How To Get From Puerto Escondido to Mazunte/ Zipolite, Mexico

Mazunte and Zipolite are popular beach destination especially if you’re already in Puerto Escondido. 

You can get to Mazunte in an hour from Puerto Escondido, and many who live in Puerto Escondido often take a day trip or a weekend trip to Mazunte. 

I’ve lived in Puerto Escondido for a full month working as a digital nomad in April 2021 and am ashamed to say I haven’t visited it… Until I did.

I was invited by a fellow travel blogger to head over for a weekend and so I went without expectation. What really caught me off guard is how small both the towns of Mazunte and Zipolite are even though so many people rave about Zipolite. 

Both Mazunte and Zipolite offer a different kind of beach view. You can’t go to one without visiting the other!

Zipolite, for one, is best known for being Mexico’s first and only legal public nude beach.

Both Mazunte and Zipolite are hippie towns and give off a laidback vibe that you’ll instantly feel in the air and in the people the moment you arrive. 

To give you a sense of how rustic it is, here are some observations: there exists only 5 ATMs in the whole of Mazunte and Zipolite. One thing you’ll also notice is, you’ll never see any familiar brands in shops – not even OXXO – everything is locally operated!

The only question is…

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How do you get from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte?

This was important information I found difficult to get online. I had to speak with some locals and frequent commuters between Puerto Escondido and Mazunte to finally get concrete information about getting to Mazunte.

This guide will give you everything you need to know about getting to Mazunte from Puerto Escondido. If you’re travelling in the opposite direction, getting from Mazunte to Puerto Escondido, the instructions are the same, just in reverse.

The journey itself is 72 km, and might take anywhere from 1.5 hours to 2 hours depending on the mode of transport and road conditions.

The most economical way is by public transport, and honestly, taking the taxi or driving may shave off some time from the journey but it’s not substantial.

By public transport

Here’s a detailed guide on everything you need to know about taking public transport from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte or Zipolite.

The main station to get a bus/ minivan is opposite Chedraui in Centro, called Transportes Delfines Pto Escondido (location here). If you’re looking for a sign while on the ground, keep a lookout for a big signboard called “Hotel San Juan”. It’s located right under it. You’ll see white buses and minivans with a blue stripe parked around them.

The vans/ buses you’re looking for will have a sign in the front of the window saying “Pochutla”. You want to board these ones heading towards the Pochutla direction.

You don’t have to necessarily go all the way to Centro to board the bus/ minivan. As they all go via the main highway 200, you can flag it down anywhere along the route. 

However, if you’re coming by the airport, you’ll have to make your own way to Transportes Delfines Pto Escondido.

You’ll alight at the junction at San Antonio, right after a gas station, where OXXO is.

The journey is about 1 hour, and it costs a flat fee of 50 pesos/ USD 2.50.

The bus/ minivan comes once every 30 minutes and starts as early as 7 am. 

Next, you’ll have to wait for a collectivo that’ll pick you up on the road leading towards Mazunte. This costs 15 pesos. Then voila! You’re in the town of Mazunte. Easy peasy.

If you’re heading to Zipolite, stay onboard the collectivo. The collectivo goes all the way through to Zipolite, which is the next town. 

Regardless, keep a lookout for your final destination. The collectivo doesn’t stop unless you ring the bell to signal for him to stop.

Alternatively, you can book your fuss-free transport from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte here.

By taxi/ driving

Taxis go by the same route and costs 1800 pesos/ USD 90. There are plenty of travellers frequently going to and from Puerto Escondido and Mazunte. If you can find someone to carpool with, you can split this cost!

When taking a private car, you can get from Puerto Escondido to Mazunte in a little over 1.5 hours.

Where To Stay In Mazunte, Mexico

We stayed at Hotel Pochote in Mazunte. The location is perfect – right smack in the middle of all the action. It’s a no-frills hotel. A bed, strong A/C, powerful showers. Perfect for hopping in and out in between your beach sessions in Mazunte. For around USD 55 which we paid per night, it’s a reasonable stay!

Where To Stay In Zipolite, Mexico

Ugh. This hotel is to die for. I don’t know what gave me the idea to spoil ourselves in Zipolite, but looking at the minimalist interior of Soiree made it hard for me to resist. This hotel was built by a European who obviously knows how to keep it minimalistic while elegant at the same time.

I say that because the walls are made of simple grey concrete, yet with the furnishing, they’ve managed to keep it modern, complete with a large bed that occupies the room. Most of the rooms are pool-facing. I definitely wish I took pictures of the interior. 

In keeping up with the whole nude beach theme, going to the pool is also clothing optional. 😉

After that one weekend trip to Mazunte and Zipolite, I’ve concluded that as small a town as they can be, 2 nights are still not enough! I’m planning my next trip to Mazunte and Zipolite, this time staying a minimum of 4 nights, so that it’ll leave me ample time to lounge on the nude beach, surf, and hit up some cool night spots!

The surfing here is much milder compared to the raging waves in Puerto Escondido.