Choose Your Beach – Oaxaca Edition
With world-class surfing, primary global sea turtle nesting sites, swimming beaches, and accommodations options from hammocks to camping to rustic cabañas to five-star resorts, the Oaxacan coast has a beach for everyone. Where will you go first?
Best for swimming
Puerto Angelito
Separated by a small, rocky out cropping and lookout point, this beach is simply gorgeous, with mesmerizingly clear waters and a smattering of palapa restaurants on the coast.
Other beaches for swimming:
Playa Panteón
Playa Santa Cruz
Playa La Entrega
Best for surfing
Playa Zicatela
The best surfing in the entire country is at Playa Zicatela, where a long sandbar forms massive tubular beach breaks in the mornings and evenings.
Other beaches for surfing:
Punta Zicatela
Barra de la Cruz
Best for snorkeling
Calmer, serene beaches in Huatulco are the best places to echarle un vistazo (have a look) at what’s going on under the surface. The reef offers a diverse array of sea life to be appreciated up close!
Best beaches for snorkeling:
Playa La Entrega
Playa Maguey
Best to observe turtles 🐢
Mazunte
Visit the small on-site museum in Mazunte that provides information about the various species of sea turtles that visit the area, as well as the steps the center is taking to conserve them and their habitat. The aquarium houses a variety sea and freshwater turtles, many of which are rescues being prepared for release back into the wild.
Best for catching the perfect sunset
Playa Bacocho
This is a trick category, because every beach in Oaxaca offers gorgeous sunset views. But if you’re lookfing for something particularly breathtaking, go to Puerto Escondido!
- Strategic itineraries, whether you’re spending ten days or just a weekend in Oaxaca
- The top activities and unique experiences: Spend a day strolling Oaxaca City’s cobblestone streets and stopping in trendy cafes, mezcal shops, artisan cooperatives, and art galleries. Tour the Zapotec ruins of Monte Albán, trek the mountain paths of the Sierra Norte, or surf the world-class swells off Oaxaca’s coast. Revel in the blur of parades, fireworks, and friendly locals inviting you to view their ofrendas (altars) during Oaxaca’s legendary Day of the Dead celebration
- The best local flavors: Indulge in steamy pozole from a street stand, try traditional mole, or snack on fried grasshoppers. Visit a mezcal distillery to sample the smoky spirit and explore the fields of spiky agave, or satisfy your sweet tooth with a frothy espuma drink
- Local insight: Mexico writer and former Oaxaca dweller Ashley Robertson shares why Oaxaca is her favorite state
- Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout
- Helpful background on the landscape, culture, history, and environment, plus tips on health and safety, how to get around, and a handy Spanish phrasebook
Looking for más Mexico? Check out Moon San Miguel de Allende or Moon Mexico City.
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