caravan ...? la paz to Oaxaca ,puerto escondido

whereisiain

Dec 19, 2011 9:01 PM
Posts:  1

caravan ...? la paz to Oaxaca ,puerto escondido

I am going to be driving from la paz baja, ferry over to the mainland then driving down the coast to Oaxaca ,puerto escondido

i will be leaving baja mid feb and plan on getting to Oaxaca ,puerto escondido by march 1st to do my yoga teacher training

is this enough time 2 weeks to do the drive without being rushed ?

is there any areas that are more dangerous than others ?

can anyone recommend any nice spots that are worth a visit ?

i will be travelling on my own if there is anyone else travelling around the same time maybe we could caravan part of the way together for safety ?

gratitude

billyb2001

Dec 21, 2011 9:50 PM
Posts:  8

1

I've done this route before and will actually be going down the coast again starting in Jan. I'll give you my tips.
I liked La Paz. I took the overnight Ferry to Mazatlan and I suggest paying for a bed rather than sleeping on the floor anywhere on deck. I ended having a 4 bunk room to myself, which I promptly shared with a German backpacker.

Mazatlan is nice and good for a couple days. The roads south seemed good, which is to say I don't remember a painful experience on the Bus. I would guess that you could drive all the way down the coast to Pt Escondido in a couple days, so it comes down to where to stop.
I love Pt Vallarta and but also recommend a smaller surf town north of there called Salulita.
There are many small town all along the coast that are interest to visit. Research that with a LP guidebook.

Pt Escondido is lackluster in my view but I'll give it another shot soon. At least it's got some good Hostels. The real trick i to keep going south a little bit to Mazunte, Zipolite and Puerto Angel. My fav is Mazunte. I hope it hasn't changed too much. The first time I was there, they didn't have electricity. Last time, they had a few internet cafes.

I should warn that these southern beach spots are pretty wild at times as it's full-on beach nudity, drugs galore and a healthy rats-nest of beach thieves that will steal anything left alone for a moment. Taxi drivers are to be avoided whenever possible.

For danger, traffic and police always top the list. The road from pt escondido to Oaxaca city is crazy. It's all curves and you can see various cars and Buses in the ravines. Mazatlan is also in the "drug cartel zone", so it's important not to get mixed up in any of that there. I don't know how you're getting to La Paz but the roads down through Baja are... an experience. Rip currents also drown plenty of people on the southern beaches. Don't eat uncooked shellfish like shrimp in Mazatlan unless you want to experience rapid weight loss (or death).