Puerto Escondido Adventure Guide #3: West by Land and Lagoon to Chacahua
A monthly guide to give you fresh ideas for adventures just outside of PXM
Preface: I’ve lived in Puerto Escondido for over three years, and at this point have been to most of the small towns, beaches, and points of interest in the area. I used to help lead trips for the Hikers of Puerto group, led by my friend David (you can find them on Facebook), which certainly helped to that end.
Every month I’ll be sharing a weekend adventure idea here on my newsletter, in hopes that it inspires you and your loved ones to pack the car, jump on the moto, or flag down a collectivo with the goal of making new memories. Listo por una aventura amigos!?
Northwest to Chacahua
I love Chacahua. It’s an undeniably special place. Every time I visit Chacahua, my first thought after getting off the collectivo in the little town square is Why don’t I come here more often?
On average, I go about once a year. I’m not entirely sure why I don’t make it every two or three months, but certainly part of the reason is that it feels far. My truck is 25 years old and the drive is twice as long as getting to Mazunte. Whatever my excuses have been, I’m recommitting to making it to the magical lagoon of Chacahua more than once a year.
This past trip to Chacahua was one of my favorite visits yet, and I was only there for about 24 hours. I had the best surf session I’ve had in a year. I made some incredible new travel friends. The lone night I spent, I laughed for about five hours straight with those new friends. (See below, to get an idea of the laugh fest.)
Any one of those three things would have been worth the two-hour drive in my old truck.
Whatever your excuses might be, figure out a way around them, and get yourself to Chacahua; to meet its people, ride its waves, and catch its incredible vibe.
How to get to Chacahua:
It’s a bit of a mission, but that’s part of the fun.
Like I said up top, it’s not all that easy to get to Chacahua from Puerto Escondido. You can try to catch a series of collectivos heading that way, but from friends who have gone this route, you often spend a lot of time waiting for the right ones to get yourself all the way out there.
I’ve always taken my truck or moto. It’s a long way on a moto, so make sure you have a helmet and the stamina for it if you make that choice!
The drive is west past the airport, past Chila, past the lagoon, past Roca Blanca, past Rio Grande, and finally, you’ll arrive at the turn for the port town of El Zapotalito. El Zapotalito is a small community tucked up to the lagoon, where the boats all leave for Chacahua.
There are two types of boast you can take out to Chacahua. The collectivo boat, which drives you a short 10-minute ride across the water to a collectivo truck, which then takes you the last thirty minutes into town. (This route is depicted in the map at the very top of the guide).
You can also pay for a private boat, which should be around 300 pesos per person if you have at least four or six people in your group. If there are only two of you, they’ll likely ask for double or triple that to make it worth their time.
Note: I elaborate on the two boat options and give my preference in the “Insider Info” section at the bottom for paid subscribers. Thanks paid subscribers!
What to do:
If you ask this question to someone who has spent a few weeks or months in Chacahua, they might laugh.
Chacahua is the antithesis of “doing.” As my friend Tess put on one of her Surf Naked designs about Chacahua, “Endonde el tiempo no existe.” (See above)
Where time doesn’t exist.
The point of Chacahua is not “to do Chacahua” but rather to experience the mellow lifestyle and enjoy the beautiful nature. However, there are a few things you can consider doing to break up the lazy mornings and chill afternoons.
You can take a kayak or paddleboard out in the lagoon for an hour.
You can walk or run a lap around the place (choose a time when the sand won’t melt the skin off your feet).
You can hike up to the lighthouse to watch the sunset. (More details in the insider info section.)
You can take a bioluminescence tour at night to see the lagoon’s natural neon glitter.
You can have a beer in the little town square while people watching and listening to the public loudspeaker announcements coming from the main tienda about the collectivo schedule, local kids’ birthdays, and all other essential neighborhood news. This loudspeaker system in the town square is one of my favorite ways to explain Chacahua.
You can play volleyball in front of the stoner’s cafe at sunset.
Also, you certainly should lay around in a hammock reading a book or just relaxing for part of your time.
Besides hammock time, the one activity you really should do in Chacahua is surf.
SURFS UP!
If you have any interest in surfing, you should make a point to spend as many hours as your body can handle on a surfboard in Chacahua. The break on the ocean side of the lagoon is perfect for beginners and incredible for experienced riders as well.
Beginners can find their own patch of ocean where a smaller section of the swell might break, meaning you can suck at surfing without any of the normal nervousness around “being in the way.” Last year, my brother surfed for the first time in his life in Chacachua and caught a bunch of small waves. He stood up a half dozen times and had the time of his friggin’ life with none of the usual stress that accompanies learning the sport.
If you’re a ripper, you can take a wave from the back of the lineup to shore, which lasts the rider around a full minute. I’m somewhere between those two levels. I don’t surf in Puerto too often, but in Chacahua I love catching pushy wave after pushy wave on a longboard. I normally count my caught waves while surfing (proof I’m not very good), but the surf in Chacahua is so good, that after the first five or so I lose track and I’m just out there until my shoulders give out and my neck cramps up.
Other fun stops to make:
Casa Wabi
Fun fact: The largest Palapa in Latin America is somewhere on the road between Puerto Escondido and Chacahua. That palapa is one of the key architectural features of Casa Wabi, a beautiful project described in their own words as a non-profit, civil association that fosters an exchange between contemporary art and local communities in three locations: Puerto Escondido, Mexico City, and Tokyo. Our mission is focused on forging social development through the arts… (Source)
It’s an incredibly fascinating and beautiful place, and if you can fit it into your schedule, I would recommend taking a tour of the estate. However, I’ve had a number of conversations over the past three years that have brought me the awareness that not everyone is a huge fan of Casa Wabi.
There’s even a spoof on the project called Casa Webo, started by a former resident. If you have a chance, make a visit, do some research, and form your own opinion of the project. A visit will certainly make a memory, and I’m in the memory-making business.
New Ruins
My friend Nico has an amazing off-grid project near Roca Blanca called New Ruins that welcomes guests overnight, serves as a retreat center, and also provides tours of his homestead. The best way to describe New Ruins, is basically that Nico bought an amazing piece of land right on the coast years back, and then had to figure out how to do everything on his own without the support of government infrastructure.
The bathroom, the wifi, the power, the water—everything anyone would need to live relatively comfortably, he had to sort it all out. I imagine there were a lot of YouTube videos watched in the process. Go stay a night at Nico’s place, or if your time is limited, see if he’s available for a tour by visiting their website or Instagram. It’s a beautiful and incredibly interesting place that will stick with you long after you leave.
Rio Grande & Roca Blanca
Two other stops you might consider making along the two-hour drive to Chacahua are Rio Grande and Roca Blanca. Rio Grande is a typical Oaxacan coastal community, where you can explore their small downtown and find a nice place for a quick cheap lunch. It’s a few kilometers inland from the sea, so not a beach stop.
If you want to find a beautiful secluded beach to escape the crowds and to catch some sun, then check out Roca Blanca. Drive towards Playa Roca Blanca or Playa del Amor on Google Maps, and you’ll be off the beaten path, a bit lost somewhere in paradise. Enjoy the endless palm trees and wide open beaches.
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Insider info: (Boat transfers and the lighthouse explained)
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