8 best oaxaca beaches, mexico - surf towns, fishing villages and bohemian hideaways

Great weather all year round, chilled beach towns and uncrowded surf spots… ah Yes Please!!

The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca stretches over 300 miles down the South Coast of Mexico. Perfect for travellers looking for a more genuine Mexican experience and a slower pace, unspoiled by tourism and spring break crowds.

Mexico is a destination famous for beaches such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Caribbean coast, and Los Cabos and Tijuana on the West coast. Yet the South Pacific Coast gets little mention (which is probably why we love it so much!) This long stretch of coastline draws a certain kind of traveller. Surfers looking for uncrowded waves, hippies looking for a bohemian beach town, and long-term travellers who want to settle in for a month or two. It’s also home to some of our favourite Oaxaca beaches.

Why visit the coast of oaxaca?

From the moment we arrived in La Punta Zicatela, we knew the coast of Oaxaca was where we wanted to be. It was everything we’d been looking for as we travelled from the North to the South of Mexico. The weather averages 27°C year-round and the water is about the same (perfect for spending a day in the surf). Life is relaxed and slow-paced. For us, this was life as it should be. We ended up staying for two months. 

Along the Pacific coast, you’ll find very local beaches with families enjoying the water and dining at beach restaurants. These spots are great for eating fresh seafood and typical cuisine at local prices.

Then you’ll find beaches that attract travellers. Although these beach towns run on tourism they still have a very relaxed vibe. You’ll meet digital nomads, yoga students, surfers and retirees who’ve been coming back to the same hotel for the last 10 years. Locals still live and work in the fishing villages so you get the real Mexican experience and delicious local food.

And then, for the more adventurous traveller, there are remote beaches that take a little extra effort to reach but are incredible for switching off and immersing yourself in nature.

This is a list of our favourite Oaxaca beaches and what they offer.

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1. Playa Carrizalillo

Playa Carrizalillo is one of the prettiest and most talked about beaches in Puerto Escondido and it’s definitely worth visiting. It takes a bit of effort to get to. The small sheltered cove is 157 stairs down from the clifftop. You’ll find golden sand, and shallow turquoise water are perfect for floating around and cooling off. Further out is a clean, consistent wave perfect for surfing. 

Due to the beach being so small and a popular spot for surf lessons, it gets jam-packed very quickly. There’s a row of bars and restaurants offering daybeds to hire along the beachfront. These can be pretty pricey so make sure you check the price before settling in. If you’re on a budget then you can find a patch of sand to lay out your towel. But get in early to avoid the crowds, and stay as close to the beach chairs as possible to avoid your belongings getting washed away as the tide comes in.

VIBE Surf lessons, local surfers, restaurants with chairs and umbrellas, picture-perfect turquoise ocean

GETTING THERE There is a parking lot above the beach (here on the map) where you can park a car or scooter. From the car park, you’ll need to walk down a staircase in the cliff wall to reach the beach.

WHERE TO STAY Playa Carrizalillo is a short scooter ride from some of the best beaches to stay around Puerto Escondido; Playa Zicatela, La Punta Zicatela and Playa Principal. You’ll also find a trendy part of town called Rinconada just behind Playa Carrizalillo with accommodation options.

Why not treat yourself to villa accommodation right above Playa Carrizalillo with private access to the beach at Villas Carrizalillo.

TIPS

• The board hire is crazy expensive at Carrizalillo. Unless taking lessons, you can find cheaper board hire from one of the other beaches in Puerto Escondido and take it down.
• The day beds are also crazy expensive due to limited space on this small beach.
• Although one of the more expensive places to take surf lessons in Puerto Escondido, if you are only here for a few days this beach has one of the most consistent waves to learn on.
• The tide comes right in! Try to set yourself up as close to the daybeds as possible to avoid getting wet.
• The left side of the surf is for beginners. The right has been said to be more professional and local. We never saw any issues but I suggest if you decide to surf with the locals you are experienced and have a good understanding of surf etiquette. 

2. Puerto Angelito and Playa Manzanillo

We just happened to visit these beaches on a public holiday so we had the full local cultural experience. The beach and restaurants were all full with families enjoying the holiday. 

The beaches are side by side and you can easily walk between the two. Being in a sheltered bay the water is calm making it ideal for snorkelling and swimming. 

Although the beaches are very similar, Puerto Angelito has more fishing boats and restaurants. We found Playa Manzanillo had fewer boats which made it perfect for snorkelling with great visibility of fish and coral. It is also surrounded in coconut palms with gives a very tropical feel. 

When visiting these beaches you’ll notice there are mostly locals from Puerto Escondido and Mexican tourists. This means you’ll get a great cultural experience. The seafood at these restaurants is excellent. And with local prices! You won’t believe the size of the oysters that were being sold by the plate by women along the beach!

VIBE Locals from Puerto Escondido and Mexican tourists, tropical palm trees, calm clear sheltered water for snorkelling

GETTING THERE Puerto Angelito and Playa Manzanillo are the closest beaches to downtown Puerto Escondido and Rinconada. You’ll find stair access to Playa Manzanillo (here on the map).

You can drive or ride a scooter to Puerto Angelito and walk from one beach to the other. Cam. A Puerto Angelito is the closest parking to the beach.

WHERE TO STAY Riconada and downtown Puerto Escondido are the closest accommodation options. You can easily visit these beaches from Zicatela and La Punta as well.

TIPS

• We recommend hiring a scooter for a day and exploring the beaches of Puerto Escondido as they are all very close. You can do Carrizalillo through to La Punta easily in a day. 

3. Playa Zicatela

Playa Zicatela is a 3.5km stretch of beach in Puerto Escondido. It’s become one of the best-known surfing spots in Mexico, famous for the “Mexican Pipeline” (only for the pros). Even in January/February when the swell was relatively small we saw a handful of boards get broken as surfers wiped out over the shallow sand bar.

A long golden beach without many beach bars or restaurants, and very relaxed. Especially the further away from Puerto Escondido you head towards La Punta. In the morning you’ll see people running, swimming, walking the dog or any other form of activity. At sunset, the whole stretch of beach fills with people enjoying the sunset.

A low-key beach away from most of the activity of La Punta but a short walk or scooter to everything you need. To the right, you can walk along the beach to Playa Principal in Puerto Escondido where you’ll find beach bars and all-inclusive day clubs. To the left, you can walk down to the La Punta to surf, play beach volleyball or wander the main shopping strip.  

We spent most of our time staying halfway along Zicatela. We loved the low-key local vibes away from the activity but only a short walk to the cafes, bars and shopping in La Punta. We were amazed at how clean the beaches were in Oaxaca

VIBE Digital nomads, surfers, long-term travellers

GETTING THERE From Highway 200, there is a one-way street that loops down along behind some beachfront restaurants. A short taxi ride from Puerto Escondido and shouldn’t cost more than 50MXN.

If you are catching a bus or colectivo, you’ll need to get off on Highway 200 and then it’s an easy walk 10 minutes down to the beach.

WHERE TO STAY There are a lot of accommodation options tucked away in the streets behind the beach. Luxury hotels, guesthouses, hostels and camping. Most dirt and sand roads will lead down to the beach.

We stayed at Emuna Guest House which felt like our home away from home. There are only 3 rooms in this palapa which makes it feel intimate and welcoming. We had space to work while we were there with Starlink wifi and social dinners with the host and other guests in the evenings. It’s only a 5 minute walk to Playa Zicatela.

TIPS

• The water isn’t ideal for swimming. The waves can be very dumpy and the currents are strong so keep an eye on the conditions and you should be a confident swimmer. There are no lifeguards stationed on this stretch of beach.
• There are a lot of street dogs on the beach, most of them are very friendly but be prepared to have a dog run up to you when lying on the beach and kick sand all over the place.

4. La Punta Zicatela

La Punta “the point” is the southern point of Playa Zicatela. This is a popular surf spot for experienced and beginner surfers but it’s also a hub for travellers who want to base themselves in Puerto Escondido. This place has an awesome vibe and feels like the heartbeat of Puerto Escondido. This is the first beach we fell in love with in Mexico. There is always something social going on. Volleyball and sunsets on the beach, co-working spaces, salsa nights and open mic Thursday. 

Coconut palms line the beach giving it a tropical feel. The water is much better for swimming here than the north end of Zicatela so you can comfortably float around in the waves without strong currents. 

There are a few beach bars with daybeds and umbrellas available for hire and DJs in the afternoon. This is a wide stretch of beach so there’s plenty of sand to lay out a towel and relax if you don’t want to spend money. When you get hungry you can head up to the main street where you’ll find everything from tacos to ice cream and coffee to cocktails. 

Eating out is a bit more expensive in La Punta. It’s harder to find local street food and you’ll find mostly tourist prices with fancier cafes and restaurants than other parts of the coast.

There are shops with surfboard hire and lessons woven all through the streets of La Punta. Shop around for the best price. We found surfboard hire for $100MXN/hour or $250/day.

VIBE Digital nomads, surfers, long-term travellers, young expat community

GETTING THERE The main shopping and dining street of Zicatela is “Alejandro Cárdenas Peralta”. Follow this to the end of the street and you’ll see the beach access.
Most streets that cross Alejandro Cárdenas Peralta lead from Highway 200 down to the beach.

WHERE TO STAY

If you plan on keeping a routine in La Punta and working while here, try out Casa de Olas Boutique Hotel. They have a gym, tennis court, yoga, surfboard and bike rental. And comfortable working space for the digital nomads.

For something more affordable, we recommend One Love Hostal with dorms and private rooms available. They have beautiful rooftop with hammocks looking over the ocean to relax. There is also a delicious bar and restaurant downstairs.

TIPS

• Police patrol this beach regularly and are known to give out fines expecting on-the-spot cash payments. Smoking, alcohol and nudity are prohibited.

5. Chacahua

Chacahua is a beach for the more adventurous traveller. This remote beach is located in Lagunas de Chacahua National Park about 54km west of Puerto Escondido. Surrounded by lagoons and mangroves, you’ll need to catch 3 modes of transport to get here. The trip should take around 3 hours from Puerto Escondido by bus, boat and colectivo (truck taxi).

The beach is lined with Palapa-style (thatched roof huts), local-run restaurants and accommodation. The point break draws surfers here year-round and with water this warm you’ll stay out there until your arms are jelly. There are a lot of surfboard rentals along the beach, some of which offer lessons. There’s nothing else to do in Chacahua but surf, relax or drink with the locals. This will appeal to some and not to others. For us, we loved how remote it felt. Chacahua is one of our favourite places in Mexico.

VIBE People looking to disconnect and be immersed in nature, very remote with little phone signal, surf surf surf

GETTING THERE Getting to Chacahua sounds like a mission but it’s pretty straightforward and well worth the effort! From Puerto Escondido, there are a couple of options to get to Chacahua. The overall trip will take 3 hours.

WHERE TO STAY We found most of the accommodation options aren’t on booking.com or Airbnb. You can easily walk the stretch of beach and ask what is available. Beachfront accommodation will cost around $500MXN for a palapa and $50MXN for a site to pitch a tent. We stayed in two places during the week we were there and were very happy with both.

On the beachfront, we stayed at Alta Mar Cabanas which was spacious and comfortable facing the ocean. On the lagoon side (this is still a beach but it looks at the national park rather than the surf) we stayed at La Playita Cabanas which was a nice palapa-style accommodation with a restaurant downstairs.

TIPS

• Take strong bug spray. Being a national Park you not only have mosquitos but midgees as well. At sunset, these guys come out and are worse than mosquitos.
• Take more cash than you think you’ll need. There are no ATM’s in Chacahua. You’ll also want small change to pay for transport in and out.

6. Mazunte

Mazunte is one of those special places that leaves an impression. Everyone here is on their own journey, whether that be spiritual, medicinal or straight-up curious about alternate living. You’ll find people who came for a holiday and never left and others who choose to return year after year. One thing we can say for sure is people stay longer than they plan to in Mazunte.

The beach town has 2 main beaches, Playa Mazunte and Rinconcito. Of the two, Playa Mazunte is the more low-key. With a few restaurants along the sand, there are plenty of beach chairs and umbrellas available yet you’ll still find space to lay out a towel on the sand.

Rinconcito is considered the “main” beach of Mazunte. The busiest street of Mazunte with some of its best bars and restaurants is also called Rinconcito and leads straight down to this beach. 

There is also a beach on the other side of the point called Mermejita which is outside of Mazunte but a common gathering point for people staying here. A very rustic beach with only one restaurant at the far end near the point. Although nudity is prohibited it’s quite common for people to shed some layers here. Around sunset, the beach fills up as people come down to join drumming circles and dance as they see out the day.

VIBE Rustic beach town, great food, spiritual and alternative living, sunset and sunrise over the ocean

GETTING THERE Mazunte is an easy colectivo ride from Highway 200 if coming from Puerto Escondido. You can also catch the colectivo from neighbouring beaches San Agustinillo and Zipolite.

WHERE TO STAY There are endless options for accommodation in Mazunte. Ranging from beach camping, hostels, palapas, holistic retreats and luxury boutique hotels. Whatever you’re looking for, they have it.

La Playa Hostel – Its location makes this place almost unbeatable for a stay right in Mazunte. Close to the beach and around the corner from Rinconcito. All the convenience you could ask for. 

Casa Mermejita – Unbeatable privacy and views! We honestly wouldn’t have found this place had some friends not booked a stay here. Set only a short walk from Rinconcito, each private suite offers privacy and uninterrupted views across Playa Mermejita.

7. San Agustinillo

Situated between the popular Mazunte and Zipolite, San Agustinillo is chilled and still very much a fishing village. The local laid-back pace is infectious and if you spend more than a few days here you can’t help but feel yourself unwind and relax.

We chose to stay here over Mazunte because of the surf which is great for both beginner and experienced surfers. After staying in Zicatela and seeing how many people are surfing at La Punta, you won’t believe how quiet the surf is here! Most of the time we’d have the waves to ourselves or share it with 2 or 3 others. 

The beachfront is lined with restaurants and bars directly accessed from the beach. The street that runs parallel to the beach has a couple of cafes serving incredible fresh ingredient menus. It’s the perfect spot to chill out while only being a 10-minute walk away if you want to enjoy the buzz of Mazunte.

Turtles come in to nest regularly on this beach. We were lucky to see turtle tracks up the beach a few mornings when we were out for a run. One morning we even saw turtle hatchlings making their journey to the sea which was really special!

VIBE Surfers and slow travellers. This is very much a working fishing village, you’ll see the daily catch each morning as it comes in.

GETTING THERE There is a colectivo that runs from Highway 200 through Mazunte, San Agustinillo and finishes in Zipolite. It runs regularly and you can hop on and off anywhere along this road. 

WHERE TO STAY There seems to be almost the same amount of accommodation available door-knocking as there is on booking.com. This is because a lot of locals prefer to run business the old-fashioned (cash only) way. If you are looking the hotel comforts such as air conditioning and hot showers, check out Hotel Boutique Casa la Malagueña or Casa la Ola.

But if you want somewhere for a longer stay and are happy to live simply, there are plenty of places that advertise rooms for rent at the front of their business. When I say simple I mean a double bed with mosquito net, a private bathroom with a cold shower, hammock and potentially a shared kitchen.

8. Zipolite

Zipolite has a similar beach to San Agustinillo however it’s famous for being the only nudist beach in Mexico. We were surprised by how busy it was, what we’ve heard from other travellers is how quickly Zipolite is developing. The beach is buzzing with Ibiza-style beach clubs to palapa-style bars, high-end to casual. Mostly all are open to nudists. Not everyone here is naked but on the beach, I would say at least 80% are. Aside from experiencing what life in a nudist colony could be like, there are some amazing options for food in the town and it’s absolutely worth exploring.

VIBE Nudist beach, beach bars and clubs, great restaurants, surfing

GETTING THERE Zipolite is only a 10-15 minute ride on the Colectivo from San Agustinillo and Mazunte. Also, an easy ride if you hire a scooter.

WHERE TO STAY We didn’t actually stay in Zipolite, we were staying in San Agustinillo, the beach town next door. There are many accommodation options for all styles of travellers. From locally run hostels and hotels to bougie beachfront hotels like Naked Hotel Zipolite.

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