If you haven't already heard, this beach is accessible by a staircase of about 200 stairs. It. Is…read more A. Hike. And quite frankly idk how old folks and people with other health issues do it. It's a TINY beach, and when we got there (around 12pm) it was PACKED with people - in the restaurants, the beach front, even the rocks. I mean people, groups who didn't even know each other, were towel to towel. The water itself is a little less aggressive and much more beautiful than the other beaches in town. But, due to my anxiety it was hard for me to really enjoy this beach.

Breathtakingly beautiful beach spot…read more A tiny beach cove that is shallow with small waves. A perfect place to learn how to surf and/or paddle board. It's a long long long long long staircase down & you got to muster up the energy to hike it back up after a long day of heat exhausting fun in the sun. Especially if your carrying a cooler & stuff down there. The small area that you can buy food & drinks down there is pretty expensive even for Mexican standards. Because once you get down there, your down there for the day & they know it, so plan accordingly. Recommend.

Playa Manzanillo is my fave swimming beach. It's just a tiny cove next to Puerto Angelito but it is…read morea clothing optional/adults only beach with no Wi-Fi. Separated only by a small offset of rocks you can climb over, Playa Manzanillo sits to left of Angelito & has a much more beautiful beach that backs up into the cliff with many tropical plants & palm trees surround. The beach itself is very small but is at least 5 feet deep soon as you enter. Making it the perfect beach for adults to gather round in & socialize. There is also some great snorkeling around the rocks. I saw a giant sea turtle & a eel one day. Very cool! :)) There are many cute restaurants that provide lounge chairs, umbrellas, food & drink service that have very good food & as long as you purchase drinks & food you can use the lounge chairs & umbrellas for free. This is my favorite place to go sit beachside, have a leisurely lunch, have a coco frio and/or a few beers or margaritas & go for a swim. It's mostly Europeans, locals & a few tourist. Some local guitars players usually come by that 'play for pay' & a few others selling their handmade goods. It's pretty laid back & peaceful which I adore. If you like a laid back clothing optional beach where you can UNPLUG & UNWIND, just have a peaceful, chill day in paradise with the love of your life or your BFF, you will love Playa Manzanillo. It gets pretty packed on the weekends so plan accordingly. Recommend for Adults Only.

The Oaxaca beach town of Puerto Escondido has become famous from the surfing competitions held at…read moreZicatela Beach every year in November. This is the best beach in all of Mexico, and known as the "Mexican Pipeline" from the wave similarities to the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. International surfing competitions are held here, such as the ESPN X Games, and the MexPipe Challenge. This wave is larger, more consistent and more powerful than Bonzai Pipeline. Bonzai is not actually a specific beach, but a wave swell that forms along a short section of North Shore. This iconic beach is fifty to one hundred meters wide and four kilometers long with one of the largest and most powerful swells in the world with beautiful formation. One of the world's absolute great beaches, it is reminiscent of Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia, and Half Moon Bay in Northern California. I once saw a video of the legendary British surfer, Martin Potter, ride a wave from one end of Zicatela the other with such skill. That ride went on and on and on and on and on. I've never seen anything like it and I was never able to find that video again. If anyone knows how to view it, please let me know. My apologies to those surfers who prefer another beach cause I know some people take these things seriously. There are lots of good beaches. Jaws in Maui can be insane, and Bells Beach in Victoria and Margaret River in Western Australia are awesome. Zicatela is basically a surfer's beach, as its strong rip currents make it unsuitable for most swimmers. The beach now has a landscaped promenade. Back in 1986 and 1987 when I stayed here, there was no development onshore at this beach. Nothing. I swam here and it was probably the most difficult rip current I have ever been caught in. No lifeguards back then when Puerto was a dot on the map. I hear there are lifeguards now. We camped at the Playa Principal beachside campground two different times. Slept in a hammock. LOL. West of Zicatela Beach in front of the old town section is Playa Marinero, which is the best beach for swimming as the surf and currents are much less. The two beaches are separated by a rocky outcrop called "El Morro" (the nose). Although the Pacific Coast of Mexico generally runs north-south, this section of the coast in Oaxaca runs east-west, Playa Zicatela is on the eastern end. The main attractions of Puerto Escondido are its beaches, which are internationally known. The area also is attractive to scuba divers because of the variety of fish to be found, as well as large oysters, lobsters and manta rays. Very cool that you can fly from Mexico City directly into here to the cute airport just north of town. One of those "walk out to the plane" airports. Or you can take a vicious bus ride over the mountains to Oaxaca City - that one will kick your butt. I knew this place would be huge in the future, and here we are. One of the best places I've ever visited. Oaxaca on a whole is pretty awesome.

Really beautiful destination and place if you a looking for a relaxed out of the routine "hippie"…read morestyle, definitely a beautiful getaway part of Mexico, food is delicious and really unexpensive, is full of small restaurants and bars and without a doubt a surfer paradise! Really dangerous beach to swim in but perfect place to be hanging out!

Stunning!!! They have perfected the art of relaxation and you realize this the moment you enter the…read moregrounds. As a Naples, Florida resident of 45 years this is in my blood. I HAVE to have my Vitamin Sea, you see!!!

Nice Beach, with lot of bars and restaurants. The place is perfect for surfing as the Waves can be…read morehardcore. But hey, the picture of the sunset, this thing is real. It's one of the best Sunset I've ever seen. This is a poor province of Mexico (Oaxaca) but the people are nice and prices VS Acapulco as ridiculously low. The place is very relax in off season and even on off season (when I went) there's some village party which keeps the beach active until later.

Puerto Angelito is one of the smaller coves that you can swim in that has crystal clear water…read morethat's not very deep near the beach. It's perfect for kids so families naturally flock to this beach who have many children. On the beach you will find lots of floats for sale & water toys for the children. There are also many places to purchase swimsuits, beach clothing, hats, sunglasses, anything you could possibly need for a fun day beachside. There are also banana boat rides, paddle boarding & other fun stuff available here. There are many restaurants here that serve really good food. My fave is the Puerto Angelito Restaurant. They have some of the freshest seafood coming right off the boats, coco frio, beer, mezcal & the best Octopus tostadas in Port I have found. I come just for them! The service is the best, they are also the only place that has free Wi-Fi & they will even let you charge your phone while you dine in. It gets very very crowded on the weekends so plan accordingly. The best little beach for families to get together for clean family fun with the kiddos. Recommend for families with children.

My fave pool to swim in Puerto Escondido is at the Club de playa Coco's…read more It's a yuge resort pool, right on the beach with the most amazing sunsets. You can also sit in a swing at the bar & watch the sunset with your margarita, if you can hold your balance, it's a excellent experience. lol It's not a easy trek. You have to hike down a bunch of staircases, thru the Jungle, to get there, but it's an adventurous path that is worth it. For less adventurous travelers, you can also take a taxi down the mountain. Hubby & I spend a lot of time here, as you can see I have many many photos posted. xoxo Highest Recommendations.

This is a great hidden local gem in Puerto Escondido. For 80 pesos you get entry for the whole day…read more Multiple swimming pools are very clean and refreshing with many private hammock areas around the pool to be in the shade. They have poolside drink service (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Food can be eaten in the beautiful and breezy palapa restaurant or near the pool in the covered outdoor eating area. There are so many extras here too. Many playgrounds and play areas for kids. Rock climbing with instructor on new rock climbing wall. Horses for horseback riding. Paintball. Zip line and even hotel rooms and cabanas. The location is very picturesque on a quiet dirt road but it is well maintained and easy to get to from downtown either by car, taxi, or camionetta. It was so nice and breezy up there and we spent 5 hours relaxing poolside. It is more busy on weekends but very quiet during the week and perfect for tourists who want a break from downtown or the beach. It's also very affordable. Definitely worth checking out!

Wow! What an amazing vacation at an OVER THE TOP house. My group of 10 people were made to feel…read moreright at home by the welcoming staff. It really felt like I was in an episode of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". The stretch of beach in front of the house is spectacular. During our week there, I managed to walk about a mile in each direction. What a dream! The waves crash on to the beach in the most dramatic way! (Sometimes you can FEEL it.) The rooms were like staying in an old world hacienda. High ceilings, large well-appointed bathrooms. The beds were comfortable and had plenty of pillows. The colors were bright and cheerful! We arranged to have a chef some to the house and cook for us several times. It was like dining at a 5 star restaurant. The menu healthy and tasty, and brought out to the table with perfection. Were were also able to schedule to have massages arranges for our entire group. That was pretty magical hearing the waves crashing on the beach while letting the troubles of the world melt away. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. It was truly a dream vacation!!!

Casa Serena is a lovely 5 star hacienda with multiple bedrooms each with spacious bathroom, a…read morepool, and a fabulous dining/drinking pavilion all right on the beach. Well staffed with friendly locals ready to help and serve. The house is near the turtle preserve and release site. Fabulous sunsets and wide open white sand beaches abound. Casa Serena is located near the airport and only a short ride to the center of town and the modern super mercado. I hope to return soon-it's a great vacation spot.