Located in the south of Oaxaca, the small town is nestled right onto Mexico’s Pacific coastline. The town is full of sand and sun charm that has been around for decades since pioneering surfers discovered the 25 foot waves.
This is the kind of beach town from the movies where you’ll find a surfboard coming out of a vintage green taxi and a storefront that sells only coconuts that are opened right after purchase.
The main beach is found at Zicatela is actually not swimmable because of its waves, but that spells out great news for surfers. For those who don’t want to ride the waves, there are still plenty of options out there.
Just a short walk away, you can swim around in the calmer Playa Principal. You can also snorkel and explore the sea life teeming under the water in Playa Manzanillo and Puerto Angelito. If you want to take surf lessons, you can do so at Playa Carrizalillo.
Playa Carrizalillo can be found at the bottom of a long staircase and behind a strip of boutiques and restaurants in the Rinconada neighborhood.
The beach’s high tide brings the water right up to the edge of the cabanas and you can often spot a sea turtle shell floating around. The laid back neighborhood is home to a long beach, plenty of hostels, beach clubs, boutiques, cafes, and surf shops.
You’ll also find sports bars, skate bars, and food trucks all along the shore. This lovely area is rapidly becoming popular with tourists, so much so that locals are afraid it will go through “Tulumification.”