Zipolite: The Beach of the Dead
By Kristy_Ambrose, 29th May 2015 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/2svvvdg_/Posted in WikinutTravelNorth AmericaMexicoOaxaca
Mexico has a number of famous tourist destinations, but there are still many mysterious places off the beaten path that are waiting to be discovered. Zipolite, also nicknamed "the Beach of the Dead" is one of those special places.
Playa De Amor and Roca Blanca
There are probably thousands of beaches in Mexico, but this is the only one in the entire country where nudity is permitted and marijuana is openly smoked by both locals and tourists. It would appear that the legacy of the first hippy tourists is alive and well between Playa de Amor and Roca Blanca.
Zipolite is not a big place, but the beach itself is vast and open, clearly marked by Roca Blanca in the west and Playa de Amor in the east. Roca Blanca simply means "white rock" and that's exactly what you will see on the north end of the beach. Most of the shops, stores, tour guides, bike rentals, transportation, paved roads and other amenities are on the Roca Blanca side of Zipolite.
Although nudity is acceptable on any part of the beach, Playa de Amor is where it feels mandatory. Wear a suit here and you'll feel out of place. This tiny beach is hidden in a little cove between two steep hills. The rip tides here are virtually non-existent, so it's a nice place to safely swim. The rest of the beach is marked with yellow or red flags to denote safe swimming spots. Enjoy the ocean but be confident in your swimming skills and bring a friend.
Zipolite is not a big place, but the beach itself is vast and open, clearly marked by Roca Blanca in the west and Playa de Amor in the east. Roca Blanca simply means "white rock" and that's exactly what you will see on the north end of the beach. Most of the shops, stores, tour guides, bike rentals, transportation, paved roads and other amenities are on the Roca Blanca side of Zipolite.
Although nudity is acceptable on any part of the beach, Playa de Amor is where it feels mandatory. Wear a suit here and you'll feel out of place. This tiny beach is hidden in a little cove between two steep hills. The rip tides here are virtually non-existent, so it's a nice place to safely swim. The rest of the beach is marked with yellow or red flags to denote safe swimming spots. Enjoy the ocean but be confident in your swimming skills and bring a friend.
The Beach at the End of the World
The southern coast of Oaxaca was virtually untouched by tourism as late as the 1960s, when the first hippies headed south looking for a counterculture haven. They found it here, on a pristine beach that had neither bank, cop shop nor boat launch.
The name, Zipolite, comes from the local indigenous Mixtec language and has two possible meanings. The first, which has become a part of local urban legend and the area's nickname, is "the beach of the dead." The beach is uncrowded and virtually free of boats because of the dangerous and unpredictable rip tides that make navigation difficult and swimming dangerous. The second meaning, considerably less romantic and therefore likely more accurate, is simply "the place of many hills." The latter is also accurate and makes for some inexpensive lodgings that still have a first class view.
The geography of the area, including the ocean itself, is also a contribute to the ethereal feel Zipolite seems to have. Unlike the beaches to the north, which face west across the Pacific Ocean, Zipolite faces south. There is a distinct impression that to head straight out from Zipolite would take you not to Hawaii, Asia or New Zealand, but to a vast expanse of virtually nothing, at least until the wastes of Antarctica.
The locals share all kinds of stories about the ancient history of the beach and those that were fortunate enough to find it before the days of highways and airplanes. One tall tale is about the ancient Nahuatl people. They were aware of this isolation on some level would come here to offer sacrifices to the gods of the dead that lived past the end of the world. How true that may be has been long lost in the riptides of time.
The name, Zipolite, comes from the local indigenous Mixtec language and has two possible meanings. The first, which has become a part of local urban legend and the area's nickname, is "the beach of the dead." The beach is uncrowded and virtually free of boats because of the dangerous and unpredictable rip tides that make navigation difficult and swimming dangerous. The second meaning, considerably less romantic and therefore likely more accurate, is simply "the place of many hills." The latter is also accurate and makes for some inexpensive lodgings that still have a first class view.
The geography of the area, including the ocean itself, is also a contribute to the ethereal feel Zipolite seems to have. Unlike the beaches to the north, which face west across the Pacific Ocean, Zipolite faces south. There is a distinct impression that to head straight out from Zipolite would take you not to Hawaii, Asia or New Zealand, but to a vast expanse of virtually nothing, at least until the wastes of Antarctica.
The locals share all kinds of stories about the ancient history of the beach and those that were fortunate enough to find it before the days of highways and airplanes. One tall tale is about the ancient Nahuatl people. They were aware of this isolation on some level would come here to offer sacrifices to the gods of the dead that lived past the end of the world. How true that may be has been long lost in the riptides of time.
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