for surfers and bright blue clear water. It's perfect for a beach day, just check out the photos below. But it's somewhat a secret beach and, there's a special tip with how to visit it.

A Mexican family from our hotel told us about Playa Coral. The beach is only 15 minutes drive from Puerto Escondido town but they explained it's technically a private beach. It's only accessible through an old hotel which sits on a cliff, Hotel Villa Mexicana.

They told us the trick is to go to the hotel reception and pay 80 pesos (about $4 US dollars) which gets you access to the beach as well as lunch, a hamburger and a drink - yes, a beer counts. You can also use their swimming pool. I was sold. We jumped in a taxi straight away and off to Hotel Villa Mexicana we went. It ended up being one of the best days of our trip.

As said above, the waves can be pretty big but swimming is also possible. It's quite a long beach to stroll down, and it's worth walking to the one next to it, where they release turtles from.

And if you want to escape the sun, there’s shade under the palm trees to relax under. It was a wonderful moment when I took a break from swimming and lied down under their generous shade, looking up to see the trees contrasted with the bright blue sky. I dozed off, to the lullaby of the leaves rustling in the salt-tinged breeze, harmoniously to the same rhythm of the rolling of the waves. Glorious.

The Hotel's swimming pool is open for use, which is refreshing to cool down in and saves you from having to brave the waves. But the half-built slides and statues around it, damage caused by a hurricane years ago, make it feels like you are at Pablo Escobar's secret coastal house, after he went on the run for a few years. The property is impressive but it's fairly apparent it's been eaten away by time and neglect. Still fun though. 

2. Surf, or watch them, at Playa Zicatela 🏄‍♀️

Playa Zicatela is famous for its surf, with sizeable waves year round. I recommend heading down to the beach to give it a go too. But, if you're like me and a little bit skeptical of the monstrous waves, at least watch the courageous surfers from safety on land, with a beer in one hand. 

Yes, I'm not ashamed to say we left the waves to the pros, but if you are experienced or brave enough to try surfing in Puerto Escondido, there seems to be many options to do surf classes or rent boards.

On the beach front there's plenty of restaurants and bars which overlook the sea, and from which you can rent sunbeds. It's lovely to grab food, especially fresh local fish, and drinks while looking out to sea.

3. Eat your way around & party at night 🍴 🎉

Puerto Escondido is not just a surfer's paradise but it's also a foodie's paradise, and the night life is buzzing. We were staying in the area of La Punta and there are plenty of fantastic food options to eat your way around. 

Regardless of where you stay in Puerto Escondido, I recommend going down to La Punta, not just for the beach and the surf, but also to eat and bar hop. 

Food-wise in La Punta there's a bit of everything: local, international, trendy bars, cafes, brunch spots, you name it. But again, the prices tend to be relatively inexpensive through out. The portions, like pretty much everywhere else in Mexico, are generous. They really don't hold back here, do they? And no, I'm definitely not complaining. 

Across 4 nights we ate Mexican-style food like the massive burritos in the photo above, as well as tacos and grilled fish, typically served with rice and salad. But we also indulged in Italian pizzas, Peruvian ceviche (photo below), Lebanese platters, nice fresh salads from hipster-style cafes, and re-energised ourselves with good coffee and fresh juices. The range of choice is vast.

Now let's talk about the nightlife. It's laid back, welcoming, and a lot of fun. Forget high heels, make up, and all that fuss. Most people walk around barefoot with a bikini still on. It's chilled. 

In the area around La Punta in Puerto Escondido, there are many small bars, mostly with sand floors and live music. This makes an ideal situation for bar hopping. And after La Punta bars shut down, around 1 am, the party seems to shift to Zicatela and Puerto Escondido town, which have more variety of clubs in addition to they're restaurants and bars.

One night we were having dinner at the open-air restaurant AlaBurger, which had a live band, long tree-trunk tables intended for sharing - I liked this idea! - cute fairy lights, an open kitchen, many friendly dogs circling the tables, and of course, a sandy floor. All very Puerto Escondido.

We got chatting to the guy sitting next to us, he ended up being a well-known Mexican actor, and has starred in various local TV series and theatre shows.

As the night progressed, we talked more, cheers-ed, and ordered more and more cocktails while eating our pizzas - which were bigger than we imagined and pretty good, I recommend them there!

Our new friend told us that he loved coming down to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City to disconnect from city life and escape his busy schedule. He said he had been in the area many times before and always loved the easygoing atmosphere. "It's so easy to meet new people and have a good time." I nodded, agreeing with every word he said. 

We were interrupted by a very stylish-looking group of Mexican friends, they asked if they too could share the table with us. They were indeed also down from Mexico City and enjoying a weekend away.

It seems like Puerto Escondido is a popular place for young people from the capital to run away to for a weekend of fun. It was an absolute pleasure to meet everyone and get a window into what life looks like as a young Mexican. 

More cocktails were ordered and at one point we decided to switch bars, which ended up in a long night of bar-hopping together. I must say, it's a rare occasion when you met various different people and suddenly, and organically, all become friends. Maybe that is exactly what our friend was explaining earlier in the night, it's the Puerto Escondido magic.

The nights we went out in Puerto Escondido were full of of eating, laughing, dancing and good vibes. And for a brief moment, we too felt like we were just down from Mexico City for a weekend away...

Accommodation recommendation  📍

We stayed at Casa de Olas Boutique Hotel in La Punta, just a few streets away from Zicatela beach. 

The hotel blew our expectations. Our stay was so comfortable, and fun, with a gorgeous swimming pool and lush outside garden area. We also thought the pricing was very fair. The total price for 4 nights for 2 people was MXN 5,960.26, approx £257.

The price included breakfast, workout classes like yoga, and other activities. It also had a gym and a restaurant. Our room had air conditioning, wifi, a great shower and a lovely balcony.

The staff were so friendly and accommodating. They took very good care of us. I also thought it was a good sign to see Mexican tourists staying at the hotel. We made friends with many of the other guests thanks to the welcoming atmosphere.

On the first day, we arrived to the hotel before our check-in time, after asking if we could leave our bags in the reception until we could access our room, they invited us to use the swimming pool and relax in the garden. I didn't hesitate to accept the offer, I was pretty worn out after waking up at 3 am for a 6 am flight. I proceeded to plant myself for the next few hours in a sun bed, tanning and ordering cocktail after cocktail, writing, sketching and snacking - it was a  fabulous time!

More ideas

Here are a few other ideas of activities you can also do in the area which sound really fun: 

• Check out the beaches in the area like Playa Principal, Playa Carizalillo, Manzanillo Beach, Bacocho Beach 
• Zip lining in the jungle
• Visiting the famous plankton lagoon
• Dolphin watching
• Explore further down the coast to see other well-known beaches such as Playa Zipolite - about an hour and a half from Puerto Escondido. 
• Head inland to explore Oaxaca. Disclaimer, travelling between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido by bus takes around 10 hours along the 500 km route. So you might not want to do that unless you're staying in Oxaca City for a few days.