We liked Puerto Escondido so much in the spring of 2020 that we returned 12 months later.  A few things had changed since our last visit, mostly the addition of colorful artwork pieces.

From time to time we stopped to watch the surfers and boogie boarders during our daily morning walks.

Just a few more views of Playa Zicatela in Puerto Escondido

For more details about Puerto Escondido, check out the Not So Many Walks Along the Beach post that describes our first visit to the southern Mexican coast in April and May 2020. Just click on Mexico in the Categories menu in the right side bar of our home page and then scroll down for the post.

After a couple of weeks in the Playa Zicatela end of Puerto Escondido, we headed one hour further south to the small town of Zipolite. It is an interesting mix of upscale boutique hotels and thatched-roof huts. Plus it includes a wide range of eateries, such as super inexpensive snack stands to fancier restaurants offering multi-course meals.

The Bohemian vibe extends onto the mile-long beach where sun lovers include both tourists and locals, and clothing is optional. Surfers and swimmers have to cope with the strong currents and not very forgiving waves. The name of the town translates as “beach of the dead” from the Zapotec language. And, sadly, one swimmer drowned during our month-long stay.

We grew fond of a couple of the many beach-side restaurants and were glad not to worry about getting all the sand off of our feet before entering.

Two examples of the street art right near the beach

Not surprisingly, we saw quite a few seagulls along the coast. One afternoon two or three turkey vultures hung around the northern cliffs. They didn’t seem overly interested in getting to a particular food source and just seemed to enjoy the air currents above the waves.

Two final photos from our time in Zipolite