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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Mazunte
Go for 2 nights if you want a quiet beach base between Puerto Escondido and Zipolite; skip it if you need surf, nightlife or card payments.
Mazunte is a village of about 650 people on the Oaxaca coast, 15.6678, -96.5534, between Puerto Escondido and Zipolite. Two nights covers the turtle centre, Punta Cometa and the beaches. The sea here is dangerous: strong undercurrents and drownings are recorded, so swim where others swim and never alone. Cash only in most places.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rain, rough sea); Christmas and New Year (prices peak)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$400–800 excl. bed · Mid M$800–1,500 excl. bed · High M$1,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tlayuda (big enough for two) | M$25–50 |
| Tacos | M$20–30 |
| Agua fresca | M$5–10 |
| Boat trip with a fisherman | M$140–180 pp |
| Yoga drop-in class | M$90 |
| Colectivo to Zipolite / Pochutla | M$15 / M$25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PXM · Puerto Escondido
- About 1 h by colectivo or taxi; buses from the Super Che supermarket go direct.
- HUX · Huatulco
- About 1 h by colectivo; longer by bus via Pochutla.
Typical fares
- Colectivo Mazunte → Zipolite
- about M$15, 20 min
- Colectivo Mazunte → Pochutla
- about M$25, 15–30 min
- Taxi Pochutla → Mazunte
- about M$60
Get around
Everything in the village is walkable in 10 minutes. Colectivos (pickup trucks with a canopy) run along the coast road: about M$15 to Zipolite, M$20 to San Antonio, M$25 to Pochutla. Short hops to neighbouring beaches cost about M$5. Taxis and colectivos from Pochutla cost about M$60 and M$15.
See and do
Known for
- Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga (turtle centre)
- Punta Cometa sunrise and sunset point
- Playa El Rinconcito and Playa Mermejita
- Yoga and quiet beach life
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Zipolite | Colectivo along the coast road | About 20 min |
| Puerto Escondido | Bus from the Super Che supermarket, or colectivo | About 1 h |
| Playa Ventanilla | Colectivo west, then walk | About 30 min |
| Pochutla | Colectivo or taxi | 15–30 min |
Sleep
- Playa El Rinconcito
- Beachfront palapas and posadas; the only part of town that can be noisy at night.
- Paseo del Mazunte (main road)
- Shops, church, restaurants and the ATM; 5–10 min walk to the beach.
- Camino a Mermejita hill
- Quiet hilltop cabañas and the splurge hotels; steep dirt road, walk or short taxi.
- San Agustinillo side
- Next village 5 min walk east; more rooms, still walkable to Mazunte.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta |
| Two tickets, please | Dos boletos, por favordos bo-LE-tos por fa-VOR |
| Where is the ATM? | ¿Dónde hay un cajero?DON-de ai un ka-HE-ro |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es se-GU-ro na-DAR a-KI |
| I need help | Necesito ayudane-se-SI-to a-YU-da |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- The sea has strong undercurrents and drownings have happened; the lifeguard station is not always manned.
- Walking the dark beach at night has led to muggings in the past; take the road and go in a group.
- Cash is king: hardly any place takes cards, and the single ATM on the main road often runs out. Bring pesos from Pochutla or Puerto Escondido.
- Internet is slow (under 1 MB) and drops when busy.
- Monthly rentals are informal; if you rent by the month, expect to be asked to leave before Christmas and New Year.
Calmer than Zipolite, but the sea is the real risk: undercurrents pull swimmers out even when the surface looks calm, and drownings are recorded. Swim near others, not alone, and not at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mazunte yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga (turtle centre)
- Punta Cometa sunrise and sunset point
- Playa El Rinconcito and Playa Mermejita
- Yoga and quiet beach life
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga: tortugasmazunte.org/
- Hridaya Yoga Mazunte: hridaya-yoga.com/
- Wikivoyage: Mazunte, revision 5333588 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5333588
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mazunte
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the Oaxaca coast; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consular agencies in Oaxaca City and Huatulco.
Cash first: withdraw in Pochutla or Puerto Escondido before you arrive.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mazunte). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.