| A short trip to Mazunte and Zipolite on Mexico's Pacific Coast - Michelle Hogan Media Playa Zipolite is best known for being Mexico's first and only legal public nude beach and for retaining much of the hippie culture that made it ... |
A short trip to Mazunte and Zipolite on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
Puerto Escondido may have a beautiful beach for every day of the week but plenty of people in Puerto still take some time out to visit the nearby ‘Pueblo Magico’ Mazunte.
After visiting this ‘magic town’ during the week for a short two-night stay, I can see why!
Just an hour and thirty minutes from Puerto Escondido lies this cute, remote town right next to some small but stunning beaches.
I wouldn’t call this blog post a guide to Mazunte because I don’t feel like I stayed there long enough to give you inside information but I will share what we got up to and some thoughts on it.
Getting to Mazunte from Puerto Escondido
We hopped on a local bus from the nearby station in Puerto Escondido which drove us just over an hour most of the way. It dropped us off on the side of the road, where we took a collectivo for the remaining 10 minutes.
Collectivos are collective taxis which you can find throughout Mexico. It’s like a pickup truck with benches and some kind of roof. They generally hold around eight people comfortably but it’s not uncommon to have people standing and hanging off the back. They’re actually quite fun and usually cost around €0.50 - €0.75 so they’re convenient for getting around.
It’s also great to meet and chat with locals and practice your Spanish if you’re up for it!
So, in no time we hopped off the collectivo right outside our accommodation which was 400 metres from the beach. We took a pretty basic place because it was just for two nights and we knew most of our time would be spent outside exploring.
Mazunte is mostly made up of two streets, the main one we arrived on and then a small little road that leads you straight to the beach.
This street is lined with little clothes and jewellery shops, small little convenience stores called tiendas, ice cream shops, veggie and vegan restaurants and plenty of sushi, pizza and local food places.
It’s pretty much everything you could need while on holiday in one easy, sleepy little street.
There is no big party vibe or loud music, it’s much more chill and laid back. There are some nice bars down near the beach and some hostels nestled away down dirt roads.
Gentrification has clearly ripped through the town like a tornado but it still holds a charming atmosphere. You could see that a lot of the businesses were owned and run in a more ‘Western’ style but there is still plenty of local people, food, charm and culture around.
What to do in Mazunte?
We spent our first afternoon at the beach chilling and playing cards with friends and headed to the popular sunset spot in the evening. It was really beautiful and parts of the turquoise ocean relentlessly bashing against the cliffs reminded me of the west coast of Ireland. It was really beautiful.
We enjoyed the sunset and headed out for food before waving the others off. We decided to go back to the beach at night to sit and watch the stars because there was so little light pollution the visibility was amazing.
The next day we woke up early and went back to the same beach to see if we could catch one of the whale and dolphin tours. We hadn’t reserved a space but it was possible to just show up a while before they left and join a group.
We paid €20 for a three-hour boat tour which went way out into the Pacific Ocean and we had the most magical experience seeing nine different whales. It’s usual to see this many but the captain of the boat said that it’s the end of the season so the last whales are all here together before they migrate.
Seeing the mother and baby humpback whales majestically moving through the water at a pace that looked like slow motion is something I will never forget. I was in awe of their beauty and grace, their tales leaving the water and slapping back down again with such strength. For such giant creatures, they really know how to move beautifully through the water.
I've lots of videos, which I'll share on Instagram soon.
We missed the dolphins because we spent so much time with the whales but it was really worth it! I loved every minute of this tour and would highly recommend it.
After the tour, we grabbed some food and decided to head to a different beach four kilometres away.
Playa Zipolite is best known for being Mexico's first and only legal public nude beach and for retaining much of the hippie culture that made it notable in the 1970s.
Wow, I’ve never seen so many human body parts in my life, never mind in just a day. This was - an experience - and something a bit different to do with your time in Mexico if you’re into it!
I loved the hippie vibe, it wasn't overrun by tourists, we had the most amazing meal right by the beach and just loved our time here. It doesn't compare to anywhere else I've been in Mexico, it had its own vibe - which I think is down to the 70s hippies - that gives it more character. The beach is huge and really beautiful, if you don't mind being exposed to naked bodies for the day, it's well worth a visit.
We headed back to Mazunte to catch the sunset again because there are so many beautiful spots facing West in this tiny little town. We went to the black sand beach and stayed there until dark listening to the ocean crashing against the shore.
Mazunte definitely left me wanting more of Mexico's Pacific Coast. The sea is rich with life, the beaches are beautiful, and you meet great people everywhere you go, it's just a simple and beautiful way to live.
If you ever find yourself in Oaxaca, I'd highly recommend a trip to the coast.
Thanks for being here,
Michelle.
