Howdy,I posted a few days ago on our week in Mex City so will follow up with a week on the Oaxaca coast (split Puerto Escondido and San Agustinillo) for those ...
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Oaxaca coast - P. Escondido and San Agustinillo (a quick trip report)
Howdy,I posted a few days ago on our week in Mex City so will follow up with a week on the Oaxacacoast (split Puerto Escondido and San Agustinillo) for those who are interested.
We didnt plan to hit Oaxacas coast until much later in our trip but the lure of some sunshine and doing nothing for a while was pretty overwhelming. That and the fact that we managed to get a flight from MEX-PXM for USD 47 each for the following day. Flight with vivaaerobus was easy and quick. Landed at Puerto Escondido at about 11am. When we grabbed our bags, they had both been rummaged through by someone in security. A few coins i had left in my bag (about 5 pounds sterling) and some caribiner clips were taken... mildly annoying but not trip-ruining... lesson: dont leave ANYTHING in checked luggage except shitty pants.
Collectivo taxi from PXM airport to anywhere in P.E (including Zicatela beach) was about 35 pesos pp I think. We jumped out at del Casa de Dan which unfortunately was booked solid, but they let us leave our bags there and we walked up the beach and checked a few places. Most rooms on Playa Zicatela seemed to be in the 4-600 range.
Opted for Hotel Ines in the end and got a decent room with AC for 600 pn. They have a nice pool area with bar/food service which is not excessively priced. The room was great also - spotlessly clean and huge bed.
We pretty much spent 3 days lounging around by their pool, drinking cerveza victoria and eating guac. On day 2 we took a surf lesson (350 pp) with 2 guys who drove us to the small sheltered cove just north of the town. It was good fun but tiring to us noobs. Surfing it seems is not easy at all. 350 seemed fairly reasonable for the 2 hour lesson with all the gear.
Food wise the best meals were had at Hotel Ines (unimaginative, i know) but to be honest the whole beach seemed half open with barely any people around. - most restaurants seemed shut. We had a fairly average meal of chicken and stir fry veg at el Cafecito (ok, nothing more) and a less than average pizza at a place a few doors away from there (cant recall name) Finding something cheap and 'geniune' around there within easy walking distance at night was not easy - mostly euro tourist food, but the food at Ines was great, so we did not look hard; good antojitos, GREAT steak and fish. All in all a very good place.
After 3 days we were bored of looking at but not being able to swim in the sea (too dangerous, apparently), so decided to head further south to San Agustinillo (sp?)
Getting there from PE was easy, from ADO bus station we got Pochutla bound servicio sur bus to San Antonio ($32) and then hopped in a taxi to San Agustinillo ($25) - there were loads waiting. No hassle at all.
I dunno what we were expecting, but if PE was quiet, San Augustinillo was DEAD. Not a bad thing at all, just an observation... walked up the beach and found a bargain at $250 for a room in a turquoise painted place on the western end of the beach (by the headland) ... think it was called something el Elephant.. what a place that is anyway. Rooms very basic, but they have a shaded roof terrace with kitchen, hammocks, loungers... perfect breeze, great views... awesome!
As with PE about 30% of the places on the beach seemed shut for the season (couldnt understand why noone was there... the weather was perfect) so after getting bored of eating the same fish fillets (although delicious) we bought and cooked some food ourselves in the kitchen of el elephant.
One night we had GREAT pizza at the place on the eastern end of the beach. Next to Punto Placer cabanas. Really good. Go there.
Other than that we spent most of the time bobbing up and down in the waves, reading, drinking beer and lounging. (What a drag!)
On day 3 we took a boat trip ($180 pp) out to see some turtles (loads of them), dolphins, do a bit of fishing and some snorkeling. The fishing was good, the dude on the boat must have caught about 6-7 of those large tuna-like fish (i assume they are tuna, the flesh is very dark) - it was much better than expected - i didnt think we would see dolphins or turtles but we saw dozens. really impressive. the snorkeling wasnt great because the viz was quite poor, but it was fun to get in the water nonetheless. when we got back to the beach the dude from the boat gave us a couple of the fish, which were clumsily gutted, chopped and cooked in the elephants kitchen. would recommend.
also hired surfboards at $50 ph which was good fun.
There isnt much in the way of places to buy supplies (suncream etc) in S.A so thats something to note... we walked over to Manzute to stock up but even that is limited.
All in all another good fun week. Now in Oaxaca city about to start 2 weeks of spanish school and homestay.
Peace and love amigos.
CHRIS
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