Getting ashore
CruiseMapper currently lists no ship schedule for Puerto Escondido. The wiki says the port mainly serves commercial fishing boats and leisure boats, including deep-sea fishing. The sources read do not describe a cruise berth, a tender procedure or a terminal building. Puerto Escondido is therefore not a regular cruise stop on the wiki’s data. Any call would need to be confirmed with the cruise line and the port authority, and the landing point should come from the ship’s notice. The wiki lists no tender operator or shuttle either.
Town and setting
Downtown sits on the north coast of a bay ringed by rocky cliffs. Wikivoyage calls Puerto Escondido Oaxaca’s oldest tourist town, with hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The town is known for its bars, restaurants, cafés, patisseries, chocolate and coffee shops and nightclubs, according to the wiki. Many affordable small hotels sit alongside several top-rated resorts, and craft shops sell clothing, bags, tapestries and stone jewellery. Local buses, colectivos and taxis are described under getting around, so the centre can be reached without a car.
Flights and the airport
The CruiseMapper wiki says Puerto Escondido International Airport, PXM, is very close to town, with domestic flights only, to Mexico City, Oaxaca City, Guadalajara and Querétaro. Foreign visitors usually fly into Oaxaca City, about 260 km north by road, which is roughly seven hours by bus. Wikivoyage lists a United service from Houston on Saturdays, which conflicts with the wiki. Huatulco is an alternative airport, about 90 minutes by taxi, which Wikivoyage prices at US$50 to 60 if agreed in advance.
Buses and shuttle vans
From Mexico City, TuriStar and Estrella Blanca are the most comfortable buses, at M$500 to M$900, taking about 12 hours via Acapulco from the South (Taxqueña) terminal. Second-class buses take seven to eight hours. Shuttle vans run to Oaxaca City in six to seven hours over a mountain road. Servicio Express runs hourly from 04:00 to 23:00 for M$209, and Transporte Villa del Pacífico runs hourly from 03:30 to 23:30 for M$170. Highway 131 to Oaxaca is poor in places, so do not drive it after dark.
Getting around
Local buses cost M$5 a ride, and the destination is shown on the windshield. Taxis have fixed fares of M$30 to M$50 to the airport or Bacocho beach, with night rates of M$35, so agree the price first. Colectivos on fixed routes cost M$10 within town and can be flagged down on main roads. Budget Rent-A-Car charges high fees for small manual cars, according to Wikivoyage. Chacahua, Zipolite, Puerto Ángel and Huatulco are each within about two hours’ drive. Colectivos can be flagged down on the main roads, so they are an easy option when the route is on the way.
Beaches, surf and day trips
Playa Zicatela hosts international surf competitions and is for experts only, while beginners can take lessons, including with female instructors. Playa Carrizalillo is the safest and most scenic beach, reached by 167 steps down to the sand. Playa Manzanillo has snorkelling with turtles and stingrays, and Playa Principal is popular with locals for swimming and boogie boarding. For sunset, walk to the south end of La Punta beach, round the cliff to a small rocky beach and climb the grassy hill. At high tide, use the path above the cliff. Boat trips to see turtles and dolphins cost about M$300, and Cascada de la Reforma, about an hour away, has swimming basins.
Food and markets
Budget places in the city centre include El Sultan, Comedor Tere, Pepe’s Fish Tacos, The JP Bunker, Las Juquileñas, Tacos Paco, Comedor doña China and Taquería Rosy. Chilango-Taco in Punta Zicatela has mains at M$15 to M$80. Mid-range choices include La Galería for pizza and the Hotel Santa Fe restaurant, with ocean views. Mercado Benito Juárez is open daily. Chedraui on Avenida Oaxaca 105 is the largest store and has a pharmacy. Mini Super Rubi and 7+1 Mini-Super in Brisas de Zicatela are open daily and cater to foreigners.
Money & connectivity
The currency is the Mexican peso, and the sources’ M$ prices are read as pesos. The sources do not cover card acceptance or cash machines. Connectivity is unreliable and worsens away from El Centro, and Punta Zicatela is often patchy, especially at weekends. Telcel has the best coverage, and its store on Avenida Oaxaca is opposite Chedraui. Casa Losodeli & Coworking in El Centro and Selina on Zicatela are listed as useful for a stable connection. As of April 2024, some hostels offered Starlink.
Practical tips
Deep Blue, inside Hotel Ines, charges US$70 for two scuba tanks or US$40 for one dive, according to Wikivoyage. Skydiving at Zicatela costs M$2,600 in high season, and fishing trips can cost up to M$1,000. Prices come from an undated Wikivoyage listing and should be checked on the day. The CruiseMapper snapshot of 19 October 2026 gives a weather reading only, so check the forecast before a boat trip. Zicatela is for experts only, so beginners should take a lesson rather than go out alone.
Accessibility & mobility
The sources read do not describe step-free access at the port or in town, and beach access is by steps and sand, with 167 steps down to Carrizalillo. Ask the cruise line or the port authority about landing arrangements before booking.