Oh man, I thought I loved Mexico’s beaches before but Mazunte took it to a whole new level! THIS felt much more authentically like Mexico than the popular beaches I had been going to before like Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. Don’t get me wrong, it still draws in beautiful souls from all around the world, but with a much more down-to-earth spiritual vibe.
As soon as you arrive in this tiny little bohemian beach town, you can feel how special it is. With only a few small roads to choose from, everyone walking around barefoot and sun kissed. Smoothie shops, cafes, and little hippy restaurants line the streets along with the happiest stray dogs I’ve ever seen.
Getting there:
Getting to Mazunte is not the easiest, which I think is part of what makes its special there still. I went there from Puerto Escondido (another cute, bigger, beach town that I love!). You can fly to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City airport. From there you can catch a bus about every 30minutes headed to Pochutla. There was no information online about this bus, but someone from my hostel in Puerto told me where to catch it. The bus stop is located infront of this OXXO Gas Station:
A big white bus will stop by headed for Pochutla, but you will need to get off before the final destination. The bus driver will make a stop at “San Antonio” after about 50min-1hr and you will get off there, this is just north of Mazunte. There will be taxi drivers outside the gustation when you get off and you just ask them to take you to Mazunte!
Where to Stay:
Somethings to note about all places in Mazunte: there’s no real windows, only mosquito screen coverings, so pretty much any place you stay will have some noise. But some places are worse than others. And also, understand that Mazunte is a very minimal eco-town. What does this mean? You just have the basics and the beach, and that’s all you need! No hot water, no AC (typically), no real windows, very unreliable WIFI/cell signal. So your average airbnb/hotel listing is going to appear pretty average in photos. Don’t expect glam and comfort here!
Once you get to Mazunte, you can walk everywhere on foot, it’s very small! Rinconcito is the main street that has all the restaurants and bars, so if you want to be centered in the action, stay on this street! Check out Una Posada Mas as a reference point for a great location and affordable stay (it was running for $35/USD per night when I was there). I stayed next door at in this little slice of jungle heaven (complete with mosquitos of course) The surrounding jungle plants did good at buffering some surrounding party noises at night.
If you want a more quiet, slow pace area – search for a place on the next street over from Rinconcito (La Barrita), or even better, on the other side of the 175, such as Casa Meraki. You could even take that one step further and stay in the next little beach over, San Agustinillo. This is just a 20min walk from Mazunte but a very different vibe. Nicer, more quiet spots but with out as much bohemian vibe and less people walking around the streets. Personally I liked Mazunte more, but check it out and see how you fell!
Anything south of the 175 (main road going east to west through the town) is going to be a 5-10 min easy walk to the beach.
What to do in Mazunte:
Mazunte is a fantastic place to relax and do absolutely nothing but lounge in the beach! But of course, there’s plenty of options for activities as well. A few things to note about the beaches, one being that there’s more than 1 to choose from! They all have kinda rough waters and the waves can get really big depending on the moon cycle so just be careful and watch what other people are going. It can definitely not be safe to swim sometimes.
The most calm beach is the main one you come to at the end of Rinconcito Street, where you will see a volley ball court set up and games happen each day! From this beach, you can walk to left for a while and it will get more and more secluded the further left you go. Also, there’s a road that goes to the right from Rinconcito street right next to Cometa Coffee that leads to the super quiet Mermjita Beach. We never swam here, but the area is much more secluded and I’m told the water is more rough to swim in.
One of my favorite things that happens in the town is that everyone hikes out to Punta Cometa point each evening to watch the sunset over the cliffs. I recommend starting your hike around 5-5:30 to get there in time to find a good spot to sit (it gets crowded) and catch the sunset! It’s a pretty easy hiking trail that will take around 20-30min depending on where you start from. If you are coming from Rinconcito street, you will turn right up the big hill road that’s next to Cometa Coffee and you will see the trail off to your left once you get up the hill (you can find the trail on google maps also).
Yoga is a huge reason that people come to Mazunte, especially to partake in retreats at the infamous Hridaya Yoga Center. If you are just visiting the town and want to drop into a few classes, I can recommend going to Casa Om Yoga. For the most current Casa Om schedule, just stop by and check out the giant chalk board outside that has the weekly offerings. They have more than just yoga by the way, there’s also offerings such as sound journeys, jam sessions and dance classes!
Healing. Mazunte has so many healers of all different kinds. Offering breath work journeys, plant medicine, contact dance classes, and list goes on and on! Look for flyers around town posted up or ask around at a yoga class 🙂 Chatting with people outside of Casa Om is how I heard about the epic ecstatic dance that takes place each week! Since things are always changing there, I can’t provide exact information on that, but just ask around and you will find what is meant to be found for you.
If you are like me and at a stage in your life where you don’t go out at night, then star gazing is a great night time activity! Grab a blanket and walk down to the beach and just layback and enjoy the epic star views that Mazunte has to offer!
If you have happen to be in Mazunte during Whale season (december-february), then I can highly recommend doing a whale watching boat tour! I actually did mine from Puerto Escondido but my mom went in Mazunte and we both saw HUGE whales up close! Along with dolphins too 🙂 There will be guys walking around the beach near their wooden boats offering tours for the following morning. Wear sunscreen and bring water, snacks and a camera! It takes 3-4hours total.
Lastly, from Mazunte you can visit several near-by beaches such as San Agustinillo and Zipolite. You can walk to San Agustinillo and collectivo trucks drive back and forth on the 175 between Mazunte and Zipolite everyday.
If you do make it to Zipolite and are interested in Textiles, make sure you visit the local Textile factory! It’s family owned, and you can pick out some great deals on hand made textiles for way cheaper then you get in town! You can walk to it from Zipolite center or take a taxi and I’ve included a map below:
Where to Eat in Mazunte:
If you’ve never really been into vegan/vegetarian food but are curious to try, Mazunte makes this so easy! And if that’s already your thing, you will be very happy here! My top two favorite restaurants in Mazunte both have epic vegetarian options and I was still eating some meat at this time but these options where just the best!
Number one is Tribu, a creative taco joint with craft cocktails and strange opporating hours. If you can figure out when it’s open, this place is PACKED for dinner and always has a bumpin vibe! Try to go for lunch or early dinner for the lowest wait times. I would absolutely try the poblano pepper taco!
My next favorite is Motek, a vegetarian Israeli food restaurant tucked back away from the main street. Make sure to walk around the back to the outdoor seating area filled with big shady trees and string lights. Everything is great here, but I most highly recommend the Motek Salad and their hummus!
The best coffee shop in Mazunte is Cometa Coffee. This is also a nice place to plug in your laptop and get some work done if you need.
If you’re craving a cold acia bowl or fresh pressed juice on a hot beach day, look no further then El Tiburon! This place is always busy and be prepared to wait around 15-25min for your order to be ready, but it’s cheap, delicious, and nutritious.
Lastly, if you are feeling a chill night out with friends and drinks, I can recommend grabbing a drink and food at Sahuaro, which also seems to have good music and a good vibe going. They offer asian food along side burgers and tacos and they even have hostel rooms upstairs for those party-hostel lovers.
I’ll note that if you are trying to move on to other parts of Mexico from Mazunte, there’s a well-connected ADO bus station in Pochutla. You’ll need to take a taxi or collectivo to Pochutla, about 30 minutes away (just ask them to take you to the ADO bus station) and then from there they have day time and overnight buses that connect to places like Oaxaca City and San Cristobal. To see destinations/prices/times check on www.ado.mx and choose POCHUTLA at the starting station. The roads are long and windy, so we opted to take the overnight buses with some motion sickness pills ahead of time!
In total, I spent about 3 weeks in Mazunte and I could definitely go back for more! In the future, if I am ever craving a Mexico beach vacation, I will most definitely be heading back to the Magical Mazunte. Enjoy!
Through My Wandering Eyes 