Michael C.
Yelp
The Oaxaca beach town of Puerto Escondido has become famous from the surfing competitions held at Zicatela Beach every year in November. This is the best beach in all of Mexico, and known as the "Mexican Pipeline" from the wave similarities to the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. International surfing competitions are held here, such as the ESPN X Games, and the MexPipe Challenge. This wave is larger, more consistent and more powerful than Bonzai Pipeline. Bonzai is not actually a specific beach, but a wave swell that forms along a short section of North Shore.
This iconic beach is fifty to one hundred meters wide and four kilometers long with one of the largest and most powerful swells in the world with beautiful formation. One of the world's absolute great beaches, it is reminiscent of Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia, and Half Moon Bay in Northern California. I once saw a video of the legendary British surfer, Martin Potter, ride a wave from one end of Zicatela the other with such skill. That ride went on and on and on and on and on. I've never seen anything like it and I was never able to find that video again. If anyone knows how to view it, please let me know.
My apologies to those surfers who prefer another beach cause I know some people take these things seriously. There are lots of good beaches. Jaws in Maui can be insane, and Bells Beach in Victoria and Margaret River in Western Australia are awesome.
Zicatela is basically a surfer's beach, as its strong rip currents make it unsuitable for most swimmers. The beach now has a landscaped promenade. Back in 1986 and 1987 when I stayed here, there was no development onshore at this beach. Nothing. I swam here and it was probably the most difficult rip current I have ever been caught in. No lifeguards back then when Puerto was a dot on the map. I hear there are lifeguards now. We camped at the Playa Principal beachside campground two different times. Slept in a hammock. LOL.
West of Zicatela Beach in front of the old town section is Playa Marinero, which is the best beach for swimming as the surf and currents are much less. The two beaches are separated by a rocky outcrop called "El Morro" (the nose). Although the Pacific Coast of Mexico generally runs north-south, this section of the coast in Oaxaca runs east-west, Playa Zicatela is on the eastern end.
The main attractions of Puerto Escondido are its beaches, which are internationally known. The area also is attractive to scuba divers because of the variety of fish to be found, as well as large oysters, lobsters and manta rays.
Very cool that you can fly from Mexico City directly into here to the cute airport just north of town. One of those "walk out to the plane" airports. Or you can take a vicious bus ride over the mountains to Oaxaca City - that one will kick your butt.
I knew this place would be huge in the future, and here we are. One of the best places I've ever visited. Oaxaca on a whole is pretty awesome.
