A Guide To Mazunte Oaxaca
Sunset over Punta Cometa
True to form, Emily and I left Sydney just as those summer vibes were peeking through the clouds, never ones to cleverly plan our trips around seasons. And after living in Oaxaca City for the last few months, we were truly craving the beach. Beach withdrawals are REAL people! Growing up on the coast, you relying on the cathartic cleansing of the ocean. I go there to decompress, to laugh, to spend time with friends and to be reminded that I’m tiny and my world is just a little speck of sand. Diving into a vast ocean and letting go of everything is my meditation.
Mazunte is a tiny little hippy town on Mexico’s Pacific coast. A six hour drive from Oaxaca City or a 30 minute flight, it was once a well kept secret, now a hippy’s magical manifestation. It’s no longer a secret but it still a world away from resorts and with a little help you can find yourself alone on a beach watching a local fisherman appear from the ocean with his daily catch.
Go to Mazunte if you’re looking for:
A place to walk around in bare-feet and minimal clothing
Excellent variety and quality of food for a small town (heaps of vegetarian options)
A plethora of yoga studios and retreats
A place to swim, snooze, eat, swim, eat and then swim some more
Mazunte may not be for you if:
You’re looking for a resort style holiday
You don’t get along well with humidity
You’re offended by nipples or dreadlocks
San Agustinillo Dali Nelio
Our Fave Eats
Slightly strange that none of our recommendations are Mexican, especially considering we love Mexican food. But we live in Oaxaca city and the options are endless so we get excited when we find good international food.
All of these delicious places are within about 50 meters from each other in Mazunte’s main street leading to the beach.
La Pizzeria
Big share tables, open air, great vibes and amazing pizza! Enjoy the local buskers (some more than others) while sipping on a class of chilled red.
Alesandros
Directly across the road from La Pizzeria, this is the real deal (I’m Italian – trust me!). This place gets busy, so book ahead.
Lon Tou Chinese
Good Asian food is hard to come by in Mexico, so we were stocked to find this place! Decked out in chintzy Chinese décor with a cute resident cat to sit on your lap as you savour your dim sums.
Cocosun
I think we indulged ourselves with delicious vegan ice-cream here everyday (except devastatingly on Monday’s when they’re closed). Made from coconut milk and agave with flavours such as chocolate (fave) and avocado and spirulina for the adventurous.
A plethora of healthy options including juices, salads, burritos and most importantly raw desserts! Located on the main street of San Agustinillo. Closed Wednesday & Thursday’s.
El Navegante
Disclaimer: we didn’t actually eat here because we ran out of time and room in our bellies! The menu looked amazing and came highly recommended. Make a booking because it gets busy.
Cocosun
Our Fave Beach Spots
La Boquilla
30 minutes drive from Mazunte. The road down is a little rough but do-able in a car. Despite there being a hotel connected to the beach, it’s not over-crowded, and it’s handy when you want a drink or a spot of lunch to break up your rhythm of swimming and napping.
Las Mina
30 minutes drive from Mazunte. The road down is a little rough, but we managed it in a pretty beat up car. We had the beach to ourselves with the exception of a friendly local fishing family. Bring a snorkel and snacks.
There’s a nice little spot here – I wouldn’t go out of your way to go here but if you’re staying in San Agustinillo it’s a nice spot, wave free, not crowded like the main beach.
Playa Rinconcito
Fun waves and close to all of the restaurants mentioned above. Plenty of hippy watching to be done.
Courtesy of Along Dusty Roads
Things To Do
Nothing! Absolutely nothing!!! But if you do find yourself a little restless after days of relaxing:
Punta Cometa
A relatively easy 20 minute walk to the southernmost point of Oaxaca. Take some beers, watch the sunset and try to spot whales in the distance.
We didn’t go as we were in full beach bum mode, but it’s been highly recommended and hello: turtles!
Zipolite
Head over to Zipolite and enjoy two for one cocktails at one of the many beach side bars
Zipolite Sunset Brooklyn Tropicali
How To Get There
Car
A six hour drive from Oaxaca City. If you suffer from motion sickness this is not the route for you. Having a car to get around between beaches is super handy though and it’s a beautiful drive through the fresh mountain air.
Bus
This is the cheapest option, but as we mentioned the road is windy as hell! You can take collectivos between towns, they pass through the main town regularly.
Plane
More expensive but well worth it if you suffer from motion sickness.
