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Planning a beach getaway to Puerto Escondido? Excellent choice! Having done the exact thing ourselves, we know how appealing this place is. It’s hard to beat the beautiful southern coast of Mexico!
There’s even more to Puerto Escondido than just being a beach bum – although you could easily spend all your time doing so and be just as happy! But if you’re looking to spice up your travels, we have narrowed down the top things to do in Puerto Escondido.
Explore the Pacific Ocean’s wildlife and waves, and even see bioluminescent plankton! Of course, I wasn’t kidding when I said “spice up your travels” so there will be lots of tacos and mezcal along the way too.
Best Things to do in Puerto Escondido
1. Go dolphin watching
This dolphin-watching experience is one of those bucket-list things that lives up to the hype. When it comes to dolphin watching, Puerto Escondido is one of the best places you could imagine for this. The Pacific waters of Mexico’s west coast are frequented by huge pods of dolphins, whales, and sea turtles. Trust us, you are in for a treat!
We were picked up from the hotel, and our group of only 10 castaways were on the ocean just after 7 am. Although it’s early, the ocean is absolutely stunning at this time, and it’s a great way to start your day. Soon after arriving, we encountered two massive pods of dolphins that swam all around our boat. They were basically just showing off if you ask us … and we had front-row seats!
The most memorable part of it all was when we had a chance to dive into the dolphin-filled water (at a safe distance, of course). The experience truly brought us closer to these magnificent creatures.
With over 100 5-star reviews, you know this experience is worth the cost! Check out all the positive things fellow travelers say about this experience here.
At only $56 USD ($49 USD on Saturdays), this is an activity worth investing in! It includes hotel pick-up, your guide, bottled water, and the dolphin swim. However, hotel drop-off isn’t included. The tour will end around 10 am on the beach, so you can grab a coffee or go for another swim!
Book this tour in advance here and access FREE cancellation 24 hours before your tour departs.
2. Learn how to surf
Puerto Escondido is the top surfing destination in Mexico, so it’s a no-brainer to give it a go here! What’s awesome about Puerto Escondido is that the waves here can accommodate all levels of surfers. So whether you’re a complete newbie or an avid surfer, we suggest signing up for this local surf lesson.
If you’re just starting (or have never tried the sport), the instructors make you feel so comfortable. They really help build your confidence and give you the tools you need to succeed in the water. We learned everything from how to read waves to ocean etiquette (which I had never thought of before!).
If you already have some surfing experience, you’ll have the chance to improve your technique at the hands of some lifelong surfers. They really understand the ebb and flow of the area’s surfing spots. Our guide, Donovan, was a local and has spent all his life in these waters.
The lessons start with the basics, such as safety and popping up, and tailor it towards your skill level. We appreciated that the groups were kept to only 8 people, so you never feel forgotten about while the teachers are helping other people. Plus, it’s fun to have some other people in the group to laugh at how hard this is!
This top-rated tour starts at a designated meeting point and includes your surfboard and any gear you’ll need. You can book this 2-hour lesson for $47 USD at 7 am, 10 am, or 2:30 pm daily (except Sundays).
Book this tour with over 120 5-star reviews here, before spots fill up!
3. Mezcal distillery guided tour
The Mexican state of Oaxaca is the birthplace of mezcal. So if you’ve been hoping to try this powerful beverage, this is the place to do it! To get to know this iconic spirit, you can book this mezcal distillery tour to learn all about the traditional distillation process and try a handful of different mezcals.
The distillery is only about 15 minutes from Puerto Escondido but trust us, you will want someone else to take care of the transportation. After all, mezcal is a strong spirit – this is one of those experiences where you’ll want a designated driver!
This whole mezcal experience was loads of fun from start to finish. We got a guided tour of the distillery, where we learned all about the history of this beverage (along with some fun facts!).
Forget everything you know about a traditional uptight “distillery” too. This setup is much more informal and authentic, and you’ll be sipping and sightseeing while donning sombreros.
The guide helped us refine our pallets to this potent potion, and really appreciate the unique flavors. Some brave souls even tried a shot with a worm in it (that was a hard no from us!). Because it’s a small group, we were also able to make some new friends!
After the tasting, our guide took us to a super authentic restaurant. The food isn’t covered in the price. Regardless, we were happy to have him introduce us to some fabulous local delicacies. Plus, we definitely needed some food after all that mezcal!
These tours are offered on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and last about 2.5 hours. They cost $79 USD per person. However, with unlimited, high-quality mezcal and convenient hotel pick-up and drop-off, this is a steal.
Check out the 200+ 5-star reviews and reserve your spot here, before it sells out!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
4. Take a food tour
The state of Oaxaca is world-famous for food! For that reason, going on this highly-rated food tour in Puerto Escondido is a brilliant idea and one of the best tours to do!
We loved our experience on this 3.5-hour food tour as we got to find tons of new restaurants, all with an authentic vibe. We started by exploring the main market in Puerto Escondido, and if you’ve traveled through Mexico before, you know some of the best food in the country can be found in local markets! Having a guide who knows where the absolute best food stalls are was super helpful, and they simply ordered for us, which let us try out some new yummy foods.
After this, we stopped by locally-owned taquerias, street food vendors, and even more that I lost count! In addition to food, we tried a traditional-styled drink called Tejate, which uses Oaxaca’s famous chocolate.
Food tours need to be booked online in advance as they often only have space for a handful of people. This Puerto Escondido food tour has dozens of 5-star reviews (check them out here!) and visits some special local gems that are guaranteed to be tasty! Really if you are a foodie this is the easiest way to taste authentic Oaxacan food and drink.
Dates are limited, be sure to reserve this spot before you go here!
5. Swim with bioluminescent plankton
Swimming with bioluminescent plankton is truly an illuminating experience, and is one of the most popular things to do in Puerto Escondido. Especially if you’ve never seen it before!
On this 2.5-hour tour from Puerto Escondido, you will be swimming with the plankton in a lake rather than the ocean. Every time you move the plankton shines, it is as if you’re swimming in a body of water filled with glitter! It is hard to explain, but totally cool!
We met our tour group and drove about 20 minutes out of town towards the lake. It’s a bit of a journey to find the bioluminescent plankton, it requires a short jungle walk and a half-hour boat ride to reach our destination.
Once we got there, it was time to swim! We stopped the boat and hopped in to see the glittery plankton! At first, it was a little scary because it was completely dark, but once one person jumped in, we all did!
Surprisingly, the water was warm. Our tour guide explained that it is a natural thermal spring, hence the warm water! We had about an hour to swim, which was a perfect amount of time to enjoy this mesmerizing sight!
There are a lot of tours that will take you to see the plankton, but we recommend booking this tour in advance so you know it’s a reputable one. This experience is $79 USD and includes transportation, a boat ride, life jackets for swimming, and your guide.
Secure your spot ahead of time here and get FREE cancellation before you take off!
6. Go sport fishing
The waters around Puerto Escondido are full of all kinds of big fish. It’s a fisherman’s dream! Although we aren’t what you would consider pros, we thought we would give it a go on this sport fishing tour. It turned out to be a super exhilarating experience, and we got a takeaway to boot!
Our 5-hour tour set off at sunrise, and it wasn’t long before we made it to the deep blue. Our guide and captain, Omar, eats, sleeps, and breathes the ocean. He was a treasure trove of knowledge about everything from the life below us to the techniques of spotting and catching.
We managed to hook an impressive sailfish. However, we also saw tons of dolphins and turtles and even a manta ray that flew past. With little to no skill but excellent coaching, we were able to reel in a few Mahi Mahi. They were then filleted right on the boat (another skill we never thought we’d learn!).
We took our fresh catch back to the beach, where a local restaurant prepared it for us. Being able to enjoy the fruits of our labor was the icing on the cake. I guess you can now call us hunters in the hunter-gatherer equation, right?
This whole experience costs only $450 USD per group (up to 4). It included everything we needed for the 5-6 hours we spent at sea (fishing equipment, fishing license, knowledgeable guides, and a beverage cooler). It also includes pick-up from your Puerto Escondido accommodations (although you’ll end the tour at a seaside restaurant).
Reserve this tour now and pay later when you book it online here!
Where to Stay in Puerto Escondido
There are a few different areas to stay in Puerto Escondido, and we have an entire blog on the best hotels in Puerto Escondido. It includes hotels and hostels in every budget to suit every traveler!
However, to quickly give you a little info, here are the main areas to stay:
Near Playa Carrizalillo
This is the area where we stayed, and I personally loved it. We were within walking distance to Playa Carrizalillo, close to the market and local restaurants, and away from the busy streets, but still only a 40 MXN ($2 USD) taxi to Playa Zicatela!
We stayed at Casa Losodeli and loved every second of our stay. It had a huge outdoor pool surrounded by beautiful gardens. We stayed in the one-bedroom apartment so we could cook, but they had a large selection of rooms to choose from. The owner was one of the nicest people we have ever met (and no, she didn’t know we were bloggers). Truthfully, you can’t go wrong staying here.
It’s an adults-only place, so not suitable for families. But it’s great when traveling solo, with friends, or as a couple. Prices start as low as $62 USD when you book ahead online.
Playa Zicatela
This is the largest beach area in Puerto Escondido and where the majority of the hotels, bars, and restaurants are. However, you can’t really swim at the beach here because of the rough swells, and it has no shade. But if you’re after nightlife and restaurants, then look no further.
Hotel Rockaway is located just across the street from Playa Zicatela. It features a large pool and fitness center. The reviews are flawless, and the price is super reasonable. You can expect to pay between $90-$140 USD a night. So don’t hesitate to check it out and book it online.
For something a little cheaper, check out the Selina. It is a top-notch hostel with everything from budget dorms to fancy private rooms. You get a better bang for your buck in this area, with dorms starting at $23 USD and private rooms at $71 USD. You can book Selina on Booking.com or through Hostelworld.com.
Playa Punta
This is the beach area to the south of Zicatela but still part of the same bay. This area has more of a “hippy vibe” but is still within walking distance of the main area of Zicatela.
Punta Zicatela Hotel is one of the top-rated properties in all of Puerto Escondido. With two pools (indoor and outdoor) and a rooftop bar with superb views, you really can’t go wrong. It is super cheap too but has all the creature comforts you’d expect from a beautiful hotel. You can find rooms as low as $100 USD when you book online in advance.
All the hotels in these areas come up in the search under Puerto Escondido, so use the map on Booking.com and select hotels in the area you want to stay.
Renting a Car in Mexico
Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to get around Mexico is in a rental car.
I struggled to get around by bus and taxi for the longest time. But after renting a car in Cancun in 2023, I never looked back. It allowed me to explore the country without worrying about tours or taxis. It was why I fell in love with Mexico and eventually decided to live here periodically.
I refuse to use local services whenever I rent a car in Mexico. The truth is they sometimes can’t be trusted or come with hidden fees (or costly insurance that doesn’t make sense.) There are even rental car scams! So instead, I use Discover Cars, the company most experienced travelers or ex-pats in Mexico recommend. Read my honest review of Discover Cars here for more details!
The rates on Discover Cars are cheap, too, with the average rental costing around $25 USD per day. Full coverage insurance can be added for an extra $10 USD a day too.
Driving in Mexico also only requires a driver’s license using the Roman alphabet. If yours uses another like Japan and China, you simply need an international driving permit.
Insurance is required, but if you book with Discover Cars and get the full coverage, that’s all you need! Oh, and being over 18 is required, and if you’re over 25, your rental will be much cheaper!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
I truly hope this blog and my complete list of what to do helps get you ready for your travels to Puerto Escondido, Mexico! And, I hope you love the town as much as I did!
If your Mexico holiday doesn’t end with Puerto Escondido, then lucky you! There is a huge range of amazing destinations in Mexico to choose from! here are a few of my other favorite places in the area that you should add to your itinerary:
35 EXCITING Things to do in Oaxaca City, Mexico
How to Spend 3 Days in Mexico City: An Ideal 3-Day Mexico City Itinerary