The Mexican Pipeline draws big-wave specialists from around the world every August, while Zicatela beach's bars and surf hostels run a parallel party that starts at noon and ends when the last surfer goes to bed.
Puerto Escondido sits on the Oaxacan coast, a 40-minute flight or six-hour bus ride south of Oaxaca city. Zicatela beach, the main stretch, is one of the most powerful beach breaks in the world. The Quiksilver Pro City Surf competition has used it as a venue, and the town has been called the Mexican Pipeline since at least the 1980s. That reputation has built a specific kind of traveller economy: surf shops, repair stands, hostels with board storage, and a bar strip on Zicatela that operates almost entirely on beer, mezcal, and the social circuit of international surf travellers.
The annual competition brings the biggest crowd of the year, but Puerto Escondido's party season runs from November through April, when the swells are consistent and the heat is dry rather than humid. Zicatela's nightlife centres on Iguana Bar, La Punta (the calmer southern end of the beach circuit), and the cluster of open-air bars behind the main break. Mezcal is the drink: local Oaxacan mezcal costs 60–100 MXN per shot at Zicatela bars, considerably less than at airport departure lounges.
Party hostels within reach of 's main celebrations. Ranked by guest rating.
Day-by-day breakdown
Competition heats typically run between 7am and 11am when wind conditions are best. The public beach is free to watch from. Bring sun protection: Zicatela faces due west and the morning sun comes off the sand directly. Surf lessons are available from several schools along the beach — beginners are directed to La Punta, not Zicatela main break.
La Punta, the southern end of the Zicatela strip, has calmer water and a more laid-back atmosphere. Laguna Manialtepec, 18 kilometres northwest of town, does bioluminescent night kayaking tours (350–500 MXN per person, departs at dusk). Book in the morning. Back in town, the hammock bars between Zicatela and La Punta open from around 2pm.
The Zicatela strip gets going from 8pm. Iguana Bar is the longest-running; Bar Fly and El Son y La Rumba are two blocks back from the beach. Mezcal Negronis, fresh coconut cocktails, and the standard range of Mexican beers are the menu across the strip. A night of steady drinking runs to 300–500 MXN.
A handful of bars stay open until 2am to 3am during competition week. The beach itself is not a great option after midnight: the undertow on Zicatela is strong and the beach is dark. Stick to the bars, which are lit and populated. Taxis back to hostels further from the strip cost 50–80 MXN.
Pre-booked private transfers and shared shuttles for your arrival.
