Mazunte Travel Guide — Why You’ll Love This Mexican Beach Town
Mazunte felt like such a secret place. There is only a small cluster of people living there and it’s an 8-hour, stomach-wrenching minibus ride from Oaxaca City – which means not so many travellers make it over there. Even the most strong-stomached travellers take motion sickness tablets before taking the journey along the winding roads down to Mazunte.
But once you arrive in Mazunte, the rough journey immediately melts away into a distant memory and all you have is the bright blue ocean for miles. We got off of the van in San Agustinillo, the beach village just a 10-minute walk from Mazunte. We checked into our friendly posada and dropped our backpacks in the room, before immediately running down onto the sand and jumping into the sea.
Beaches in Mazunte
Mazunte’s beaches – Most travellers come to Mazunte for an authentic Mexican beach town experience. In truth, many Mexican families holiday at the beach in San Agustinillo, whereas you’ll find hippie travellers in Mazunte, and older generations and queer travellers in nearby Zipolite. I’ve got to say that I loved the vibe in Mazunte most. Think hot days swimming in the sea and drinking freshly blended juice.
Things To Do in Mazunte
Punta Cometa – Tipped to be the best place to watch the sunset in Mazunte is Punta Cometa. There’s a sign-posted, rocky path that can be followed up the hill.
Turtle Conservation Centre – The National Turtle Centre of Mexico in Mazunte was unfortunately closed on the days when we were in town. However, our friends made it and said the experience was amazing. In 1990, the government banned sea turtle hunting here. Now the area focuses on eco-tourism. You can visit the centre to learn about the local turtle population in Oaxaca.
Yoga – Yoga is big in Mazunte. Walking back one evening from Mazunte to our posada in San Agustinillo, dozens of people wearing yoga pants and looking serene silently came out of one of the gates along the road. At first, we thought it was some kind of odd cult because everyone was so silent, but we later realised they were participating a silent yoga and meditation weekend at Hridaya Yoga Center. Yoga classes also happen at the Solstice Yoga Center and donation based classes at Rancho Cerro Largo.
Where to Eat in Mazunte, Oaxaca
Mazunte had the best healthy vegetarian food in Mexico. I was in love with the food at Mazunte. In Mexico, it can be rare to find vegetarian food that isn’t all corn and cheese, but at Mazunte you can. Unfortunately, there are few road names in Mazunte and limited online coverage of the restaurants there, but I’ve done my best to describe where they are.
Cafe Sahuaro – the best sushi in Mexico
I still dream about this vegetarian sushi. The sushi at Cafe Sahuaro is some of the best I’ve ever eaten, and if you get the chance then make sure you stop by and eat some. The cafe is located on the main path down to the beach in Mazunte. Fresh out of the sea, we walked pas and as soon as we saw the sushi menu we knew we had to eat there. We ordered a deconstructured sushi bowl and a roll of vegetarian sushi inside and devoured it all at a table outside in the garden. Inside you can also buy organic goods like natural peanut butter (I of course grabbed a jar).
Google Map: Road down to the beach in Mazunte
Lost Aguacates – buzzing falafel bar on the balcony
This is the place where it really gets going for food in Mazunte. Open whenever they feel like it (usually later in the evening), Lost Aquacates is run by some laid-back, hazy guys who love cooking up fresh falafel and cactus burgers while downing a few chelas (beers). Pull up a cushion on the balcony and go with it. We were fans of the food here, though we have to admit it was salty (make sure you get a beer too). The ‘restaurant’ is on the corner opposite the supermarket. Look up as it’s on the second floor and you’ll see a thatched roof with a sign dangling up there.
Cocina Económica La Guera – economical vegetarian food
On the main road running parallel to the beach in Mazunte there are a handful of more economical restaurants. A lot of them are fish restaurants, but we found a cheap cocina cooking up vegetarian food. Cocina Económica La Guera is only a tiny place, but the lady running it is super friendly. Expect a menu of fried potato cakes (like potato hash) with salad and vegetarian tacos with potato.
La Mora Cafe – good coffee, great breakfast
La Mora Cafe was our go-to for breakfast and coffee. The coffee here is the best you’ll find in Mazunte, and the breakfast was always fresh and filling. The cafe is owned by an Italian guy (probably why the coffee is so good). There’s a terrace at the back, so you can have breakfast with a beach view. Lots of surfer dudes stop here for green juice and everyone is tucking into scrumptious eggs and tortillas. They also rent the rooms above for medium lets. The cafe isn’t hard to find as it’s one of the few places on the main road through San Agustinillo.
Travel Between Mazunte, San Agustinillo and Zipolite
Pasajeros are the cheapest way to get around the row of beaches towns here. Pasajeros are pickup trucks with coloured tents that cover the back (to prevent everyone getting completely sun burned!) The run along the main road that goes parallel to all of the beaches in the area. You’ll see them passing by several times per day, usually only around 20-30 minutes apart. Simply jump on the back and pay the driver when you get off. The cost is around $7 to $15 pesos per person, depending on how far you’re going.
Where to Stay in Mazunte
There are loads of great looking posadas and cabanas in Mazunte and neighbouring San Agustinillo.
El Eden Bungalows – The budget-friendly El Eden Bungalows in Mazunte is a great option for budget backpackers and couples, and there’s an affordable breakfast on offer. The bungalows are just 750m from Mazunte beach.
Hotel Rinconcito – This mid-range option is just a stone’s throw from Mazunte beach (200m walk!) and boasts a restaurant, terrace and pool.
Celeste Del Mar Eco-Hotel – This sustainable eco-hotel is right on the beach front and just a 10-minute walk to Mazunte town. It’s more pricey but the price tag affords you beach front views.
How to Get from Oaxaca City to Mazunte
The best way to travel from Oaxaca City to Mazunte beach is by van. Though big bus companies like ADO do run buses to Mazunte, these tend to take much longer due to the narrow, winding roads. Vans are a faster, though other travellers online have said they felt they were ‘too fast,’ we thought that our journey was safe and fine by van.
You can take a van from Oaxaca to Pochutla. There are multiple van operators leaving at regular times each day. We took a van from Armenta y López 621, corner La Noria in Oaxaca. From Pochutla, you can usually connect to a second van which drives down to Mazunte. The other option is to take a collectivo (shared taxi) from Pochutla to Mazunte. Pochutla is about 20-25 minutes drive from Mazunte.
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Agness of aTukTuk
Thanks a bunch for the awesome ideas! What should I get in Lost Aguacates?
Sudarshan Kar
Hey! this is a great post! Finding a gem hidden away feels so satisfying, doesn’t it? Where did you hear about Mazute btw? And did you encounter any problems in your journey throughout mexico? I know…. the country gets a lot of bad rep from the media and western films.
Reading this post sparked a feeling of wanderlust within me once again haha. Let’s hope I can make a getaway soon enough :)
Mime
you can also take a plane form mexico City to huatulco , you would avoide the 8-hour, stomach-wrenching minibus ride and enjoy the beaches :)
Eudoph
Unfortunatly Mazunte is more then overrated.
Dirty and unwelcoming!
For locals you are just waking walet and at the beach thay thay are just rude!.
Prices in restaurnre are higher then in Mexico city
Or quite often similar like in Venice just without quality.
There are many other places in Mexico with honest ppl Do not recoment Mazunte!
BTW no Cell phone coverage at all its 2018 for the. Record
Charlie Marchant
Hi Eudoph, thanks for taking the time to share your opinion about Mazunte. Did you visit Mazunte on holiday? It sounds like we have very different opinions on the destination and it’s locals. We found the locals to be very friendly all over Mexico, including in Mazunte. Prices in restaurants, we found, varied quite a lot. Beach front restaurants were a lot more expensive, but we mostly ate at cheaper places along the main road and on the side roads close to the town. We also loved the food in Mazunte, particularly because it was more vegetarian-friendly than other destinations in Mexico (though Tulum and Mexico City also had great vegetarian food options). We did have trouble with unreliable wifi connections in Mazunte, but we rarely use our mobile phones abroad so I can’t say on the phone coverage for us.
Bruce Maxfield
Hi there.
Im considering visiting this area of Mexico. Was just wondering how safe it is and how safe the route is from Mexico City. I have heard that it is not good to travel in some areas of Mexico. Any information on this would be gratefully received.
Bruce
Charlie Marchant
Hi Bruce – When we were there, the route was fine. We kept a check on the gov.uk travel advice recommendations when we were travelling in Mexico – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico/safety-and-security On that particular route from Mexico to Mazunte, we went by mini bus.
deborah
hi ,
love your blog and Mazunte looks right up our alley ,
only thing is we are travelling with two wingeing teenagers that surf , wind surf or dive
water seems very calm !!
Anything near or in the area?
Many thanks
deborah
Charlie Marchant
Hi Debroah, I didn’t see any wind surfing when we were there, but surfing does happen on San Agustinillo and Zipolite beaches. They’re about 5 mins and 15 mins along the road from Mazunte and a truck runs (instead of a bus) taking people along the beaches. The ocean at Mazunate isn’t that calm, though it’s calm enough for swimming, but it’s only a small bay.
Susanne Maenen
Hi Charlie!
Thanks for your blog! I wonder, when is the good season to go? Def thinking about going, hearing more and more good things about it!
Charlie Marchant
Hi Susanne – Most people recommend going April to May and September to October as it’s outside of the main tourist season and the temperature is warm but not stifling hot.
Melissa
Hi, I’m hoping to find somewhere peaceful and vegan friendly. Zipolite sounds like a really cool and free place but is there many families? I’m 36 and travelling with my 14 year old daughter. Would be nice for her to see some other teens or kids. Some bloggers say it’s full of druggies and muggers? Are they exaggerating? Also could you recommend the best beach for swimming in calm waters please?
Thanks 😊 Melissa
Charlie Marchant
Hi Melissa – We didn’t stay in Zipolite, but only visited for a few hours on one day. Oddly it was mostly deserted it felt, aside from a few bars which were open and a few people sun-bathing on the beach. I personally wouldn’t recommend it as a place to stay, and Mazunte felt much safer and more welcoming. There were families on Mazunte beach and a lot of Mexican families on San Agustinillo beach.
Julia
Hi – I’m wanting some advice about taking shuttle from Oaxaca to the coast. Are the windy mountain roads scary? I’m ok with car sickness (not worried about my tummy) I’m worried about drivers going too fast around tight curves with sheer drops off the side… can someone tell if it is nice slow sensible driving, or is it fast and reckless? I went up mountains in a van in India and Nepal and it was terrifying. Sheer drops on either side of the road with fallen bus carcases visible over the side. Drivers going too fast for the tight curves, and trucks hurtling towards us on the wrong side of the road. I don’t want to put myself through that again. Would I be better off getting the little plane?