We flew from Madrid to Mexico City, which was the official starting point of our route. We rented a van and began our surfing, sightseeing and leisure trip along the Oaxaca coast, with the Mexican surfing paradise as our final destination. After spending a few days visiting the monuments, churches and cathedrals, art galleries, the impressive Ethnobotanical Garden and other wonders that we found in the city of Oaxaca, located relatively close to Mexico City, we took our van and began our journey driving along the Mexican coastal roads towards one of the most mythical meccas of the world. Surfing: Hidden Port.
Puerto Escondido, located in the south of Mexico and bathed by the Pacific Ocean, has gained a lot of popularity since the 1990s. The city's main tourist attraction is mainly Mexican tourists, but in recent years the city has also been receiving a lot of foreign tourists, which is not surprising; as soon as we arrived there we were impressed by seeing such wild landscape and vegetation in such a populated environment.
A few years ago, the quality of the rights and lefts that the waters of this coastal town in Mexico held began to be discovered, but it was difficult to turn the place into a regular surfing destination, since the terrain was still extremely virgin and surfers had to deal with an uncountable amount of insects, snakes and sharks. Due to the boom With the advent of globalization, digitalization and full access to everything, Puerto Escondido is no longer so popular, but is now a much more popular place and the sea is home to many local and foreign surfers. The famous waves on the beaches of Puerto Escondido have turned this town, which was initially known only to a few, into a sacred home for surfers from all over the world.
When we arrived, we found a beach of fine, soft sand and emerald-coloured, almost transparent waters that stretch along 25 kilometres of sand, and we found ourselves in a relaxed atmosphere where everyone seemed to be in a good mood. It's hard not to be when the sun is beating down on you, it's hot, you're not in a hurry and you're in front of one of the most famous surfing areas in history.
The nightlife, food, restaurants and people were all spectacular. We tried the whiting, a dish that pleasantly surprised us, as far from the association we had with this fish, we found ourselves in front of a fried empanada filled with fish. We also tried the octopus tacos, the sailfish and drank the typical drink of the area - in addition to the well-known mezcal - called Cocol and made from rum, milk and coconut water: too sweet for our taste, but delicious!
Our goal was to ride the waves of Zicaleta, a mythical beach three kilometers long. Its sandy bottom, the waves that are generated are monumental, fast and turbulent and perfect for us.
The waves of La Zicaleta have seen legends of the surfing riding them, and they have hosted some of the most important events of the Big Wave Tour. We spent several days on Zicaleta beach, as this is where the most impressive waves are found, sometimes reaching 6 metres in height. Our daily routine was mainly based on getting up early, running into the water, spending the whole morning catching waves and going out to eat, one each day, at the restaurants in the area.In the afternoons we would surf until the sun began to set and then we would come out of the water again, and we would sit on the sand, watching the sunsets on the Pacific shore, which, for us, are the most beautiful.
In addition to Zicaleta, we decided to visit a few more beaches to get to know the area better. We visited Carrizalillo beach, which we consider perfect for learning to surf, as the waves are slow and long, which allows you to better manage your journey. In addition, this beach is small and cozy, it goes practically unnoticed. We had to work hard to get to it.
It has a closed semicircle shape and fine sand. Here, in addition to surfing, we do another of the activities that we are most passionate about: diving!
WHAT TO DO IN PUERTO ESCONDIDO BESIDES SURFING:
In addition to eating, relaxing and surfing a lot, we discovered that in Puerto Escondido there are countless very interesting and fun activities to do.
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Escobilla Beach:
We had never seen a turtle hatch and instinctively head towards the sea. At Playa Escobilla we saw hundreds of turtles hatching and going for their first swim in the sea all along the sandy beach. We loved surfing, but seeing this spectacle of nature first hand and in person is something we couldn't change for anything.
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Manzanillo Beach:
Although it is quite busy, this beach is ideal for diving due to its calm, crystal-clear waters and a shallow bottom with good visibility that allows you to see the marine biodiversity that this place has to offer.
WHERE TO STAY IN PUERTO ESCONDIDO
One good thing about Puerto Escondido is that there are several types of accommodation; from hotels to hostels, houses for groups and even shared rooms and houses.
We stayed at the Santa Fe Hotel, very nice, close to the Zicaleta, with sea views and beautiful facilities, although we also considered staying at the Selina Puerto Escondido Hotel, which is also located on Zicaleta Beach and has very complete facilities.
Vivo Resorts and Villas Carizalillo We also found these to be very good options, but they were a bit far from the area where we wanted to spend most of our time.
On the other hand, if you are on a tight budget and want to spend your days near the Zicaleta, we recommend the Zanzibar HotelThe facilities are humble but welcoming and offer the basic and necessary services to be comfortable and not miss anything.
If you prefer to stay in small houses or bungalows, a good recommendation is the “hotel” Bungalows ZicaletaThe complex has a swimming pool and a restaurant inside, and acquaintances of ours who have visited it say that the service is lovely and that the experience there was excellent.
WHERE TO EAT IN PUERTO ESCONDIDO?
Costeñito Cevicheria:
This restaurant has a spectacular ceviche offering in terms of quality and presentation. They usually accompany it with thin roasted and slightly dehydrated potatoes, which are not crispy, but are not very soft either, with spices and have a special flavor, even more so when you have just returned from surfing.The amounts of food they serve are generous, but it is impossible not to eat it all!
The Coffee:
We had breakfast several days in this cafeteria, where the fruit was always fresh and there was a lot of variety, and the dishes they served were, once again, quite copious: they offered “huevos Oaxaqueños” which was a combination of eggs with tomato sauce and cheese to which you could add, as a side dish, beans, tortillas or “totopo” potatoes. A good way to start the day: with a good breakfast.
Coco Fish Zicaleta:
In this restaurant, the dish we liked the most was the octopus, accompanied with rice, salad and fruit: simply delicious, and very close to our surf spot and the hotel.
Espadin Restaurant:
The day we were diving at Carrizalillo Beach, we were lucky enough to find this place. It seemed perfect for a drink as the sun set. The restaurant was beautiful, and the views were even more beautiful.
WHAT IS THE BEST DATE TO GO
Although the temperature is good all year round, with minimum temperatures of around 26 degrees and maximum temperatures of 30. However, the months of June, August and September tend to be quite rainy, so we recommend going to the beach between November and April, when the sun shines practically every day and the conditions for surfing are ideal.
Once again, our trip left us with a very good taste in our mouths and, once again, we want to repeat it. We kept a little piece of Puerto Escondido, of Oaxaca, of Mexico, in our hearts, and we will dream of surfing again in the Pacific until we return. We recommend that you also embark on this trip, whether for surfing, for diving, for the cultural and artistic offerings, or simply to relax and have a drink. Cocol by the sea.
