Continuing our journey down to the coast from the city of Oaxaca, Selassie was very hyped to be staying at a beach town known for its surfing.
Sometime between all those surfing and yoga sessions by the beach, we ended up staying longer than any of us originally planned. The lure of Puerto Escondido is invisible but oh-so-strong.
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Having fun in an acro yoga class -
Acai bowl at Piyoli
Having to do some house and hotel hunting while sourcing for a long-term stay in Puerto Escondido, we’ve managed to visit a number of hotels in Puerto Escondido to enquire about accommodation. As such, we were able to walk the grounds of some of these properties and get a feel of it.
We’ve made a list of hotels we like and those we don’t. Below are some Puerto Escondido hotels we’d stay at in a heartbeat if we were travelers back here again.
They’re categorized based on the 5 main neighborhoods of Puerto Escondido – Zicatela, La Punta, Centro, Carrizalillo, and La Barra.
At A Glance
Hotels in Puerto Escondido – Zicatela
Zicatela is the main beach where pro surfers hang out at. It’s dotted with a row of beachfront restaurants that get busy at night.
Hotel Rockaway
This is probably one of the wealthiest beachfront properties in Puerto Escondido. Not only are they on prime land in front of Zicatela beach, they even sponsor some of Puerto Escondido’s road signs! Needless to say, they boast some of the best, unblocked views of Zicatela beach
They have a nice little garden oasis in the middle of their property and rooms are large enough for family travellers.
Hotel Arcoiris
Hotel Arcoiris boasts some serious bungalow chalet vibes. With a large front lawn and hammocks facing the sea, they’ve nailed “vacation mode” right there! Also a beachfront property, you’re just one street away from Zicatela beach.
Selina
Selina is a well-known brand in Latin America, mostly known for its co-working and co-living space. While prices are slightly higher than usual hostels, they do offer comfort and pride themselves in the community they’ve built.
Hotels in Puerto Escondido – La Punta
La Punta is an up and coming neighbourhood that’s attracting lots of youngsters and the free-spirited.
It by far seems to be the most touristy neighbourhood, where people come and go all evening into the late night on the streets. It boomed because of the influx of foreigners that came in during the pandemic in 2020. With that came pop-up food markets and restaurants serving cuisines of different countries.
Also, it gets crowded at the beach at sunsets for good reason – you can lose yourself in time as you watch the sun coast down the horizon and into the sea at sunsets.
If a beach town complete with stylish bohemian clothing stores, restaurants and bars that open late and food shacks where you can eat tacos while dipping your feet in sand is what you’re after, La Punta is for you!
Casa Umi
This is one casa (house) I’d LOVE to stay in. Mostly, I’m a sucker for minimalism and this hotel has designed their rooms exactly that way with grey hues and a simple but aesthetic rectangular pool in the middle of their rooms.
Villas Lunaya
Speaking of minimalism, Lunya is another hotel I discovered via Instagram that shouts desert vibes with its nude colour tones. If you’re a sucker for geometry and light play, this is the property you want to shoot at!
Casa De Olas
Casa De Olas is a modern property equipped with a pool and very modern gym equipment, a rare amenity for hotels in Puerto Escondido! They regularly hold fitness classes at their roof terrace.
They have a newer wing which have modern and clean rooms albeit small, and an older wing that features rooms that can accommodate a family or a group of friends and your very own private kitchen.
If you’re working remotely, the fact that they have steady WiFi connection might be a win for you!
Barbarenas
The unique design of Barbarenas reminds me of Rapunzel stuck at the top of a high tower… or when Jamie and Cersei Lannister were caught having s*x by Bran in Game Of Thrones. Stepping into Barbarenas feels like a fairytale come true.
It comes equipped with a communal kitchen, surrounded by a peaceful pond where you can dangle above it on a hammock. 😉
They also offer daily yoga sessions multiple times a day on the roof of one of the cute towers, which I adore doing. If you come at sunset, you can have the view of the sun setting in front of you while flowing in your yoga sequence!
Bonita
Bonita is a popular hostel for young travelers. Not only can you play volleyball in the pool, they also regularly organize events such as karaoke sessions and live DJ sessions!
Rooms vary from hostels to private rooms. All rooms are air-conditioned, which is a luxury in La Punta!
If you prefer a quieter, private accommodation and not have to deal with a messy kitchen, Bonita might be a bit too robust for you.
Hotels in Puerto Escondido – Centro
Centro is the main hub where most of the day-to-day necessities are sold. Think clothing stores, phone shops, electrical goods, homeware goods, etc.
There’s not really a reason to stay here, except if you want the convenience of what civilization offers. That, and it’s easy to get from place to place since all public transport passes through here.
If you’re looking for a hotel with a sea view though, there’s one to consider.
Caracol Plaza
One of the largest hotels in all of Puerto Escondido, it’s hard to miss Caracol Plaza whenever you’re commuting. Set on a hilltop, the property boasts several swimming pools that offer a view of Zicatela beach from the top.
It’s a traditional style of hotel, if that’s what you’re looking for, complete with a buffet breakfast for every staying guest.
Hotels in Puerto Escondido – Carrizalillo
Housing here is more modern and often far cheaper. If you’re interested in learning how to surf, this is the place to be! There’s one main street where you’ll find restaurants, cafes, and minimarts called Boulevard Benito Juárez (location here). Apart from that, it’s all residential.
Villas Carrizalillo
Your very own villa home, complete with a courtyard, living room, and kitchen. For big group travelers, they also have the option for a 2-bedroom villa. Imagine the luxuriousness of space!
All rooms are also air-conditioned which is a bonus (have I mentioned how precious air-conditioning is in Puerto Escondido already?)
What I love most of all is its terrace, equipped with hammocks and pool beds overlooking the beach. While not many accommodations offer this, guests receive complimentary breakfast here!
Suites La Hacienda
Think of Spanish jardins (gardens); that’s what Suites La Hacienda is made to look like. Different colored themed rooms make up the property. You can see that effort’s being put in to spruce up the interior with its unique interiors.
Mondala Hostal Carrizalillo
This is the closest accommodation to the beach where you’ll learn beginner surfing at. A no-frills budget hostel if that’s what you’re looking for. For the price, you can’t have too high expectations of cleanliness and hygiene. If the location is what you’re after, this place is unbeatable.
Hotels in Puerto Escondido – La Barra
Way out in the Southern end of Puerto Escondido, this neighbourhood is nothing but residential estates, pretty villas, and a beach that’s visited by virtually no one.
There’s not much in the way of activities here, and by that, I mean nothing is going on. It’s the place to be if you’re in it for an all-inclusive type of stay with nothing on your agenda but the beach and a big villa to lounge in.
You’d want to be equipped with your own form of transport, as it’s going to take some navigating to arrive here.
Cabane Container Hotel
Situated way South in La Barra, if you’re looking for a quirky stay, Cabane Container Hotel strikes out as one artsy hotel.
Apart from that, it’s hard to justify going out of the way to La Barra… except for their food! If anything, their restaurant boasts of a fine dining experience.
Long Term Rentals in Puerto Escondido
If, like us, you were pulled into living in this liveable beach town too and you’re looking for longer-term stays in Puerto Escondido, there are a few places to look.
While Airbnb is the first platform that might come to your mind, often they’re targeting tourists and with the unnecessary but compulsory Airbnb fees, prices are unfairly charged and way higher than the local market rate.
Because of how unofficial everything is, we found the most value for money monthly rentals via Facebook Groups! Bear in mind that posts would all be in Spanish, and most of them don’t speak English.
Thanks to Facebook groups and Selassie who speaks native Spanish, we managed to secure two monthly housing rentals for a really, really unbeatable price for what they offer.
The first place we stayed at was 4500 pesos/ USD 225 a month. Here are some features about the house:
- Ground floor
- Shared kitchen and common area
- Private room, bathroom
- WiFi is some of the better ones for a home – about 20/100 in a speed test. Runs fine with video calls.
- Location less than 500m to the beach – unbeatable!
- Location also right next to Mercado de Zicatela – that means you’ll never run out of supplies
- Fan, no A/C – this was the sole reason we decided to find another place. It got too unbearably hot despite the ceiling fan running at full speed during the dry months of February and March.
- Laundry not provided
- Mosquitoes that linger in our bathroom and kitchen – nothing mosquito coils won’t chase away.
- Cooking meant cooking up a sweat as well. The kitchen isn’t well-ventilated.
- Co-living with a young family and their cat is such fun! You get to play with the little girl and the docile white cat. They’re kind, friendly and really easygoing. It felt like living with your own friends and you can be totally comfortable!
As mentioned, since it was so unbearably hot (I was dreaming about and moaning about wanting air conditioning every single day), we had to look for alternatives.
The next one we stayed was heaven on earth, in comparison. Here are some features we love:
- Air conditioning, duh!
- 3rd floor
- Well ventilated, lots of natural light
- Shared kitchen and common area on the 1st floor
- Private room, bathroom
- Laundry provided
- Weekly cleaning provided
- Pool
- 2 cats!
- Hammocks all around
- Rooftop lounge with 360º views
- Surrounded by greenery – we’re in the heart of the village where you can greet iguanas in the mornings and even see some neighbour homes collecting water from water wells!
- Location is further inland – requires walking through dirt roads. This incentivized us to get a motorbike eventually.
- Location is close to Centro
- Relatively private – while there are other housemates in other rooms, we hardly see them around.
- Host lives next door, very friendly and willing to help out whenever we needed help.
For the weekly cleaning and A/C, we found that the monthly rental of 7000 pesos/ USD 350 was more than reasonable!
Happy to send you the contact of each of these hosts we stayed at if you’re keen; just drop me a message!
Here are some Facebook groups we get the best luck with:
- Roomies Puerto Escondido
- Puerto Tourist Housing – Weekly & Monthly Rentals
- Puerto Escondido Long Term Housing
With much luck, you might also be able to find some opportunities on Whatsapp groups. I’ve highlighted some of the active local group chats in my post on living like a local in Puerto Escondido, so that’s another avenue for you to look for housing.
All in all, Puerto Escondido can really feel like home if you give it a chance. I mean, how else have I stayed here for 3 months already?
Have you been here? Are there any other trending hotels in Puerto Escondido worth a mention? Let me know!
