Playa Zipolite. Welcome To The Beach Of The Dead!

Ivan Jay

Review of Posada Arigalan, Mazunte, Mexico - TripAdvisor
Posada Arigalan: Great mid range choice for the area - See traveler reviews, 31 candid photos, and great deals for Mazunte, Mexico, at TripAdvisor.
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“Great mid range choice for the area”

Reviewed July 17, 2012 NEW

I would recommend POSADA ARIGALAN to travelers who are looking for a bit more comfort than backpacker accomodation and are willing to spend a bit more but would still like to stay within a moderate budget. Arigalan is your basic, modest but nice, small, Mexican hotel type of place- but the AC, terraces, large room size, refrigerator, lock box for valuables all added greatly to our comfort. Staff were nice. It was on the same hilltop as Casa Pan de Miel and Zoa and presumably shares the same view but is the most economical of the three.
We reserved for the basic king room with AC, but were moved (upgraded) to the suite with large terrace due to construction of more accomodations going on at the property. We never heard any noise, glad to say.
Firstly, considering how ungodly hot it was in this area in May (and all months but May is one of the worst), I am so glad we chose Posada Arigalan for the air conditioning! I'm a hot climate loving person but sleeping in AC was a godsend in Mazunte!
Secondly, the views are every bit as great as stated!
Tips:
*Be careful on the uneven steep stairs leading down from the hotel to SA beach!
*Bring bug spray, especially if you want to enjoy your terrace in the evening.
*If you're on San Agustinillo beach, one of the best of the beach restaurants is Mexico Que Lindo y Que Rico (an Arigalan staff recommendation). You can get good breakfast lunch or dinner there. We tried several restaurants in Mazunte and SA (it is fairly easy walk to everything) and overall I was rather disappointed in the area restaurants compared to Huatulco and other places on Pacific coast (excepting Que Rico y Que Lindo).
*I would recommend Mazunte/San Agustinillo to young travelers who are looking for a good backpacker/international scene, or to somewhat adventurous middle aged travelers who like laid back, quiet beach destinations.
*I would recommend these beaches to folks who are comfortable with somewhat strong waves.
*We thought San Agustinillo a prettier more quiet beach, but it is more of a beach than a town. The restaurants (all right on the beach) tended to close at 6PM (cause low season?) so it was necessary to go to Mazunte for dinner, which is a little more of a town and more happening. So we tended to hang at SA all day(at Que Rico), and Mazunte in evening.
*Bring whatever cash you will need as it is a pain and a waste of money to cab it to Pochutla to nearest ATM.

I would definately like to return to the area some day and choose Posada Arigalan for my stay. I think i would ideally stay part of the time in Huatulco for the tastier food and variety of beaches, and part of the time in Mazunte/SA for the get away from it all feel.

Room Tip: Consider springing for the King suite- room was spacious and terrace huge. Definately get a room wi...

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Ivan Jay

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Women from Papaloapam perform the graceful Pineapple Flower Dance

Oaxaca's Guelaguetza honors the Goddess of Tender Corn
After a long, dry winter in the Mexican sierra, summer rains awaken the earth. Billowing clouds form in the afternoon to drench fields and towns with cool, refreshing showers. Fields come to life as they have for thousands of years, as maize, beans and squash flourish.
Midway through the rainy season, the Zapotec people of present day Oaxaca gave thanks to Xilonen, goddess of tender corn, with offerings, dance and ritual. Spanish priests continued the celebrations, dedicating the event to the Virgin of Carmen, whose feast day falls on July 16.
Today, the Guelaguetza's pageantry is captivating, drawing visitors from everywhere to this UNESCO World Heritage site. But… what does the name mean? What can visitors expect? Are there parallel events? Where is the best place to see the festivities?
Maria Diaz and anthropologist Alvin Starkman know — both live in Oaxaca. Let them guide you on the pages of Mexconnect.com.
Click here to read more

More about the city

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Ivan Jay · 2012-07-19T23:54:49-04:00

Thunderstorms in Puerto Escondido from Rune Dahl Fitjar on Vimeo.

Thunderstorms in Puerto Escondido

by Rune Dahl Fitjar 2 days 13 hours ago /

Creative Commons License:: by

Tropical thunderstorm. The lightning and thunder went on at this frequency from 8pm until well after midnight - very different from our average thunderstorm in Northern Europe!

Ivan Jay

91 visitor photos

Ranked #1 of 4 tours in Puerto Escondido

44 Reviews

Type: Wharfs/ Piers/ Boardwalks, Water sports

Owner description: Dolphin watching - "if you like the outdoors, this is it! We are privileged to have 4 species of dolphin in these waters - spotted, spinner, common... more »

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ChrisHouston_12

Houston, Texas

1 review

“Fishing Puerto Escondido in "the off season"”

Reviewed July 16, 2012 NEW

I went fishing with Omar and Israel 2 times in mid July, "the off season". On the first trip, we caught 2 really nice sailfish. The water was perfect, so I went out again later in the week. By 10, we brought in another sailfish. We then proceeded to just miss 3 sailfish opportunities, where the sailfish were just so finicky, they wouldn't take the bait. Determined to catch one more, we stayed out, and hooked up with a big blue marlin. We fought the fish for over 2 hours, and finally brought it in. It was an amazing experience, and the expertise and professionalism of these guys made it happen. They are knowledgeable and know how to have fun on the water. Not only was the fishing great, but we saw birds, turtles, and over a 1000 dolphin. I will be back to fish with them in the future.

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Relentless4Ever

1 review

“THE BEST!!!”

Reviewed July 13, 2012

Don't miss this! Omar and Israel are such terrific, interesting people and the best guides you could ask for. Sailfish, dolphins, turtles, deep blue ocean, lots of laughs, and "nature, nature, nature". Thank you guys for such a wonderful, memorable experience. Today sailfish; tomorrow marlin! ........Maya & Sid Smith

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July 16, 2012

Hola dear coustomer!
We are soo glad to hear that you had a great time with us!
It is very importand for us know that and so this way,we will
Continue doing our best to make your trip very special!!!
Have a good day!
Thank you.

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Fady G

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1 review

“Amazing day out!!”

Reviewed July 1, 2012

Omar and Israel gave us one the best days of our vacation. Omar knows so much about the sea and we learnt a lot that day.

Not only did we see hundreds of dolphins and swim with the turtles but we also had a huge sailfish on the line. Even though it dropped off, Omar didn't let us go home empty handed. We caught a Mahi Mahi which Israel filleted straight in front of us!! Once back to shore, Omar introduced us to some ladies who cooked up our catch. What a day!!

A huge thanks to Omar and Israel for taking the time to share their knowledge with such enthusiasm and genuine passion. Cannot wait until we return again!!

Adios amigos,

Jess and Fady

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July 3, 2012

hi amigos! it was a pleasure for us to have you aboard!
we want to thank you for your time and for giving us the oportunity to show you the sea life!
thankyou for your bussines and for your review!
have a great day.

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TractorM

Melbourne, Australia

Reviewer

4 reviews

Reviews in 3 cities

2 helpful votes

“Great fishing and sight seeing with professionals!”

Reviewed June 12, 2012

1

person found this review helpful

We had a fantastic time with Omar and Israel, seeing Turtles, Dolphins and flying Manta Ray's. In between we were lucky enough to catch a dorado and several skipjack's. Highly recommended if you are in Puerto Escondido.

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tsrico

Austin, Texas

Senior Reviewer

6 reviews

Reviews in 3 cities

2 helpful votes

“Awesome!”

Reviewed June 10, 2012

Caught a huge Dorado and several Jack fish. Ask to go out with Juan & Kiko as your guides!

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June 11, 2012

hola dear coustomer!
thank you very much for your comment!
it make us fell very special to hear about how people enjoy our nature,
we are soo glad to hear that.
have a great day!

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Ivan Jay

H2O'C

Senior Member

Save Puerto Escondido!

Go check out the IBA!! Get off your butt and do some good!!They are kicking major arse with a rebuilding effort for the Puerto Escondido area, the IBA are doing a fundraiser with the assistance of photographers and artist from all over the world. www.ibaworldtour.com

Ivan Jay

Viva Veracruz & Viva Puerto Escondido

Musings from and about

Fun in Acapulco

JUL21
20124 COMMENTS AND 0 REACTIONSWRITTEN BY JOHN CALYPSO

Puerto Escondido to Acapulco 248 miles or 400 Kilometers (driving)

Mexico City to Acapulco 236 miles or 380 Kilometers.

It is nearly the same distance from Mexico City or Puerto Escondido to Acapulco.

We have yet to make the journey to Acapulco from our home in Puerto – but a trip is in the works (planning stages – yes, we actually plan now).

Acapulco is northwest of our home in Puerto Escondido.We have been using the Internet to check on hotels, road conditions, things to see etc. For some inexplicable reason we decided to rent the Elvis Presley movie Fun in Acapulco to add to our research. This is of course quite laughable as an information source – but we always liked the King in any case.

Did you know that the 1963 Elvis Presley film Fun in Acapulco was mostly shot at Hollywood’s Paramount Studio? In fact Elvis never made it to Mexico for the film. Some background and ‘color’ shots were taken in Mexico by a second unit, but the King never made it south of the border.

Fun in Acapulco is one of Elvis’ supposedly more entertaining offerings. The songs, in this his 13^th film, are Mexican flavored. But we have to say the cuts from a sound stage in Hollywood to the streets of Acapulco are ridiculous. We were embarrassed for the King who has has been dead for thirty-five years! What were they and he thinking?

Even Better Looking in Person!

We actually still enjoy Viva Las Vegas which is pretty much the same formula film except shot on actual location. My musical sense tells me they should have slowed the tempo down just a bit on the tune of the same name – but then that’s just me. It is only someone like me that will argue with success.

If nothing else seeing “old Las Vegas” jogs the memories and is a visual trip back in time. And then there was a twenty-something Ann Margret – wow – she almost stole the show which bothered Colonel Tom Parker a lot.

During a recording session we were doing with Barbra Streisand, Presley came in the building. We thought he was better looking in person than in his movies or on T.V. (if that is possible). Male and female alike could not deny his beauty – that is for sure.

Presley was being wooed to play the male lead in Streisand’s then upcoming film, “A Star is Born.” Streisand was hooked up with her hair dresser, Jon Peters, who instantly became a record and then film producer (oh my!). Apparently Colonel Tom Parker demanded EP get top billing – there just was not enough room at the top for the egos of Streisand and Colonel Tom; especially after Ann Margret’s upstaging .

As we all now know Kris Kristofferson got the call and Jon Peters went on to be President of Sony Pictures for a time. Senora Calypso started adult life as a hair dresser to the stars and ended up marrying me – Two crimpers of many talents and great successes.

But I digress.

Acapulco is an old resort town. We were there several times many, many years ago – before Cancun became the it place. Last time we were there all the action was at the north end of the bay. We understand the big resort hotels are now at the south end of the bay.

We will continue to nail down the details for some fun in Acapulco sans gathering any useful information from the film. We cannot in all good conscious (read taste) recommend the movie. As to our take on the city – Stay Tuned!

Posted in Around Mexico, Friends, Frugal Travelers, Las Vegas, Mexico, Opinion, Puerto Escondido

Ivan Jay

With so many attractive features, Puerto Escondido is ‘a little piece of heaven’

By Susan Lundy on July 16, 2012

Playa Principal, Puerto Escondido

Sitting here in Canada, wrapped in a fuzzy, warm robe, feet stuffed into wool socks and slippers, and the sound of rain pummeling the roof above me, it’s not difficult to think of reasons why I should be in Puerto Escondido.
Number one reason, obviously, is that Puerto is a little piece of heaven. I discovered this my very first morning after walking along the Andador Escénico sea walk (a bit of architectural and scenic divinity in itself). As I came around the corner, I stopped short at my first sight of Playa Principal. A golden ribbon of sandy beach stretched out before me, ringed with a cheerful clutter of bright, beach-side buildings, leafy green trees, fishing boats moored in the harbour, and a happily haphazard rise of buildings on the hillside above. There was a gentle hum of activity: fishermen unloading the morning’s catch and families playing in the water. Surely I had stepped through the pearly gates of heaven.
Morning coffee on the beach is another reason to wake up in Puerto. I take my coffee seriously — a good morning coffee experience sets the tone for the entire day. How wrong can it go, sipping java on a hot, sun-drenched beach, the sound of waves washing over sand, and the sight of pelicans frolicking at your feet?
Then there are the colours of Puerto. Anyone with an eye for the aesthetic will appreciate the brightly-painted orange, yellow and purple buildings — many with multi-hued tiles or red roofs — perched amid walls of climbing pink flowers and lush greenery. The ocean is crisp blue, topped with sun-spotted whitecaps; and everyone seems to dress in happy colours, appropriate to life in heaven, I guess.
It would be extremely un-female of me at this point to not mention another eye-pleasing aspect of Puerto. This is one of the top-10 surfing destinations in the world, drawing hundreds of young surfers from all corners of the earth to navigate its crashing waves. A healthy number of these are young men. One might notice their strapping, bronzed appearance, but that’s not the point, of course. What I mean is that they all carry around some very nice looking surfboards.
Ambiance also sits high on the list. Puerto has the physical attributes of a superior visitor destination — sun, sand and surf — without excessive tourist trappings. It remains small and unpretentious; the people are friendly, helpful and accessible.
Another reason to visit is that there’s lots to do in this sunny little corner of heaven — so much, in fact — it can be exhausting merely trying to select an option. Best advice in this scenario is to succumb to the lull of the beach (this shouldn’t be difficult since there are eight to chose from), and alternate between roaming the shoreline, playing in the warm-water waves, taking a siesta in the sand, and drinking cerveza at a beach-side bar.
You could also meander through shopping areas like the trinket-rich Adoquín behind Playa Principal; or the more locally-oriented Mercado Benito Juárez.
Places to eat abound, serving up every type of food imaginable. And prepare to swoon over the uber-fresh seafood: it’s definitely food of the gods. Once again, it can be taxing trying to decide where to eat. Restaurant on the beach? Up higher, with a view to the sunset? Tucked away, mid-town?
But back to the activities. Somewhere between delightfully-indolent Puerto “things to do” and hyper-strenuous ones, are the many tour opportunities. To indulge in a tour, you do have to remove yourself from the beach and all those tequila-in-a-coconut drinks, but you needn’t exert copious amounts of energy.

Nature-lovers are truly in luck because eco-tourism thrives in Puerto. Right on Puerto’s doorstep sits the Océano Pacífico, where one can see dolphins, whales, sea turtles, jumping fish, and all sorts of birds. Fishing tours run full- and half-days, and some guides will even arrange for local restaurants to turn your catch into your dinner.
The area also has a huge sea turtle population and via the various tours, you can witness almost every stage of their lives.
Up the coast, it gets even more heavenly for nature-lovers at Manialtepec Lagoon, where tours take you in open-air boats, canoes or kayaks to view the area’s rapturous flora and fauna. Here there are hundreds of bird species, such as jacanas, black-crowned night herons, parrots and egrets. Tours occur during the day, at sunset and even at night when — in some seasons — the bioluminescence is present. Gliding or swimming amid this glowing plankton as it sparkles and glimmers in the inky water is truly a celestial experience.
Topping my Puerto “to do” list the next time I trade warm clothes and slippers for a bikini is a visit to Lagunas de Chacahua National Park, 65 kilometres west of Puerto. There are five villages in the park, miles of open-ocean shoreline, islands where you can camp, plus jungle and lagoons. Like Manialtepec, it’s home to birds, fish and wildlife, but here you can add to the list crocodiles, which are being restored to the area via a hatchery. (Hopefully not on the camping islands.)
Appropriate to any piece of heaven, Puerto is home to a goddess, and Gina Macchoro, who runs the visitor information kiosk on the Adoquín, should be your first stop, no matter which tour piques your interest. Known as the “Information Goddess,” Gina can set you up with any tour your soul desires. She is a splendid guide and offers several of her own tours, such as a twice-weekly walking expedition where she imparts fascinating tidbits on everything from the area’s history to the types of plants growing on the roadside. She also organizes an archeological tour which visits nearby pyramids, plus an agricultural tour.
Undertaking any of these expeditions might require a recovery session back on the beach, or perhaps a “time out” at one of the area’s many spas.
But next up, you might want to rev up, because Puerto offers lots more to do. As a surfing Mecca, it’s the perfect place to learn the art of riding the waves. Lessons are available for all skill levels and, happily for the newbie, there’s a beginners’ beach that doesn’t put you in the middle of world class surfers and massive waves. Snorkeling is another option, or how about horseback riding . . . even skydiving? Puerto has fitness centres, but an easier way to keep fit might be running up and down all the stairs: stairs to scenic look-outs; stairs up, down and over the sea walk; and stairs to many of the beaches and back.
Amid all these ongoing activities are the seasonal ones, which are important to know about when you’re sitting up in Canada trying to decide which month to get a Puerto suntan. In November there’s the Fiestas de Noviembre, which include a world-class surfing competition (remember all those nice-looking surfboards), in January through March a boogie-on-the-beach music festival; and the annual carnival blasts into town in March.
The good news is, no matter which season you choose, or which activities you undertake, life is always golden in heaven. And that’s the best reason of all to visit.
Reprinted from the archives of El Sol de la Costa.