It hit me the second I stepped off the plane. I noticed the palm trees waving with the wind, the sun shining a bright pinky-orange color and the fast blast of humidity hit me head on. I knew that I was going to love this place.

This was our first time visiting the state of Oaxaca, and yes, Mexico has states.

There are 32 federal entities in Mexico, 31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a separate entity without being formally a state. Mexico is one of our favorite places to visit for a couple of reasons: 1. We can fly direct to most destinations in Mexico 2. The weather is always nice 3. The flights are inexpensive, especially when flying out of Tijuana.

99% of the time we fly out of Tijuana.

If you aren’t familiar with The Cross Border Express (CBX), it is a walkway from San Diego directly into the Tijuana airport. It does cost to use it but it is super convenient, very clean, and extremely easy to navigate.

Our goal on this trip was to remove ourselves from the rat race ways where we currently live and experience true culture in the present moment, distraction free. We researched to find an inexpensive direct flight to a small town, with great tacos, yoga and surf. We found Oaxaca and will definitely be back.

How to get there:

To find your way to the beach cities of Oaxaca you can either fly into Huatulco Airport (HUX) or Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM). There is also Oaxaca Airport (OAX) and if you’d like to visit the city you can fly in here. If you do fly into OAX and want to get to the beaches, be prepared for a 6-7 hour drive through the mountains and jungle.

Flying into Huatulco is a breeze, yes, that was meant to be cheeky :) The direct flight from Tijuana is a short 4 hours. We always rent a car because we love to explore and drive all around to find the best tacos and surf.

Photo_6554050_DJI_450_jpg_4122007_0_2020109185020_photo_original.JPG

My suggestion would be to fly in early and avoid driving at night. This is our rule for all Mexico travel.

On this adventure we spent 4 out of 5 days frolicking through the beaches of Zipolite, finding waves and eating as much as we could. Below are some recommendations for the beach city of Zipolite:

What’s the weather like:

The beaches of Oaxaca have some of the best weather I have ever experienced (yup, that’s saying a lot for a girl that used to live in Hawaii). Truly the beach experience of swimming in the water was my favorite of all time, yes, even compared to Bali. I have NEVER played in the water more than when we visited Zipolite. Year round the water is 75-80 degrees. The air temperature can get into the 90’s and humidity is easily 80-100%. This is what I loved most. I love tropical, so if you do as well, check out the beaches of Oaxaca. Swim suits are optional in Zipolite.

Transportation Options:

Because we always travel with a surf bag and love to explore other towns we always rent a car. Renting a car in Mexico can be complicated. Be prepared to pay for mandatory insurance along with a large deposit. We do take rental cars down dirt roads and have never had a problem with authorities, but drive at your own risk :) Other options are the local busses, but there is no posted schedule. Taxis are abundant and inexpensive.

About the Beaches:

There are several beach towns along the coast. Puerto Escondido is quite popular with great beaches and delicious food. We like to venture out and find hidden gems in smaller towns. We hadn’t heard too much about Zipolite, except that it used to be a nude beach. When we arrived found out that it is still a nude beach and is the main reason people enjoy being in this beautiful town.

If you’re shy, or seeing ‘all the things’ make you uncomfortable, you may want to skip this beach.

While we decided our suits would stay on, we were fine with others making their own choice on how they would (or would not) dress.

Where to stay:

El Alquamista: this lavish Bali-like accommodation is tucked away in a corner with the best restaurant, a spa, yoga center and warm water just steps from your room. It’s hard to say if the views from the patio or the restaurant are better. While there is a price tag that comes along with all of these amenities, we thought it was worth every cent. Some other places we considered were Hotel Noga and the rooms behind The Mezcaleria.

Photo_6554041_DJI_441_jpg_4392158_0_2020109184218_photo_original.JPG

Where to eat and drink:

The restaurant at Alchamista is definitely the best in Zipolite. They have impeccable service, plenty of options and everything is extremely fresh. Try the ceviche and the tacos.

If you are looking for the best Mezcal head just behind Alchamista to the Mezcaleria. To my knowledge there is no website yet. The women who owns this cute and modern place is a master at all things poshy cocktails. She creates her own blend of drinks and while they are pricey I would say they are most definitely worth a sip.

Looking for fish tacos? Visit Boca. It is on the sand in Zipolite is delicious. The sauces are what really makes it! Try the guacamole as well as the chipotle tacos.

On the one and only Main Street of Zipolite the night life is AMAZING. There are street vendors galore and you can find several different types of cuisine. It might sound weird to get pizza in Mexico but I recommend it as most are owed by Italians who are now residents.

Where to spa:

Shanti spa at Alchamista is the only one I needed to try. It has welcoming staff and is small and quiet. You will need to book in advance.

Where to yoga:

We were hoping for more yoga but in Zipolite we only found the yoga center associated with the Shanti spa. They have one class a day at 8:30am. The class we took was in Spanish, which I was overjoyed about.

On this trip we wanted to catch a glimpse of the “big city” so we took our last day of the trip and drove to Oaxaca. Yes, we drove 6 hours through the jungle and mountain terrain.

The road is a bit curvey and there is little to no place to stop.

The drive was beautiful, LONG, but gorgeous. I would recommend more than a day in Oaxaca or create a trip dedicated to exploring this charming town.

Since this post we have returned to the beaches of Huatulco and have another post coming out that shares some other beach towns we highly recommend.

While Bali is still my number one, The Beaches of Oaxaca have jumped up to the top of the list. This literally happened within hours of our plane landing and every day from there just got better and better. Yup, Oaxaca is that good!