Puerto Escondido's Top Weekend Getaways
The best day trips and weekend adventures around Puerto Escondido.
Note: This article was first written for StevenTheNomad.com in 2021. The version below was updated in August, 2022
Mexico is divided into 32 States, and Oaxaca is one of the most southern (read: hot). Puerto Escondido lies on the Western half of the Oaxacan coast, and it’s surrounded by beauty and magic. Going inland, you are almost immediately met with mountains and stunning views at altitude. Heading West, you cruise past myriad hidden beaches, stunning nature, and eventually—one of my favorite places in all of Mexico. Heading east, after only an hour you come upon Mazunte and Zipolite, small bohemian beach communities.
Waking up in Puerto Escondido on a Friday, if you take off in any direction to have a weekend adventure, you’ll find something for your scrapbook. Below, this guide is broken up directionally, to help you know the top highlights and destinations you’ll find heading East, West, or North. Heading south, your car will get extremely wet. So, let’s dive in and see what lies within a day’s drive of Puerto Escondido.
HEADING WEST
Heading West from Puerto Escondido, you’ll make it to Acapulco in a day. Acapulco, as fun as it can be for a few nights, doesn’t even make our shortlist of destinations worth checking out as you cruise up the coast. Let’s stick to the closer, lesser-known destinations worth discovering.
Puerto Suelo
Puerto Suelo is only 30 minutes away from Puerto Escondido, and a true escape from the crowds. It’s so close, you can take a taxi all the way to its gorgeous beach for around 500 pesos ($25 USD). Well, you actually won’t make it all the way to the beach, because there’s a small river attached to the adjacent lagoon that separates the beach from the mainland.
Small boats will be waiting to take you across, where you’ll find a humble scattering of palapas and bungalows along a beautiful beach. You can go for the day, or spend the night in very basic accommodations. La Palapa Doña Juanita is one of these simple yet beautiful options. Take a bird-watching tour of the lagoon, explore the endless empty beach, and take in the sounds of the sea birds, lapping waves, and peaceful silence for a day or two.
Cascada de Reforma
Puerto has a world-class waterfall in its vicinity, although it’s not very well known. Part of the reason is that the drive takes you inland for almost an hour, then along a bumpy dirt road for another thirty minutes. So, it’s not very simple to get there. You’ll arrive in the small town of Reforma, where you can carry on driving to the waterfall, or begin a 5km hike to its entrance.
The waterfall itself is a jaw-dropper and provides a beautiful place to swim, relax, and enjoy an afternoon in nature. There are basic accommodation options in Reforma, where you can enjoy the tranquil energy of a small rural Oaxacan town. But, being only 1.5 hours away, most visitors make the journey as a day trip and return to Puerto for the evening.
Laguna de Chacahua
Chacahua, one of Oaxaca’s best-kept secrets, is a small community located at the edge of a National Park. With the Pacific ocean on one side and a massive lagoon with mangroves and bursting nature on the other, Chacahua feels like a tropical island. Getting to Chacahua is a half-day mission involving a 1.5 hour drive and then a 30-minute boat transfer. But, once you’re on that small boat ripping through the mangroves, past tropical birds and foliage, the Chacahua experience has already begun.
Note on arriving: There’s the cheap “collectivo” boat that takes you to a bumpy truck ride for 100 pesos total. Or, you can pay for a private boat which is normally around 400 pesos per person if you’re with a small group. The private boat ride through the mangroves is incredible and gets you right to the small town. I recommend taking the collectivo to get there, and the private boat for the return trip. This way you get both experiences, and your time in Chacahua ends in epic fashion.
Beyond its beautiful protected nature, the community of Chacahua is special in its own right. Chacahua is home to one of Mexico’s few Afro-Mexican populations. The community is warm, helpful, culturally unique, and deeply connected. A loudspeaker in the main town circle announces boat arrivals and children’s birthdays throughout the day.
As if it didn’t have enough to amaze those who make the journey, Chacauah’s beach is also famous for being one of the friendliest surf breaks in Mexico. Gentle, pushy waves carry surfers for 10-20 seconds at a time towards the shore. Finally, once you’re all surfed out, you can hike up to the lighthouse to take in a sunset you won’t soon forget. After the sun has set, you can take a boat tour out to the middle of the lagoon to swim in the glowing bioluminescence. Make the journey, and it’s hard not to make a lifelong memory with just a single night in Chacahua.
HEADING EAST
Heading East, within 1.5 hours you’ll drive past two of the most famous and intriguing ‘pueblo magicos’ in all of Mexico. Magic, art, community, and nudity await you.
Mazunte
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