"Zipolite es peligroso," a travel guide named Librado said, with solemn eyes, seated on the sand beside me. Es peligroso, translating to,
very dangerous. I sat on a purple wooden lounge chair sipping coffee and we both stared out at the crashing ocean together. Zipolite Beach means the Beach of Death, because the waves crash so ferociously that they suck people in.
The strip of ZIpolite beach is very tiny and you can walk from one side to the other in less than 10 minutes. The weather's perfect here though and this is like a little Mexican paradise as it's always sunny, sometimes windy and warm all the time. As a warning, watch out for the mosquitoes if you visit this beach. But it's worth a visit. Tourists are from all areas of the world and yes, people are nude here. This is a nude beach by the way, where it's even legal!
Welcome to the Sandy Beach of Cabana HeavenDozens of cabanas, collective hostels and hotels are located on the coastline
. You will find different types of accommodations. Most accommodations are cheap. Cabanas with basic electricity typically have public restrooms and showers and are about 6-10 bucks USD a day. Hotels with Wifo are like finding a pin out of a haystack and are usually found in the high end hotels, that are clean, but pricey. Some places are nicer than others. The trick is to be sure to ask around. The first hostel I stumbled into was gross. The bed sheets weren't washed and there were no other tourists around the area. That also says a lot.
I hopped to the next cabana to the right and I was welcomed by a peaceful Italian woman with brown hair and a charming demeanor. A Reiki sign and hippies around made me know right away that this was the place for me. I asked to see the room first. It was small, very basic, with a concrete floor, one bed and one desk. It's rustic, different, and overall a unique experience.
Basic Resources in ZipoliteThere's a laundry place where a family lives. They clean your laundry for $15 pesos per kilo. There’s an Internet café where you can buy Internet for $15 pesos an hour and coffee for $15 pesos, or Internet computer stations where you can use their computers and printing/scanning technology for $15 pesos an hour and extra pesos for services. You will find general stores here with all the goods, from food, to purified water, to all the basic supplies. Be warned, there's no ATMs or banks on Zipolite Beach. You'll have to go to the nearest boat town called Puerto Angel to get money out. The colectivos are cheap and will be about $5 pesos.
A Naked Tourist TrapPeople walk around naked here and I guess it's the place to go because it's the only nude beach in Mexico. It's illegal in any other beach towns around the area. There will be signs on other beach towns stating that it's illegal as well, just to remind travelers to not get naked or face the consequences. After spending an immortal day or two on Zipolite Beach, I noticed a lot of people just walk to-and-fro along the coast. An equal amount of men and women walk around nude. I've seen older men go jogging naked. There's been countless times where I'd pass older woman walking topless. The locals are on the beach selling tours and hand-made jewelry. Befriend them and they will find you throughout your stay, as if they had super human radar, on all times of the day. There are a lot of international travelers here. As a reminder, it isn't advised to actually swim in this part of the ocean due to its strong currents. Some people do. The tides are immense, rapid and constant, that grow into monsters of waves around sunset.
The Ocean Waves Are Playful But ViolentThe ocean crashes, thrashes and tears apart sand
. It sounds like a constant thunderstorm here too, the water constantly on edge. Most of your experience at Zipolite Beach will surround this raging coastline, drinking beers, eating at cheap restaurants and watching the sun set. There truly is nothing like the waves here, the zip so hard, that once they've been thrown onto the coast, they ricochet and crash back
into the ocean. Other beach towns have calmer waves. A nice beach town about 20 minutes away is Munzunte, that is completely opposite of Zipolite Beach. This little beach town is smaller, calmer and more rested. There you will find cabanas along the coast that are a little more expensive and a little more rustic, Om signs, and cute cafes. I hear you can surf in those waters too. In the end, I chose to stay in Zipolite though.
A Treasure That Hasn't Been Fully DiscoveredZipolite Beach is an incredible treasure that isn't sold out to commercialism. That's probably due to the hassles of getting there, needing to know at least basic Spanish, and some people may not like Zipolite because there aren't any clubs. There are tours though. You can meet other International travelers here. All in all, I'm happy to be in Zipolite Beach. I like this simple way of life on the beach. Many days are spent playing on around the coastline, eating good breakfast and taking buses to other towns
. My favorite thing to do is sit on the sand around sunset, a magical time at Zipolite Beach, where I watch the waves crash harder than ever and the sun lower into the cliffs to the right. In the distance, there are vistas that look like they come right out of a scene from The Land of the Los. Altogether, the beach is perfect for a weekend get-away. Stay longer if you're needing an escape. You'll find basics. Lots of Spanish speakers, of course. The waves will lull you to sleep every night. And you'll have a good time!
