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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Zipolite
Go for 3 nights if you want a beach with no dress code and cheap seafood; skip if you need calm water, ATMs or nightlife beyond one street.
Zipolite is a 2 km beach village on the Oaxaca coast, Mexico's only officially clothing-optional beach. It is small, walkable and cheap, with strong surf, a pedestrian main street after 17:30 and almost no cash machines. Three nights covers the beach, Playa del Amor and a day trip to Mazunte or Puerto Ángel; two is enough if you only want to swim and eat.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season, whale season Dec–Mar)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (heaviest rain, storm swell), Easter week and Christmas–New Year (full and expensive)
- Stay
- 3 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$500–900 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid M$900–1,800 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High M$1,800+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (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
- All emergencies 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$40–70 |
| Beach seafood plate (fish, shrimp, ceviche) | M$150–300 |
| Beer: bottle at a beach bar / shop | M$40–70 / M$25–35 |
| Colectivo ride to Mazunte or Pochutla | M$20–50 |
| Taxi within the village | M$50–100 |
| Surfboard rental, half day | M$200–350 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HUX · Huatulco International
- About 45 km by road; travel time check. Official taxi from the terminal costs more than a cab hailed outside the gate.About 28 mi by road; travel time check. Official taxi from the terminal costs more than a cab hailed outside the gate.
- PXM · Puerto Escondido International
- About 1.5–2 h by road via Pochutla or a taxi (check); cheaper by local bus and colectivo.
Typical fares
- Huatulco airport → Zipolite, taxi
- M$400–850 depending on where you pick it up (check)
- Pochutla → Zipolite, colectivo
- about M$20, 30–40 min (check)
- Zipolite → Mazunte, colectivo
- about M$20–30 (check)
Get around
The whole village is about 2 km end to end and flat: walk everywhere. Taxis and colectivos pass on the main road; colectivos to Pochutla, Mazunte and Puerto Ángel stop running in the late afternoon, usually around 18:00. The main street closes to through traffic every evening at about 17:30 and turns into a market and restaurant strip.The whole village is about 2 km end to end and flat: walk everywhere. Taxis and colectivos pass on the main road; colectivos to Pochutla, Mazunte and Puerto Ángel stop running in the late afternoon, usually around 6:00 PM. The main street closes to through traffic every evening at about 5:30 PM and turns into a market and restaurant strip.The whole village is about 1.2 mi end to end and flat: walk everywhere. Taxis and colectivos pass on the main road; colectivos to Pochutla, Mazunte and Puerto Ángel stop running in the late afternoon, usually around 18:00. The main street closes to through traffic every evening at about 17:30 and turns into a market and restaurant strip.The whole village is about 1.2 mi end to end and flat: walk everywhere. Taxis and colectivos pass on the main road; colectivos to Pochutla, Mazunte and Puerto Ángel stop running in the late afternoon, usually around 6:00 PM. The main street closes to through traffic every evening at about 5:30 PM and turns into a market and restaurant strip.
See and do
Known for
- Mexico's only officially clothing-optional beach
- Strong surf and volunteer lifeguards
- Cheap seafood on the sand
- Playa del Amor cove
- Sunset over Roca Blanca
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mazunte | Colectivo or taxi along the coast road, or a walk west through the jungle (duration check) | 20–30 min by road |
| Puerto Ángel | Colectivo or taxi, 4 km eastColectivo or taxi, 2.5 mi east | 10–15 min |
| Puerto Escondido | Colectivo or bus via San Pedro Pochutla, or a taxi | 1.5–2 h |
| San Pedro Pochutla | Colectivo from the main road | 30–40 min |
| Oaxaca City | Direct minibus (Líneas Unidas) or ADO bus from Pochutla | 4 h direct |
Sleep
- Playa (beachfront)
- Palapa rooms and small hotels right on the sand; loudest at night, closest to the water.
- Roca Blanca / east end
- Paved street behind the beach with restaurants and hotels; quieter, near the path to Playa del Amor.
- Main street (Adoquín) and back lanes
- Cheapest rooms and cabañas, 2–5 min walk to the beach; street becomes pedestrian-only from about 17:30.Cheapest rooms and cabañas, 2–5 min walk to the beach; street becomes pedestrian-only from about 5:30 PM.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the ATM? | ¿Dónde hay un cajero?DON-deh eye oon kah-HEH-roh |
| Is it safe to swim here? | ¿Es seguro nadar aquí?es seh-GOO-roh nah-DAR ah-KEE |
| I don't want that, thank you | No, graciasnoh GRAH-syahs |
| Help! | ¡Ayuda!ah-YOO-dah |
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
- Rip currents are strong and drownings happen: swim between the lifeguard flags and never at an unguarded stretch.
- Almost no working ATMs: the few machines are often empty or broken, so bring enough pesos for your whole stay.
- No real police presence; keep valuables in a safe or with reception, and avoid the dark beach alone at night.
- The 4 km road walk to Puerto Ángel has no shoulder and fast traffic: take a taxi or colectivo instead.
The sea is the real risk: rip currents are strong and drownings happen, so swim only between the lifeguard flags. On land it is a small, relaxed village, but there is little police presence, so keep cash and phones secure and avoid the dark beach alone at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zipolite yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mexico's only officially clothing-optional beach
- Strong surf and volunteer lifeguards
- Cheap seafood on the sand
- Playa del Amor cove
- Sunset over Roca Blanca
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Oaxaca state tourism (Secretaría de Turismo de Oaxaca): www.oaxaca.travel/
- Huatulco International Airport (Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico): www.aeropuertosgap.com.mx/en/huatulco.html
- Wikivoyage: Zipolite, revision 5298226 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5298226
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Zipolite
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 has a consular agency in Oaxaca City and embassies are in Mexico City.
Bring cash: ATMs in Zipolite are few and often empty or out of order.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/zipolite). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.