Near the end of the eight-hour drive from the dry heat of Oaxaca City to the coast, the winding descent through the Sierra Sur brings a fine blue line into view, and with it a salty breeze—not a high-rise in sight. Oaxaca’s rugged and sparsely developed Pacific coast is a necklace of golden-sand beaches bisected by rivers spilling into the sea and lagoons stirring with wildlife (the shoreline is renowned for its nesting turtles). Huge swells draw a world-class surfing scene to the breaks around the former fishing village of Puerto Escondido, whose unpretentious and bohemian spirit can still be felt in the little eateries that line the Adoquinado (a cobblestone pedestrian area) since international tourism began here in the ‘80s. A few miles up the beach, Mexican painter and sculptor Bosco Sodi’s artists’ residency of Casa Wabi, which showcases the work of architects including Tadao Ando and Kengo Kuma, has quietly been transforming this low-key coastline into an international design destination, while still preserving its elemental wildness. And a bit farther on in Chacahua and Mazunte, there are still remarkably authentic spots where life moves slowly and viscerally in small villages and half-hidden beaches.
PUERTO ESCONDIDO
A fishing community turned coffee-shipping port, the region’s main hub is known for its 10 beaches that set the stage for fiery-red sunsets.
EAT & DRINK
Almoraduz. Chef Quetzalcóatl Zurita opened his pioneering culinary outpost back in 2013, reviving local flavors such as corn from his hometown of Santo Reyes Nopala and tostadas from San Gabriel Mixtepec. Try the black risotto with huitlacoche (a mushroom that grows on corn), squid ink and seafood dish for a taste of the region’s most emblematic flavors.
Hotel Santa Fe. Puerto Escondido’s first significant hotel, built in the ‘80s as a cluster of colonial buildings and shady gardens near Playa Zicatela, Hotel Santa Fe is beloved for its vegetarian menu and makes an ideal spot for a margarita on the terrace at sunset.
El Espadin. Built on a cliff overlooking Playa Carrizalillo, this casual spot is a popular place for its fresh fish, unique mezcals and stunning sunset views.
Casa Oaxaca del Mar (opening in late 2021). Renowned chef Alejandro Ruiz of the legendary Casa Oaxaca in Oaxaca City, who got his start at the Hotel Santa Fe in the ‘80s, will be opening Casa Oaxaca del Mar near the port where he first honed his craft.
BEACHES
Each of Puerto Escondido’s 10 beaches has a unique character shaped by surf and sand—and the people they draw. Here are a few favorites.
Playa Zicatela. Home to the Mexican Pipeline, this is one of the country’s most renowned spots for big-wave surfing—beginners should beware of the beach’s strong undertow. Calle del Morro, which runs behind it, is a popular nightlife area and home to Barfly, Puerto Escondido’s sentimental favorite original nightclub, which still plays hits to a mixed crowd of locals and visitors on the terrace.
