Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, MX
Playa Carrizalillo
Thanks to that one girl on TikTok. Without her recommendation I would not have known this magnificently beauty of a place existed. It is a bit of a trek up and down this place but very worth it.
If you ask me how I decided to make this my first destination for a solo trip, you would probably think I was crazy. I booked this trip solely by watching a few videos of a girl on TikTok, who I currently don’t even remember the name of. The girl provided information about where she was staying, locations she was visiting, eating/drinking, and to be able to see how aesthetically pleasing and peaceful the surroundings looked. I wanted to have that for myself.
And I did.
I booked accommodation where she recommended, a social hostel (Tower Bridge Hostel) where I had a private room for around 25 dollars a night. And all the places she shared were better than I expected. The beaches and views around the coast were beautiful.
Sunrise before dolphin watching and the surprise of an occasional turtle.
For those who have never stayed in a hostel before, I highly recommend you do. The experience of exposing yourself to something new while meeting new people. It is a special type of bond you form with a stranger. I did not think much of it when I was on this trip and took my time doing a lot of doing nothing, which we need to do sometimes. A few activities here and there, such as dolphin watching (which I booked with the hostel), visiting the market, a day pass to Club de Playa Villasol, a beach club that was around $20 bucks to get in (which you can apply to food and drink) and it was a nice little getaway.
The only thing was that considering it is an open sandy beach, you could not go for a swim because the waves were very rough. Even being near the shore of it felt a little dangerous. I was so used to the Atlantic Ocean, considering I grew up in Puerto Rico, of course, we also have beaches that are not as safe to swim freely in but because of this trip, I have more respect for oceans in general. Do not play too much with the Pacific Ocean was my lesson here.
The girl on TikTok was my free travel agent. She did the work of experiencing it for me beforehand allowing me to feel more secure in choosing to live a similar experience.
Whoever is scared of staying in hostels or hasn’t, I constantly rave about trying it a couple of times while you can. Not only do you save a little money, but you also get to meet some great people daily that you would otherwise not if you were just staying in an Airbnb or hotel.
I chose to go to Puerto Escondido because it reminded me of Puerto Rico, where I spent most of my formative years.
The vibe was not the same of course, as it was a different culture, in terms of its nature, temperature, and beach mood, bordering an entirely different ocean (which I almost drowned in, thankfully I had people around to help me) regardless if I have another opportunity, I would visit there again.
But my philosophy now is when I am out somewhere new and I don’t know much about the place, I like to be in a place where I am surrounded by people who are also getting to know the new place we’re in. Curiosity allows for discovery, it aids in how we interact with the world and its people.
The view of the pool in the hostel
Puerto Escondido, as the name states is indeed hidden, considering it is a major surf town, my impression there was that people who are curious about the place would be the only ones visiting. To get to the hidden port is not hard but not easy. You have to by default stop in Mexico City if you intend on flying there from the United States, they also have an extensive bus system which a friend I made the first night ended up doing to get to her next backpacking destination.
People there were nonchalant considering it is not too crazy of a touristy spot yet. I hope it stays decently priced for the locals that live there, not be driven out. Yes, there is a bit of tourism but it is not overwhelming. I went during November and since it is a tropical place the weather was super hot.
The beaches were as they advertise it to be, perfect for surfing. People go there for a few days and even end up extending their trip because they love the place, at least that’s what I heard from one of the employees at the hostel I stood at.
The way I judge and make my final verdict on places is if I would visit again, that comes from me— if you know me I do not like to waste any time, especially with places that are highly raved about, but then end up being mid.
A high rating coming from me is rare and a main factor I use to judge is if I can see myself living there for an extended period and feeling as if I can build a community there. I usually know immediately if the place I am visiting is for me because of its energy, people, and the everyday life I see through observing how the locals live.
One thing I can say is that I did not experiment with a lot of the food while I was there, something about me when I travel, is I barely eat, I am lucky if I find myself eating 2 big meals in a day, not a good habit but we are working on it, the food there was indeed fresh from what I had and tasty. My hostel provided breakfast daily for a couple of dollars extra. You can tell the difference in their fresh produce compared to the USA.
One thing about me is if I am by the beach, I am eating some seafood.
The drinks were good and the nightlife in Zicatela was on another level there, very young, it was lit and bustling. And believe me when I say this because I was conditioned by NYC nightlight. I went out every night I was there because of my hostel mates, it was great because there was always a group at a certain time ready to head out. Getting a taxi to go out and come back was not hard at all convenient and cheap.
Sunset at Playa Carrizalillo
The day I almost drowned lol
During the day as I was walking around the neighborhood, I felt safe and a little conscious of the stares but that is also because I am a foreigner to them and that is expected. I did not walk around at night by myself, someone always accompanied me, I would not know how different it is, something to keep in mind though — the infrastructure of some of the roads and sidewalks are not safe, and by that, I mean that the streets may not be paved correctly or appear to be under maintenance. There are sewer holes randomly along the sidewalks, and it may be unsafe at night, something to be cautious of when visiting.
Besides that, vendors, service workers, and people simply trying to make a living are kind.
Places I went that I loved:
Can never go wrong with visiting a market and supporting locals.
3 days and 4 nights — a very short trip now that I think about it, I would have at least stayed a full week considering I spent almost 16 hrs just traveling to and from there.
Arrived on Wednesday Night - Departed on Sunday Morning
For each destination I share, I will be using this rating system below:
The Mood-Based Rating
Rate destinations based on the type of traveler they suit:
🌴 Chill & Relax: Perfect for unwinding.
🏔 Adventure & Thrill: Great for adrenaline seekers.
🏛 Culture & Learning: Ideal for history and art lovers.
🍸 Food, Party & Social: Best for nightlife and socializing.
All categories are rated on a scale of (1-10)
—
Puerto Escondido — Personal Mood Rating (33/40)
🌴 Chill & Relax: 8
🏔 Adventure & Thrill: 9
🏛 Culture & Learning: 8
🍸 Food, Party & Social: 8
