SAN JOSÉ DEL PACÍFICO: COMMUNAL LIVING ABOVE THE CLOUDS March 20, 2013 · by howthisgirltravels · in Places, Transportation

HOW THIS GIRL TRAVELS

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

SAN JOSÉ DEL PACÍFICO: COMMUNAL LIVING ABOVE THE CLOUDS

March 20, 2013 · by howthisgirltravels · in Places, Transportation

San José del Pacífico in a Nutshell

Located about half-way between Pochutla and Oaxaca City in Mexico’s state of Oaxaca, San José del Pacífico is the perfect place to get away from civilization for a few nights. As San José  in the mountains, you will find yourself watching sunsets from above the clouds. The name “del Pacífico” comes from the fact that you can see the Pacific Ocean if you climb to the top of the mountain (I gave up only partway up). By the way, you won’t find this place on Google Maps, so don’t bother trying.

View of San José

Getting There

A collectivo from Pochutla to San José costs about $80 MXC, takes about 3 1/2 hours, and puts even the strongest stomachs to the test. Travelling along the windiest roads I have ever encountered (with sharp turns every few seconds for hours on end), I strongly regretted eating a $10 MXC doblada immediately before my departure.

Pit stop on the way to San José

Accomodations

We were told that “Casa de Cata” (Cata’s House) is the place to stay in San José. After a relatively short climb up a mountain (although a breathless one, due to the altitude), we found ourselves at a cozy little house covered in hallucinogen-induced wall art and complete with a terrasse that offers a magnificent view of the sun as it’s setting. The cost to stay at Casa de Cata was $50 MXC, and included free coffee and drinking water. There was no hot water, so bathing was either quick and painful, or involved heating water on the stove.

Sunset at Casa de Cata

Sunset at Casa de Cata

The Scene

Casa de Cata is the type of place that will restore your faith in humanity. Travellers from all over the world – Korea, Switzerland, France, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Germany . made Casa de Cata their home away from home. Conversations flowed in a mix of Spanish, French and English, and somehow everyone understood each other, if not by the help of a bilingual or trilingual friend.

Many of Casa de Cata’s guests spent their days smoking and working on hand-made jewelry that they sell to fund their travels. In the evenings, we took turns cooking meals for the entire crowd, which ranged in size from 8 to 15 people. In the evenings, the sun set drew us outside. With everybody putting in a little work and a little money for ingredients, we ate like kings and had plenty of time to relax while enjoying the fresh mountain air and the warming sun. Proof that life can be good when people work together!

Casa de Cata living room

Communal eating at Casa de Cata

Casa de Cata’s Kitchen

Terrasse at Casa de Cata

Watching the sun set at Casa de Cata

One night, something that doesn’t happen very often (or so I’ve been told) at Casa de Cata finally occured: a fiesta! It all stared with some innocent drinking game involving copious amounts of mezcal. Before you knew it, the furniture was being moved around to make room for a dance floor. The rest of the night was a blur…

Fiesta at Casa de Cata

Fiesta at Casa de Cata

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Oaxaca!

La Puesta Antro-Bar Zipolite 5 hours ago

A wonderful description of Playa Zipolite, only 10 minutes from the Viewpoint condo. You are not going to want to leave.

Mexico Vacation Rental · 2,222 like this

about a minute ago · 

• A wonderful description of Playa Zipolite, only 10 minutes from the Viewpoint condo. You are not going to want to leave.
  
  http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Laidback+beach+lost+time+carefree+hippie+haven+Zipolite+Mexico/8062714/story.html

  

  Laid-back beach, lost in time, in carefree hippie haven of Zipolite, Mexico

  www.vancouversun.com

  "You're going to like it here in Zipolite," Daniel Weiner, the owner of Brisa Marina hotel said with a wry smile as he handed me the keys to my quarters. "You're not going to want to leave in five days."

New direct flights from LA to Huatulco

villasolymar

Huatulco, Mexico

posts: 1,258

reviews: 10

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New direct flights from LA to Huatulco

yesterday, 10:55

Aero Mexico and MLT vacations just announced direct flights from LA to Huatulco

Big deal for those from the left coast

Wayne Overby

Villa Sol y Mar

(House of the Sun & Sea)

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itchyandscratchy50

Kamloops, Canada

posts: 808

reviews: 11

1. Re: New direct flights from LA to Huatulco

yesterday, 17:46

I am sooooo thrilled to hear this...thanks for posting.

it's easy to get to LA from Vancouver so this just may fit

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polmcs

San Diego...

posts: 588

2. Re: New direct flights from LA to Huatulco

yesterday, 18:46

Looks like it may be just a trial run for this route. Starts Jun 7 and ends Aug 16 with a Fridays only service. Flight times looked pretty reasonable and the first class return fare was around $1100 which compares pretty well with the coach fare of $900 for the dates I looked at.

I wasn't planning on going back to HUX until November, so hopefully the trial is a success and they continue the service.

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itchyandscratchy50

Kamloops, Canada

posts: 808

reviews: 11

3. Re: New direct flights from LA to Huatulco

today, 14:39

hmmm, odd dates for a trial run....

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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)