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A little about Playa Zipolite, The Beach of the Dead . . .

Playa Zipolite, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, on the Pacific Ocean. A little bit about my favorite little get-away on this small world of ours.

Zipolite, a sweaty 30-minute walk west from Puerto Angel, brings you to Playa Zipolite and another world. The feeling here is 1970's - Led Zep, Marley, and scruffy gringos.

A long, long time ago, Zipolite beach was usually visited by the Zapotecans...who made it a magical place. They came to visit Zipolite to meditate, or just to rest.

Recently, this beach has begun to receive day-trippers from Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido, giving it a more TOURISTY feel than before.

Most people come here for the novelty of the nude beach, yoga, turtles, seafood, surf, meditation, vegetarians, discos, party, to get burnt by the sun, or to see how long they can stretch their skinny budget.

I post WWW Oaxaca, Mexico, Zipolite and areas nearby information. Also general budget, backpacker, surfer, off the beaten path, Mexico and beyond, information.

REMEMBER: Everyone is welcome at Zipolite.

ivan

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Travel log Mazunte


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Mazunte


During an idle moment on the beach, a thought entered my mind, caught my attention, and would not let go.

‘Why’, I wandered, ‘do I like this place so much?’

In fact, this was my fifth visit to Mazunte.  Normally such thoughts do not survive the commotion of everyday life, but on the beach, the mind is quiet, and the question would not fade away.
I rejected the premise that natural beauty is the main attraction.  There are beaches with bluer sea, whiter sand, or more colorful fish.  I did admit, that even though this area may not win first place in a beach pageant, it is wonderful.  The coastal range pokes hilly fingers into the ocean and separates the shore into small intimate beaches.  The Steep green cliffs of these fingers provide a vertical frame for the horizontal volumes of yellow and blue.  Black rugged islets, sprinkled close to shore, add drama to the scene.
Consequently, I deduced that the attraction lies in a more subtle interaction between Mazunte and the visitor, or what is usually call atmosphere.  At first, I defined it as a negative: 

‘I like Mazunte because it is not a Resort’

However over the next several lazy days, the specific manifestations of this atmosphere became clearer.  I’ll list them below.

  1. No crowds.  The Mexican government funded a neighboring area as a tourism development target, and left Mazunte to develop on its own.  There are no high rise hotels or condominiums here, and absent are the associated crowds.  Nonetheless, there is enough variety here to satisfy every taste.  Accommodations range from boutique hotels to camping, but all are no taller than two stories, and do not block the beach
  2. Mexican flavor.  The tourist infrastructure developed organically from the fishing village origins, and Mazunte still feels like small-town Mexico.  If you look hard, you may find the souvenir shop, but the majority of the shops lining the single paved road, serve the needs of locals and tourists alike
  3. Nice tourists.  Difficult access, and the lack of nightclubs and fancy restaurants, eliminates the party seekers.  Mazunte is left with gentler tourists, who appreciate the simple pleasures of a beach.  Although I called it Mazunte, this area is comprised of three hamlets, only minutes from each other, which developed distinct characters.  Zipolite, is the yuppie place.  Nude bathing is tolerated, and occasionally, Alquimia, a rustic beachside bar, will host a live band.  Mazunte is the hippie hangout.   Facilities include beach camping, a vegetarian restaurant, and a Yoga center.  Between these two lies San Agustinillo, a family-oriented beach.  The waves here are safer, and that is where I stayed this time.
  4. Close to the waves.  Whether camping or in a boutique hotel, I always stay on the beach, where I can catch the waves at sunrise, watch them from a shady spot during the hot hours, and listen to their powerful roar while falling asleep.
Of the people I know who love Mazunte, Enrique has the seniority.  He has been coming here for fourteen years.  He is in his late sixties, tall and broad, has a long white beard and a kind, hearty laugh.  Yvonne, his much younger friend, told me that when Enrique still had a belly, children would approach him, promise to behave well, and ask for a gift.  He was a sailor, a banker, a farmer, and now lives off the grid, in a thatched roof home, somewhere near a river.    On the subject of beaches he claims:
“I have been to only a few beaches around the world, but in Mexico, I know them all.  Mazunte is the best.”

2 comments:

Kobi said...
Just like you I have always wondered what makes Mazunte so special. You managed to analyze it clearly and aloquently.
Doron said...
excellent shot of you on the surfboard! Glad to see you have the important things in life front and center.

“La Isla Mazunte”


La Isla 

Calle Principal junto a la LagunaMazunte 70949Mexico 
Hotel amenities
La Isla
  • el lugar
  • los cuartos
  • la escalera
4.5 of 5 stars3 Reviews
December 16, 2011 - 
XibalbaExpeditions
November 27, 2011 - 
Timea R


Photos of La Isla, Mazunte
This photo of La Isla is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Tripical / Tropical Beach Psy party - Zipolite!


Mexico City Pochutla Distance

http://www.distancesbetween.com/distance-between/distance-from-mexico-city-to-pochutla/549008/r3/?FromText=mexico+city%2c+mexico&ToText=pachutla%2c+oaxaca%2c+m%u00e9xico&CountryId=131&RouteId=549008


Mexico City Pochutla Distance

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Distances from Mexico City

Bookmark This LinkDriving Distance: 728 km  (452.12 miles)
Travel Time: 8 hrs and 28 mins.
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NOTE: We provide only approximate Estimates for the Driving Distance.
Carretera Federal 175/Mexico 175
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TWO-WEEK IMMERSION COURSE IN OAXACA, MEXICO OFFERED


TWO-WEEK IMMERSION COURSE IN OAXACA, MEXICO OFFERED
The Casper College World Languages Department has 12 openings for a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico May 19 through June 1, 2012 for a two-week Spanish-language immersion trip.


(PressZoom) - The Casper College World Languages Department has 12 openings for a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico May 19 through June 1, 2012 for a two-week Spanish-language immersion trip. 

“This trip is for anyone who wants to learn that street Spanish they won’t find in any textbook,” said Eric Atkins, world languages instructor at Casper College. “We will spend two weeks completely immersed in Spanish language. In addition, we will explore the Oaxacan culture, and sample delicious food in the charming, colonial city of Oaxaca, Mexico.” 

Students will take classes at Casper College's sister college, Universidad Regional del Sureste (URSE) in Oaxaca. Atkins noted that anyone is welcome who has completed SPAN 1010 with a "C" or better, enrolls in SPAN 2410 for the spring 2012 semester, and who is at least 18 years old by January 1, 2012. 

A deposit of $400 is due by Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. The trip is estimated to cost $2100 and includes round-trip airfare from Casper to Oaxaca, accommodations and breakfast, tuition for the three-credit Casper College class SPAN 2420 “Travel to Mexico: Oaxaca,” and tuition and materials at URSE. 

The group will be accompanied by Casper College Spanish instructors Atkins and Lora Hittle. For more information contact Atkins at 268-3116 or Hittle at 268-2083.

 http://presszoom.com/story_169489.html

Holiday Techno Kitty!

Puerto Escondido Oaxaca 2011

Sunset in Puerto Escondido

ACTION SPORTS HUB: MARZO STYLE-PUERTO ESCONDIDO

Orphanage Puerto Escondido

Unions And Immigrants Join Occupy Movements

Unions And Immigrants Join Occupy Movements
ILW.com
A year ago, the workers were joined by indigenous Triqui and Mixtec women from Oaxaca, who protested the violence used by their state's previous governor against teachers' strikes and rural organizations. The social movement in Oaxaca, which the women ...
See all stories on this topic »

The Gummy Bear Song With Lyrics

The Duck Song

The Mean Kitty Song

A Sunset in Puerto Escondido





A Sunset in Puerto Escondido

Earlier this week, some of my friends and I traveled further south to the beach-side town of Puerto Escondido. The beaches here are stunning and the sun is v-e-r-y hot! On our first night in Puerto Escondido, Amanda, Jen and I decided to venture out onto the beach and take in the sunset. It was beautiful and we had a lot of fun hanging out on the beach. Here are a few pictures!
{my favorite photos from the night, with a random surfer in it :) }





Silent Night -- Original Version

bay of Puerto Angel.mp4