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Zipolite: waves, water quality, nudism and how to get there
Zipolite is 40 km from Huatulco airport and 3 km from Puerto Ángel. It experiences medium to strong waves year-round; Cofepris rated it suitable for swimming in June 2026.
By Mexico Travel Staff
Published on • 9 min read
In this guide
Zipolite is a fine sandy beach in the municipality of San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, 3 kilometers from Puerto Ángel and 40 km from the Huatulco airport, according to Wikipedia. In the 2026 summer pre-vacation monitoring, Cofepris (the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks) rated its two sampling points, Zipolite I and Zipolite II, as suitable. Wikipedia describes moderate to strong waves year-round, so swimming at this beach requires more caution than in a sheltered bay. See sources
In summary
- Location: town of San Pedro Pochutla, 3 km from Puerto Ángel, 7 km from Mazunte and 230 km from Oaxaca de Juárez (Wikipedia).
- Airports: Huatulco Bays Airport is 40 km to the east; Puerto Escondido, which also has an airport, is 60 km to the west.
- Sea: medium to strong waves at any time, with very strong underwater currents during rain.
- Water: 10 MPN of enterococci per 100 mL in Zipolite I and Zipolite II; both were suitable in the Cofepris summer 2026 sampling, whose limit is 200.
- Rainfall: from June to October according to Wikipedia and from May to October according to Sectur.
How to get to Zipolite
There are two airports on the same coast. According to Wikipedia, Huatulco International Airport is 40 km east of Zipolite, and the city of Puerto Escondido is 60 km to the west.
Huatulco or Puerto Escondido
Which is better? Huatulco wins in terms of distance. But the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), on its page about Mazunte, says that the fastest way is to fly to Puerto Escondido and continue by land, estimating a 1 hour 15 minute drive from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte, which is 7 km from Zipolite.
Sectur doesn't explain why it prefers Puerto Escondido. Before booking, compare flights to both airports. If you're planning to spend a few days at the other end of the island, here are the beaches of Puerto Escondido .
By road
From Oaxaca de Juárez, it's 230 kilometers to Zipolite, according to Wikipedia, and the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) estimates a 6-hour drive from the capital to Mazunte. If you're leaving the city, the Oaxaca guide will tell you what to see before heading down to the coast. Along the coast, the stretch between Puerto Escondido and Pochutla is Federal Highway 200 (Pinotepa Nacional-Salina Cruz), according to the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp) website about the Playa Escobilla sanctuary.
Sectur places Mazunte 30 minutes from Puerto Ángel and Pochutla. Zipolite is 3 km from Puerto Ángel; on foot, heading towards San Pedro Pochutla, you can reach Estacahuite beach in 40 minutes, according to Wikipedia.
| From Zipolite to | Distance or time | Fountain |
|---|---|---|
| Port Angel | 3 km | Wikipedia |
| Saint Augustine | 6 km | Wikipedia |
| Mazunte | 7 km | Wikipedia |
| Huatulco Bays Airport | 40 km to the east | Wikipedia |
| Puerto Escondido | 60 km west | Wikipedia |
| Oaxaca de Juárez | 230 km | Wikipedia |
| Estacahuite Beach | 40-minute walk | Wikipedia |
The sea: waves and currents
Wikipedia describes Zipolite's surf as medium to strong year-round, with very strong underwater currents during the rainy season. The sand is fine and forms a crescent shape along the entire beach. (Here, the sea rules, and it's best to heed its commands from day one.)
No official source reports whether the beach has lifeguards or surf flags.
With waves like that, the sensible thing to do is only go in as far as you can stand and ask the locals which way the current is pulling that day. From June to October, when the currents are strongest, be even more careful when entering the water.
Water quality according to Cofepris
According to the Oaxaca results document from Cofepris, Zipolite I and Zipolite II registered 10 MPN of enterococci per 100 mL in the 2026 summer pre-vacation monitoring, and both were deemed suitable for swimming. Cofepris considers a beach suitable if it has fewer than 200 enterococci per 100 milliliters, the WHO threshold. The document groups the two stations under the Puerto Ángel area.
Sampling dates vary depending on the document. The Oaxaca PDF states that the beaches of Puerto Ángel were sampled between June 15 and 25, 2026, while the Cofepris press release of July 10, 2026, places the nationwide sampling period between June 15 and July 1. The results page, published on July 9, 2026, compiles 2,279 samples from 289 beaches, of which 284 were deemed suitable.
| Beach | Locality | Enterococci (MPN/100 mL) | Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zipolite I | Port Angel | 10 | Suitable |
| Zipolite II | Port Angel | 10 | Suitable |
| Pantheon Beach | Port Angel | 18 | Suitable |
| Main Beach | Port Angel | 30 | Suitable |
| Main Beach | Puerto Escondido | 315 | Not suitable |
In Oaxaca, the only beach deemed unsuitable was the main beach in Puerto Escondido, with 315 MPN/100 mL according to the Cofepris Oaxaca PDF; here is the list of beaches that Cofepris marked as unsuitable . Cofepris itself warns that water quality depends on stormwater runoff, discharges of treated wastewater, runoff, and the number of bathers, among other factors. A result from June does not guarantee the water quality of another month.
Zipolite had already passed before: in the 2024 winter pre-vacation analysis, the Oaxaca Health Services reported Zipolite I and Zipolite II, along with Principal and Panteón de Puerto Ángel, as suitable, in a statement dated December 14, 2024.
Nudism and atmosphere on the beach
Wikipedia lists Zipolite's tolerance for nudism as one of its charms. No official source publishes regulations or a designated area for it, so everyone decides whether or not to wear a swimsuit. However, everyone is required to ask permission before taking someone's picture.
Where to sleep
According to Wikipedia, the beach is lined with bars, palapas, restaurants, and hotels, so staying in Zipolite puts you just steps from the sea. Another option is to stay in San Agustinillo, 6 km away, or Mazunte, 7 km away, which, according to the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), has been part of the Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) program since 2015. Puerto Ángel, 3 km away, also has beaches assessed by Cofepris (Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks): Principal and Panteón beaches were deemed suitable for swimming in the summer of 2026.
Mazunte, San Agustinillo and the turtles
Mazunte and San Agustinillo
The two towns are located 6 and 7 km from Zipolite, according to Wikipedia. The Ministry of Tourism (Sectur) indicates that humpback whales can be seen in the area from December to March. No data from the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) was found in the sources consulted for these two beaches, so they cannot be compared to Zipolite in terms of water quality.
Mexican Turtle Center
In Mazunte, you'll find the Mexican Turtle Center, run by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), which protects olive ridley, black, hawksbill, and leatherback sea turtles. The official website lists hours as Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM. However, that website is outdated and doesn't specify if those hours are still valid, so please confirm before visiting.
Escobilla Beach Sanctuary
According to the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), the Playa Escobilla sanctuary is located at kilometer 180.5 of Federal Highway 200, between Puerto Escondido and Pochutla, 41 km from Puerto Escondido, about a 30-minute drive. CONANP charges 95 pesos per person per day for entry fees and reports the turtle nesting event from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The peak season for the largest nesting event runs from September to November, so November is still included.
When to go
According to Wikipedia, the temperature remains between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius year-round. The rainy season determines the date. Wikipedia places the rainy season from June to October, while Sectur, on its Mazunte page, extends it from May to October.
Those months bring the strongest underwater currents, and Wikipedia includes Zipolite among the hurricane risk zones. That mention of hurricanes does not come from an official source.
| Season | Months | Fountain |
|---|---|---|
| Rain in Zipolite | June to October | Wikipedia |
| Rain in Mazunte | May to October | Sectur |
| Humpback whales in the area | December to March | Sectur |
| Start of the largest arrival in Escobilla | September to November | Conanp |
To avoid the rains that mark the two sources and coincide with the whales, the window goes from December to March.
Sources
Accessed on November 4, 2026:
- Cofepris: Pre-vacation monitoring of beaches summer 2026. Number of samples and beaches, suitable beaches in the country, publication date, factors that affect water quality and the unsuitable beach in Oaxaca.
- Cofepris: Statement on the sanitary conditions of Mexican beaches for the summer . Criteria for "suitable", sampling period and date of the statement.
- Cofepris: Results of the pre-vacation monitoring of beaches in the state of Oaxaca (PDF) . Results for Zipolite I, Zipolite II, Main Beach and Cemetery Beach of Puerto Ángel and Main Beach of Puerto Escondido, and sampling dates in Puerto Ángel.
- Government of the State of Oaxaca: Oaxaca's beaches are clean and ready for your enjoyment during the holiday season . Results of the 2024 winter pre-vacation analysis in Puerto Ángel.
- Conanp: Mexican Turtle Center . Protected species and hours.
- Conanp: CONANP, Protected Natural Areas (Escobilla Beach Sanctuary) . Location, road, fee, schedule and arrival season, distance from Puerto Escondido.
- Tourism Secretariat: Mazunte, Oaxaca . Travel times, how to get there, Magical Towns, whales and rainy season.
- Wikipedia: Zipolite . Location, distances, services, sand, waves, nudism, temperature, rainfall, and hurricane risk.
Images: Mike Brown (public domain), Saharalyn (CC BY-SA 4.0) and AlejandroLinaresGarcia (CC BY-SA 4.0), on Wikimedia Commons.
Did you find an error? Write to us at contacto@viajespormexico.com.mx .