ZIPOLITE AND MAZUNTE: NUDIES, YOGA, AND SUN March 16, 2013 · by howthisgirltravels

HOW THIS GIRL TRAVELS

A twenty-something's guide to traveling the world.

ZIPOLITE AND MAZUNTE: NUDIES, YOGA, AND SUN

March 16, 2013 · by howthisgirltravels · in Places, Transportation

Zipolite and Mazunte in a Nutshell

Zipolite and Mazunte are two beach towns in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca and are located about 10 minutes apart, by car. Zipolite is known for being one of Mexico’s only clothing optional (i.e. nude) beaches. Meanwhile, Mazunte is home to the National Mexican Turtle Centre, and apparently turtles like its beaches as a nesting ground (however, ít wasn’t the season when I went in February).

Sunrise at Playa Zipolite

Getting There

While I was freezing my ass off in San Cristobal de las Casas, my friend Toya suggested that I meet her in Zipolite. The idea of a nude beach frightened me slightly (will I have to go COMPLETELY naked? will I be grossed out by the sight of naked people - thin, fat, and everything in between?), but the word “beach” alone was enough to lure me. An overnight bus from Tuxtla Gutierrez got me to Pochutla, Oaxaca for about $320 MXC. From Pochutla, I took my first ride on the back of a camionetta (modified pick-up truck) for $10 MXC to get to Zipolite.

By the way, I thought I was being smart by trying to take combi’s – collective vans - all the way from San Cristobal de Las Casas to Pochutla. My logic being that I made it from Palenque to San Cris in combi’s for a bargain. Nope! Made it as far as Tuxtla Gutierrez, where I was disappointed to find out that the only way to go on was by bus… and that I would have to wait hours and hours in a city where there’s not much to do or see (actually, there’s a really great zoo, which of course happened to be closed on the day I went). Moral of the story: ask around before you try to get somewhere far in a combi!

Accomodations

On my arrival to Zipolite, a German couple pointed me towards Shambhala as a chill place to stay. Shambhala is a spiritual centre with dorms, rooms, and cabanas, as well as a meditation centre on top of a hill. With dorms at $120 MXC, it was a bit pricier than other locations in town, but the moment I saw the view of the beach from the dorm room, I had to stay.

The story behind Shambhala is that the lady who owns it (Gloria) was one of the first Americans to take advantage of the area’s beauty. Back in the hippy days, the police would give shit to the nudies, and she would sound a horn when she saw the police coming in order to warn people that they should clothe themselves, pronto. In a way, she is responsible for making Zipolite what it is today. However, a few years ago a hurricane did some serious damage to her property. Thanks to a volunteer named Dan, I signed up to help bring life to Shambhala by selling some beers on the beach and making signs, in exchange for a free place to stay.

View from Shamblaha dorms

Shamblaha

Making some signs to bring life to Shambhala

The Scene

I dropped off my bags in the dorm rooms of Shabhala at 8:30 am. By 10 am, I had given my first attempt at surfing and seen way more more old-man penis than I was hoping for. The days consisted of early-morning swims, followed by a bit of work, cooking dinner, and a party on occasion. Zipolite doesn’t have too much of a night life, but one night we attended a trance party on the beach (not my type of music, btw).

Getting ready to fiesta at Zipolite

In the evenings, the main street of Zipolite was lined with artists selling their goods. My favourite was a dude who made necklace charms by cutting the negative space out of coins from all over the world.

Artist who makes charms out of coins at Zipolite

Artist who makes charms out of coins at Zipolite

One more thing about Zipolite: the main beach is knows as La Playa de los Muertos (The Beach of the Dead). If that wasn’t creepy enough, two days before my arrival somebody drowned just meters away from where I was staying. To add to the scare factor, during my week-long stay, I saw a dead parrot, two dead fish (one blowfish and one small tuna), and a dead meter-long turtle on the beach. Right. Playa de los Muertos.

Mazunte is a short ride away by camionetta (at $6 MXC), and has some beautiful beaches as well.

Rocky shore near Mazunte

Beach near Mazunte

Art at Mazunte

When we passed by Mazunte, a circus festival was happening. Workshops were being offered in juggling and other circus skills

Mazunte circus workshop

I had a chance to see the work of an artist named Jean-Charles Vignal, who has a travel blog at Petit JC en Amerique (in French).

Jean-Charles Vignal and his art

Art by Jean-Charles Vignal

In Mazunte, a lady was selling fresh fish at three for $10 MXC.

Fresh fish for sale at Mazunte

Comida y Bebida (Food and Drink)

My days at Zipolite usually involved orange juice, coconuts in one form or another, and coconut ice cream (the best).

Coconut on the beach at Zipolite

Zipolite lacked economic food options. As a result, we took advantage of the fire grill outside our (temporary) home. My friend Toya made a great chef on the grill (check out her blog - Breakfast in Montreal)!

Toya cooking  meat and veggies at Shambhala

Breakfast crepes with veggies on the grill at Shambhala

Still, one of my Zipolite food highlights was sharing a shrimp omlette and strawberry smoothie at a hotel called Nude.

Shrimp omlette and strawberry smoothie at Nude (Zipolite)

One affordable food option at Zipolite was sopes (a form of tortillas with beans and cheese) for $5 MXC each.

Sopes at Zipolite

At Oralel Cafe, owned by a Quebecois dude, I had some amazing Aztec soup (broth with avocado, cheese, and tortilla chips, $45 MXC) with the best coffee in town ($20 MXC, Americano with milk).

Oralel Cafe

Aztec soup at Cafe Oralel, Zipolite

At Pochutla, I had the best meal that $10 MXC will buy – a doblada with pollo con salsa roja (chicken in red sauce) and rajas con crema (chile peppers with cream). They also had a bunch of other fillings to choose from!

Doblada stand at Pochutla

MAZUNTE AND PUERTO ANGEL AWAIT YOU

Mazunte and Puerto Angel Await You. If you are visiting Huatulco, a stop in Mazunte and Puerto Angel is a must. They are tranquil beach communities in Oaxaca and will transport you back into time.

Playa Panteon

Mazunte is about 30 miles away from Huatulco and if you love sea turtles, then there is no question that you must visit this town. Mazunte used to be the center of sea turtle hunting until it was banned in 1990. Now, the main industry here is sea turtle conservation and locally made cosmetic products. The company sponsoring the production of these products is The Body Shop. This has helped the town’s inhabitants have a sustainable livelihood.

The turtle center covers over 30 hectares and provides a sanctuary for all types of turtles. It is both a science and research center for turtles. Admission is free. The center provides incubation for sea turtle eggs and helps the baby turtles get back to the ocean when the time is right. In the month of May, thousands of sea turtles come to nest and hatch their eggs.

Mazunte has strict building codes. Anything being built in town must be made with natural materials and must blend in with the rest of the city’s architecture. Most of the buildings are low level and have a rustic flavor.

Mazunte is also home to many festivals such as the Mazunte Jazz Festival, Spring Equinox Festival and international dance exhibitions.

The beaches in the area are very beautiful. You can go to Principal Beach, Rinconcito Beach, Playa Bermejita and Playa Escobilla. Playa Escobilla Bay is home to the sea turtles who visit en mass to lay their eggs in the month of May and for several months afterward. You cannot visit this beach area during the sea turtle hatching season and it is heavily guarded with armed guards.

Puerto Angel is a truly tranquil spot on the Pacific Coast between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido. It is a fishing village that is home to many excellent restaurants serving locally caught fish. From here, you can visit Playa Panteon, Playa Estacahuite and Zipolite Beach. Playa Estacahuite is separated by rocks in three different places. The water is fairly calm and clear. It is wonderful place to snorkel but you will have to rent your equipment elsewhere. There is only one restaurant that is open during high season and they do not rent out snorkeling equipment.

You can visit a number of attractions in the area such as Laguna de Ventanilla. It got its name from a rock on the beach which has a small opening resembling a window. It is also home to a lagoon full of birds, reptiles and fish. It has a crocodile farm in which you can visit. You can travel by canoe in the lagoon and see these birds, iguana and crocodiles in their natural habitat. You can also go horse back riding on the beach. The area suffered a series of hurricanes and a lost most of their mangroves. A serious reforestation effort has been underway and the mangroves have sprung back to life.

BRANDON HILTON - DANCE TIL I DIE (Audio)

Giancarlo Bruniera

Giancarlo Bruniera

ZBB is hosting an open-mic on 2013-03-19 at 20:00 Colibri Zipolite... in Playa Zipolite, OAX http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/186005365 Facebook Player for Zipolite Beach Billies | Other Music, lyrics, videos, concert schedule, and more at ReverbNation.

Brian Legg 4:55am Mar 19 ZBB is hosting an open-mic on 2013-03-19 at 20:00 Colibri Zipolite... in Playa Zipolite, OAX http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/186005365 Facebook Player for Zipolite Beach Billies | Other Music, lyrics, videos, concert schedule, and more at ReverbNation.

Puerto Escondido SØNDAG 17. MARS 2013

Synne in Tacoland

Why yes, i do frequently burst out in song! :D Norwegian 
girl in Mexico. Photographer and travel lover sharing silly
 moments :)

SØNDAG 17. MARS 2013

Puerto Escondido

We arrived in Puerto Escondido on the Oaxacan coast the following morning
 and checked in to our hostel with an amazing view of Zicatela beach. Since
 the others came from freezing Norway and I live in Xalapa which has no beach
 to brag about, we all wanted to spend a few days just soaking on the different
 beaches in the area.

Puerto Angelito was our definite favorite. It is secluded, with nice beach 
restaurants where we got beds, coconuts and delicious seafood lunch.

Part of a reason for them coming, second to seeing me I hope, was to celebrate my moms 60^th birthday, which we spent on a boat, snorkeling and looking for dolphins and turtles (who never showed up for the celebration btw) It was only us and a bunch of mexican tourists, the party music was booming and the liquor floating :P 

To my big happiness, as this is something I have always wanted to do, me and my sister
 went to check out liberation of baby turtles on another beach some 20 min
 away. And it was AMAAAAZING!

We get there and see around 200 tiny baby turtles that was born the day 
before, crawling around in this little tank not having a clue on what adventure
 awaits them!

We got a couple of 20 babies that was our responsibility and we got to play 
and photograph them for about an hour before we all went down to the water 
to let them go. Oh my monkey, sooooo cute!!! And the little babies knew
 exactly what they were doing! We put them down on the beach and they
 ran out into the sunset as nobodies business. It was absolutely beautiful!

After a few days of suntanning (or burning for some of us who never learn :/ ) we had to move on if we wanted to get through everything. So Monday morning we met up for a bus to Oaxaca City some 6 hours away, on 1^stclass we thought. Not really true…. It was a tiny van which was full after a few minutes. And it wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the fact that the road over the mountains is twirly and nasty. So the young couple with a baby next to me couldn’t really handle it and they both threw up like crazy, in the same bag I might add, which they kept with them for the next hours until the break. Great!! Breath with your mouth....

Oaxaca City, are you ready? :)

Huatulco Tour

Punta Cometa 2013 Video

Puerto Escondido – A Nocturnal Dream | SheSighted Puerto Escondido. 4:00am, 1 Valium and 6hrs into our bus ride from Acapulco to Puerto Escondido, I wake to find frost bite on my nose and 2 balaclaved men ... shesighted.wordpress.com/.../puerto-escondido-a-nocturnal-dr...

Puerto Escondido – A Nocturnal Dream | SheSighted
Puerto Escondido. 4:00am, 1 Valium and 6hrs into our bus ride from Acapulco to Puerto Escondido, I wake to find frost bite on my nose and 2 balaclaved men ...
shesighted.wordpress.com/.../puerto-escondido-a-nocturnal-dr...

Puerto Escondido – A Nocturnal 

Dream

GALLERY

Posted on March 16, 2013

Puerto Escondido

4:00am, 1 Valium and 6hrs into our bus ride from Acapulco to Puerto Escondido,
I wake to find
frost bite on my nose and 2 balaclaved men stalking down the aisle.

As I come too, I realise the bus has come to a complete stop and people are whispering in that “I’m-freaking-out-hypochondriac way”.
I look outside and there is at least 100 + balaclava heads that seem to be
forging some sort of human road block right in front of our bus
I immediately turn to the deep grumbling orchestra I call my boyfriend and try to wake him.
The 2 backpackers sitting in front of us look worried which spike my adrenaline to 10.
We were then “Asked”, key word ‘asked’, to “Please get off the bus, we’re taking over now”.

Being pitch black outside and having no clue where we are, I softly decline their offer and stay seated in my seat.

I soon realise this is no offer and immediately gather all our luggage and pile off the bus.
We are all standing in the pitch dark asking what the “fuck” is going on and of course my mind shoots straight to the worst kidnapping scenario on HBO.

Eventually we find someone who speaks a little english and explains to us that they are not here to rape, steal or kill us, in fact they would love to talk to us seeing as their ..dum dum dum…University students who are protesting against the government for the reduction in their education funds.

It was scary at the time ok, they could have done without the balaclava.

Anyway, we ended up getting a lift with the next van taxi which took us directly to Puerto Escondido, where our month of being nocturnalists begins…(please tell me that’s a word)

So, Puerto meaning- Port and Escondido meaning – essence..port essence or Essence of the port.. Could be good or bad, depending on which port you speak of.

Also depending on whether your intelligence is enough to know when im bullshitting..
HA!

So, Puerto Escondido was a month of relajate-ing (relaxing)
Put up in the best Aussie populated apartment ..hot water and all.. trust me, that’s luxury enough when travelling these parts of the world, not to mention a toilet with a seat.

I wont go into much detail here as it was a whole month blurred into one night, but you can only imagine the outcome of a month in a place which bares a similarity to our neighbouring party island “Bali” only 10x better.

With the luxury of our 5 star apartment, the people we met and the festivities we HAD to share in, we were reluctant to stray far from the nest.. The corner shop or our favourite restaurant, ‘Fish taco’ was about as far as we got.

However we did manage to boat it to Chacahua, a place known for its right hand point break..and, as we found out later, also renowned for its crocodiles, sharks and plagues of mosquitos. But don’t let that deter you as it’s still quite a thrill to experience; moonlight surfing (obviously previous to the knowledge of what lies beneath) whilst the bonfires burn on the beach and you come in from your surf to a feast cooked by Mumma Zita and get to shower the ‘local’ way by pouring water from a bucket over yourself.
Even funnier if you have a girlfriend named Bree who steals your clothes whilst you wash.

So to add it all up, Puerto is an awesome place where you eat amazing food, get crowded but pumping surf and meet awesome people ..
you know who you are 

Tips:
Getting here from Acapulco: Well, it really isn’t a bad ride on the bus besides the uni hijackers but that was a rare case and im sure you’ll be fine so stop winging and get on.
You catch it from the bus stop in acapulco..der.. it’s about 10hrs so id suggest doing the night bus.
Cost:$35
Alternatively a flight from Mex city should cost you the same and is only a fraction of the time.

Stayed: Possibly one of the best places we’ve stayed, ever, The famousAqua Luna, run by a passionate and professional couple who instantly become lovable characters and who attract only the best.
Not to mention the food was always up to standard and their wonderful staff, always helpful and with a jacuzzi on the top balcony..well, whats not to love! Hence the full month stay.

Food: Some of the best places I’ve also eaten; For breakfast “Dans Cafe” is well-known and does healthy juices for the conscious.
Another favourite was a little romantic place called “Paris”, about a 5 min taxi ride from town.
Another must is the broaster chicken with DIY tacos at across the road from Super Che, it looks a little dodge but super tasty and cheap.
Then Taco Brown, again sounds…RUDE.. but will feed a cave man, aka my boyfriend.
And last but certainly not least is our favourite trendy: Fish Taco- I reccommend..the fish taco..and recently opened (right next door to Fish Taco) is a place called “Cool Drink” Best salads and Chimmy Chengas I’ve eaten.
wow..so we ate a bit here huh.

To go out: Bar Fly and Kabbalah (i think that’s how you spell it) awesome for dance, live music and chilled beach cabana’s for drinks, not so chilled if  there’s a crazy chick who loves her tequila!!

ENJOY !!

Giancarlo Bruniera 13 hours ago Photo

Giancarlo Bruniera

13 hours ago