Wellness Guide To Puerto Escondido

I fell in love with Puerto Escondido right away… the beach [of course!], surf + yoga, super fresh seafood, organic grocery store, mangos everywhere, dogs roaming the streets, lots of flowers, warm water, sunshine, so many young people, + very laid back. It’s one of those places that the entire town heads to the beach to watch the sunset.

Puerto felt very familiar to me… definitely California + Costa Rica vibes. There’s so much magic here + it’s still relatively unknown, BUT there’s no doubt it will blow up in a few years [like Tulum] — so I recommend visiting ASAP, so that you can experience it before it becomes majorly touristy. One thing to note though: the wifi is terrible. Seriously, the wifi is the joke of the town… it’s that bad 😆. So I recommend visiting on vacation rather than remote working!

Stay

I definitely recommend staying in La Punta — this is where the best cafe were, an amazing organic grocery, great yoga studios, a beach you can swim in, + much more laidback. The “main downtown” of Puerto Escondido is very much spring break vibes, touristy, + Playa Zicatela is not a swimming beach at all (it’s known for very intense surfing!). We stayed at an Airbnb + there are many great Airbnbs in La Punta!

Coffee + Cafes

Many of the coffee shops / cafes have large outdoor coworking spaces. While the wifi isn’t always that reliable, you’ll see a lot of people on their computers trying to get work done!

• Ojitos Abiertos — best coffee.
• Amarisa Cafe — this was super close to our Airbnb + had incredible reliable wifi (which is rare in Puerto lol) so this was on of our go-to spots.
• Elephant Garden — FAVORITE café. You must get the Frappuccino!
• Barrio Cafe — this spot is gorgeous — great coffee, avocado toast, + smoothie bowls. Also, they apparently cut hair here, too 😉
• Karma Bowls — the smoothie bowls are so good [loved the Love Bowl] + the aqua frescas!
• Prieta Linda Cafe — coffee shop in the northern part of Puerto. Great to grab coffee before heading to one of the more northern beaches.
• Café Blason — outdoor coworking space with great breakfast
• Malagua Café — this was our go-to coworking spot + has a great cafe!
• Savanna — The vibes here are on point. Amazing place to watch the sunset! A lot of people cowork here, too!

Restaurants

• Fish Shack — FAVORITE coconut shrimp tacos of my life, omg. Try everything.
• La Mariinera — hidden gem. Amazing poke bowls + ahi tuna tostadas — right on the beach.
• Chicama — Peruvian food… gets extremely crowded at night, so get here early! But so good!
• Cocofam — family owned vegan cafe with amazing tacos, it was perfect for a mid-day meal in northern Puerto.
• Almoraduz Cocina de Autor — known for its tasting menu… make reservations!
• Alivo Kuauitl Ristorante — Italian restaurant with lots of pasta options

Wellness + To Explore:

My hand was still sprained from Mazunte, so unfortunately I didn’t get to do anything wellness *BUT* below is my wellness bucketlist for next time 🥰

#1] All the yoga. Yoga One Love, Jardin Ganesha, Marea Yoga Studio

#2] SURF! Puerto is a huge surfing destination… + actually really intense. Most the main beaches in Puerto are “no swimming allowed” due to the waves. Hire a guide + they will take you to a nearby beach based on your surfing abilities.

#3] Stay at a boutique wellness hotel. Check out Casa Calibra for a curated wellness experience. Gym, sauna, ice baths, spa, + more!

#4] Take a long walk on the beach. Playa Zicatela is the most “famous” beach in Puerto + it’s super long… two miles!

• Make sure to go to: Playa Carrizalillo for sunset. It’s 200 steps to get down, but you’ll be so happy you did… it’s gorgeous!
• The entire town of La Punta seems to gather on th beach for sunset + it’s so magical.

#5] Day trip to Mazunte. Be beware… this is where I sprained my hand! Check out my day trip guide here.

Pro Tips:

• When to go? Dry season is December-April. We visited in March + it was perfect! End of May is the annual Surf Open Puerto Escondido, if you are looking to watch amazing surfers 😉
• How long? 5–7+ days
• Wifi: Have I told you the wifi is terrible? lol embrace it!
• Everything is slowwww… (the service). Again, embrace it!
• Moringa was our go-to organic grocery store
• Rent a moped. This was the best way to get around!
• I was very into “Agua Fresco” when we were in Puerto Escondido, which is a blended fruit drink. I loved mine with agua mineral, lime juice, lime, + a salted rim! YUM.
• SO MANY STRAY DOGS. Isaac got dog fever here lol.

Okay, writing this blog post made me so excited to go BACK to Puerto Escondido. Are you in?!

Love,
Elisabeth