Puerto Escondido is located on the southern Pacific hip of Mexico’s Oaxaca region and is a mecca for surfers, bar hoppers and bohemian beach bums. Once a sleepy under the radar beach town, the combination of overexposure on Instagram and social media coupled with the current boom of tourism at all beach destinations in Mexico have really driven up the cost of living.
Puerto Escondido is not alone in its struggle to confront surging tourism. Residents of destinations around the world – from Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Bali’s Canguu and Ubud, Columbia’s Medellin, Portugal’s Lisbon to Vietnam’s Hoi An – are facing similar issues. And it is only going to become more pressing as the number of travellers and location-independent workers continues to climb.
The crowd in Puerto Escondido is quite international and attracts youthful travelers from around the world because of its’ laid back vintage surfer/backpacker vibe. La Punta, the most popular beach area in Puerto Escondido reminded me so much of my old backpacking days in Southeast Asia/Australia and New Zealand. If you live in North America and do not want to travel across the globe to Koh Phangan (Thailand) and Canguu (Bali) simply head to the Oaxacan coast of Mexico for a very similar beach experience.
Puerto Escondido is a solid destination geared to beach lovers. The two areas to stay are RINCONADA and LA PUNTA. The CENTRO (downtown area) which sits between these two areas is a real dump and there is no reason to spend any time here with the exception of visiting some real local Mexican eateries and to stock up on groceries if you are doing some self catering in your Airbnb, at the only real supermarket (Chedraui) in the area.
Barbie and I spent about a month here in Puerto Escondido, splitting our time between the areas of RINCONADA and and a bit further south in LA PUNTA. Each had a different vibe but we both preferred the setting in La Punta.
The area attracts a very youthful crowd, especially in La Punta. One day at the beach, I looked around and turned to Barbie and said, “I think I’m probably the oldest person on this beach”. Now, that has never happened before. Even as an older adult, I still enjoy being part of the youthful scene at these backpacker beach enclaves and it’s nice to see the new generation of like minded travelers doing the exact same thing I did during my younger days when I was in my prime.
What really put a smile on my face was seeing everyone congregated at the beach for the daily sunset viewing ritual in La Punta. It was one big social event set in such a relaxed peaceful setting with everyone all together in tune with nature and amongst friends. (including all the loose and well behaved beach dogs)
When looking around, I took note that very few people were on their cell phones. Everyone was socializing with their friends and taking in the magnificent daily sunsets. Simply, focusing on their surroundings without the distraction of their iPhones. It is quite rare to see that anymore, as most everyone are scrolling their social media feed instead of taking in their outside surroundings.
That is one of the things I remembered most and was so special about backpacking in the late 90’s. Cell phones did not exist back then. Travelers would gather everyday enjoying each others company and taking in the natural beauty of the world, all together, rather than having their face planted on the screen of an iphone. Nowadays, it’s just too easy to get distracted by the amount of information we consume everyday.
Another thing I took note of was how clean the beaches were in Puerto Escondido, especially at the two best beaches in the area… La Punta and Playa Bacocho. Sadly, I cannot say the same thing about my old favorite beach destinations in SE Asia where pollution and liter has become a serious issue over the years.
The other beach in the area that was rated highly was Playa Carrizalillo. It was a beautiful enclosed beach bay, but unfortunately, we visited Playa Carrizalillo during the Easter holiday and the beach was just too jam packed for me. During other times of the year, it’s probably a great beach, but we did not make it back to this beach as we really enjoyed our time on La Punta and Playa Bacocho.
Puerto Escondido is getting to be a real popular place and the prices reflect this popularity. Tourism to these beaches is surging partially because after 15 years of construction, the long awaited new super highway connecting Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido is now open. You can now get to and from the coast of Oaxaca in just 3 hours.
With this new highway, the 190 km trip from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido has been cut from 6-7 hours, to just 3 hours. The new super highway has 10 bridges, 15 on/off ramps, 3 tunnels, 2 toll booths and it is expected that 4,500 vehicles will travel on the new highway daily.
Oaxaca city is a big Mexican foodie destination and a great place to visit especially during the colorful Guelaguetza Festival held in July. Combining a trip in Oaxaca city along with the beaches in Puerto Escondido will round out a real fun trip.
Our month stay in the relaxed beach enclave of La Punta and Rinconada is up. Our mission in La Punta was to simply do nothing but experience some beautiful slow days in the sun amongst like minded fellow travelers. We now must get readjusted for big city life in Mexico City where we will be spending a few weeks. We rented an Airbnb in Mexico City’s upscale neighborhood of Polanco.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 
Douglas and Barbie,
Hope all is well in your ongoing adventures as world travelers. West Maui has drastically changed and a cloud of desperation, anxiety, uncertainty coupled with devastation consumes the area you once called a temporary home. Traffic conditions have out paced the infrastructure and unpoliced roads give speeders opportunities unlike before. My days have basically remained the same and no female encounters to report. I miss you guys but understand that you’re probably happier living life, exploring and creating new adventures.
peace,
Scott Cohn
Kaanapali, Maui
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