The Hippie Beach Retreat of Zipolite Mexico
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Zipolite Mexico is one of the most relaxed and coolest beach towns you’ll find in Mexico, that is well off the beaten tourist and resort path. Here you will find sleepy cabanas, lazy hammocks, and fresh food. Dare I say, it is probably the best Mexico hippie beach town. We headed there straight from Oaxaca on our road trip south through the country.
The road from the city of Oaxaca to the coast is an incredible drive that takes you up to nearly 9,000 feet before dropping back down at sea level in just a few hours.
On our way from Hierve el Agua’s petrified waterfalls, we wrapped back around the outskirts of Oaxaca before turning off onto Highway 175, which is reportedly the most scenic of the three highways the lead to the Mexican coast.
We had been in inland Mexico for a long time now, basically ever since leaving the Puerto Vallarta area.
It was time to head back to the beach for the salty air and crashing waves.
San Jose del Pacifico, Mexico
The road began to wind wildly up the mountains and the temperature dropped while the plants and environment changed.
The clouds closed in around us and a light rain began to fall as we reached the highest part of the pass… I had to roll up the truck windows and reach back for my jacket. It was chilly!
We decided to break up the drive to the coast, so we stopped in for a night at San Jose del Pacifico and wandered into Hotel Cabanas, which offered private little mountain cabin rooms with a nice view of the surrounding valleys.
The hotel was only 350 pesos per night, the rooms had a TV, but no internet, you had to pay by the hour in the lobby for that.
We tucked into the thick blankets. It was nice to feel truly cold for the first time since leaving the United States.
Off to Zipolite Mexico
The following day we wound back down the mountain roads and felt the temperature and humidity creep up once again.
It took us another four hours of driving to reach the crashing waves of the Pacific in Zipolite.
The surrounding countryside is green, wild, and tropical. It felt like we’d driven a very long way from Seattle for the first time, with a new and different atmosphere. Lots of little shacks and vendors on the side of the road selling fruits.
Zipolite: A Mexico Hippie Beach Town
This part of Mexico’s coast is still very much removed from the major tourist path and is nothing like Cancun, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, or Cabo San Lucas.
We found a humble little place right on the beach called La Havana which had rustic elevated cabanas for 150 pesos per night (about $10) with an absolutely incredible view of the crashing waves.
It felt like we’d found our little slice of paradise on the Mexican coast.
In the distance, we saw the bare, pale butt cheeks of a couple walking past… Certainly a strange sight.
But Zipolite has become well-known for being one of the few nude beaches in Mexico. It is probably the most well-known, at least.
I gotta say it’s a little strange to have people walking past your door and letting it all hang out, but that’s the way it is here.
Nudity, while not officially allowed, is tolerated, even on the main beach in front of the town, and this place has become popular with the hippy backpackers especially.
Despite all the bare skin (there weren’t that many people, in reality), we were blown away by the incredible view and the cheap prices.
It was a short walk to “town” which isn’t more than a couple of blocks long, where you could grab a beer for 15 pesos ($1) or a bite to eat like a tlayuda — a traditional Oaxacan dish, with a baked tortilla topped with all sorts of goodies that resembles a Mexican pizza — for just 40 pesos ($3).
Life in Zipolite is quiet, relaxed, and peaceful. Most people come here to do nothing at all, just laze about and enjoy beach life and the sounds of the crashing waves.
I loved just hanging out on the chairs on our porch, swinging in the hammock, or walking along the beach at sunset. Honestly, I could have stayed much longer, but the WiFi situation was relatively sporadic and not very strong. Certainly not conducive to someone like me who needs to do at least some work to keep traveling.
Read More: How I Get Paid to Travel the World
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