Visitor Information
A tourist kiosk at the west end of the Adoquín (in the town center) is open Monday through Saturday from 9am to 2pm and 4 to 6pm. Gina, who has been in charge there for 18 years, is quite possibly the most helpful and friendliest tourism officer in all of Mexico. She also has her own part-time business conducting walking tours at 8am every Saturday.
City Layout
Looking out on the Bahía Principal and its beach, to your left you'll see the eastern end of the bay, consisting of a small beach, Playa Marineros, followed by rocks jutting into the sea. Beyond this is Playa Zicatela, unmistakably the main surfing beach. Zicatela Beach has come into its own as the most popular area for visitors, with restaurants, bungalows, surf shops, and hotels, well back from the shoreline. The west side of the bay, to your right, is about 1.5km long (1 mile), with a lighthouse and a long stretch of fine sand. Beaches on this end are not quite as accessible by land, but hotels are overcoming this difficulty by constructing beach clubs reached by steep private roads and jeep shuttles.
The town of Puerto Escondido has roughly an east-west orientation, with the long Zicatela Beach turning sharply southeast. Residential areas behind Zicatela Beach tend to have unpaved streets; the older town, with paved streets, is north of the Carretera Costera (Hwy. 200). The streets are numbered; Avenida Oaxaca divides east (oriente) from west (poniente), and Avenida Hidalgo divides north (norte) from south (sur).
South of this is the original tourist zone, through which Avenida Pérez Gasga makes a loop. Part of this loop is a paved pedestrian-only zone, known locally as the Adoquín, after the hexagonal bricks used in its paving. Hotels, shops, restaurants, bars, travel agencies, and other services are all here. In the morning, taxis, delivery trucks, and private vehicles may drive here, but at noon it closes to all but foot traffic.
Avenida Pérez Gasga angles down from the highway at the east end; on the west, where the Adoquín terminates, it climbs in a wide northward curve to cross the highway, after which it becomes Avenida Oaxaca.
The beaches -- Playa Principal in the center of town and Marineros and Zicatela, southeast of the town center -- are connected. It's easy to walk from one to the other, crossing behind the separating rocks. Puerto Angelito, Carrizalillo, and Bacocho beaches are west of town and accessible by road or water. Playa Bacocho is where you'll find the few more expensive hotels.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
