Mazunte

Mazunte is a quiet beach village on the Pacific Coast in Oaxaca, a common stop on the Pacific Coast Backpacker Trail. The town remains fairly typical and only has a small collection of hostels, hotels and restaurants to service tourists. Most accommodation in town is quite basic, however there are a couple of luxury places available in the hills. Mazunte has a number of small but worthy attractions including the National Mexican Turtle Centre and Natural Cosmetics Centre. The main beach is not known for surfing however skim boarding and snorkelling are common activities on the beach.

Colectivos are the cheapest way into Mazunte from the main bus station. They depart from the highway and cost around M$5 per person to reach nearby beaches. The village is accessible via Pochutla, which serves as the main transportation hub for the area.

Mazunte is a very small, rustic village and very easy to navigate. Everything is easily reachable by foot. The main road is Paseo del Mazunte, bordered by a few restaurants, the church and the soccer field. It has four sideroads that all head to the beach. The most western sideroad, Calle del Rinconcito, leads to Playa El Rinconcito. It has a sideroad, Camino a Mermejita, a dirtroad that winds up the hill to private homes, a few hill top palapas, a cemetery, Punta Cometa and the neighboring beach, Playa Mermejita.

The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca is best visited during the dry season from November to May. During these months, the weather is warm and sunny, ideal for beach activities. The wet season from June to October can bring heavy rainfall, though it often clears quickly. Whale watching season runs from December to March when humpback whales migrate through the area.

Beach front accommodation ranges from budget dorms at M$50 to private rooms around M$100-250. Posada del Arquitecto at Playa El Rinconcito offers dormbeds and fancy bungalows and is a popular choice. For budget travelers, Tia Porfiria on the beach offers dorms from M$50 with space for tents. Mid-range options include Posada Ziga right on the beach with wifi and safes, and Miramar Cabanas with amazing views at M$200-250 per night. Luxury seekers can try Alta Mira with hillside bungalows or Casa pan de miel near San Augustinillo with a swimming pool overlooking the ocean from US$100.

Beach front palapas all have similar menus with similar prices. Particularly recommended are the tlayudas, typical Oaxacan fare that cost M$25-50 and are big enough for two people. Also try an agua fresca M$5-10, the combination of watermelon, lemon, and water on a hot day is well worth it. Tacos are in abundance and price M$20-30 at most restaurants and less from vendors passing on the beach. There are plenty of vendors that come along with homemade tamales and deep fried tacos. The boho residents also sell homemade bread and cookies. For cooking, there is a big vegetable shop at the edge of town on the main road just after the turtle conservation center. Night life is quite calm with some restaurants spread through town and a few places at Playa El Rinconcito sometimes have live music. Estrella Fugaz and Siddhartha both at Playa El Rinconcito have espresso machines for good coffee drinks, liquados, beers, liquors, juices.

The Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga (M$37) showcases all varieties of sea turtle that live in Mexico. Punta Cometa offers rocks stretching into the ocean on the west side of town where you can watch both sunrise and sunset. Hikers can swim in rock pools at Punta Cometa by following the path from the lifeguard tower. At nearby Playa Ventanilla villagers will take you alligator watching in canoes. Fishermen offer guided boat travels (M$140-180 pp) where you can get close to turtles, dolphins or whales. Yoga options include Solstice Yoga Center (M$90 per class) upstairs at Posada del Arquitecto, and Hridaya Yoga on the main road before San Agustinillo offering daily drop-in classes and meditation retreats. An arcade at the abbarotes store on the corner of the dirt road leading to Punta Cometa offers M$1 per 8 minutes of gaming.

The sea off the Mazunte coast is notoriously dangerous, and great care should be taken when swimming. There is a lifeguard station but it's not always manned. Undercurrents can pull unsuspecting swimmers out to sea even when the surface of the water appears calm. Drownings are not uncommon. Mazunte is known to be safer and more calm than neighboring Zipolite but walking at night on the dark beach might still be a bad idea as muggings and rapes have happened in the past.

There are at least two internet cafés in Mazunte. Some restaurants and posadas have wifi. Connection speed is less than 1MB so it can get quite slow when congested. For telecommunications, major Mexican carriers like Telcel, Movistar, and AT&T provide coverage in the area.

Daily backpacker budget in Mazunte can be quite low. Dorm beds start at M$50, basic rooms at M$100, and meals range from M$5-50 depending on whether you eat street food or restaurant meals. Activities like turtle center visits (M$37), yoga classes (M$90), and boat tours (M$140-180) add some costs. Local colectivo rides cost around M$5. Budget M$300-500 per day for comfortable backpacking.

San Augustinillo is only five minutes walk away with a nice beach. Zipolite is famous for its nudist beach and heavy surf. Puerto Escondido to the north is the surfing mecca of Mexico. Playa Ventanilla offers alligator watching tours. The hike to Punta Cometa and its rock pools can fill half a day. You can also explore other nearby beaches by foot or colectivo (M$5).

If heading south from Mazunte, San Augustinillo is a five-minute walk with a nice beach. Zipolite is famous for its nudist beach and heavy surf. If heading north, Puerto Escondido is the surfing mecca of Mexico. The road between these destinations is well-served by colectivos and buses.