Mar 18, 2012

Puerto Escondido: Luxury Villas, Backpacker Hostels, and Surf Breaks

Mick Burton / Luxury on a Budget, Mexico, North America Travel / 6 Comments

Its 11:19am and I’m sitting on my lovely balcony, spying on people in stunning Carrizalillo Bay in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. There are 2 surfers in the ocean, but no waves. I’m not actually sure what they are doing out there. Puerto Escondido is an interesting place, young travellers from all over the world flock here, making it the “must see” stop on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.

This trip has been one of contrast.

The first few days, I was invited to stay with the nice people at Villas Carrizalillo - a very fancy set of villas set on the cliff at Carrizalillo Bay. One of the most serene and beautiful places I have seen in Mexico, it’s a world away from the craziness of Zicatela Beach.  Here, a small cove encompasses a white sand beach with crystal clear water and half a dozen small bars/restaurants serving cheap beer and seafood.

Villas Carrizalillo has 12 different villas, with one or two bedrooms.  The villas themselves are all luxury, think king sized beds, large living area, pool, and amazing balconies with views over the bay facing east. The staff, restaurant and grounds are all top notch.

If you’re looking for a honeymoon location or just somewhere luxurious to unwind for a few days, it’s well worth a look, you won’t be disappointed.  The stresses of travelling around the world and writing travel articles just melts away…. Yes, it’s a tough life here at World Travel Buzz.

Last night I was privy to one of the most amazing sunsets you could imagine.  With an ice cold Modelo Especial in one hand, a pretty girl in a bikini next to me and some nice music, your writer was certainly having one of his moments.

Prices start around $130 per night, an absolute steal for the level of luxury. If you’re interested in booking a room, check out Villas Carrizalillo’s Website.

The next 4 days, I spent at a hostel at ‘La Punta’ (or ‘the point’) which is the area of Puerto Escondido you would say would appeal to the more laidback backpacker crowd (read : hippies, long-haired philosophy students, and crazed northern European dingbats….)

The small village at La Punta contains a handful of Hostels, a couple of basic restaurants, a surf school, a language school and 2 places to buy beer necessary items.

I stayed at ‘Hostel a La Casa’ a place that you won’t really find any information about online.  It’s more of a weary traveler’s secret, a place that you hear about from a shifty Dutch guy on the other side of Mexico, he will be cagey with the details, but when you see the place, it’s easy to understand why.

It’s Just a basic hostel, really.  Let me get that out of the way first. The bathroom is very basic and the beds are the same. It is cheap too, around 120 Pesos for a dorm bed. What makes this hostel special is the communal area, which, truth be told is one of the best spaces I’ve found in Mexico.  I used to be all about hammocks…. I thought we had missed a beat in the western world as we don’t have hammocks in every house.  But the people at this hostel have come up with a superior device for relaxing.  The suspended swinging double bed… The last word in pure laziness.  Add a ping pong table and were done.  Forget checking out… you’re in for the long haul.  And there in lies the problem: people never leave.  Thus sometimes it can be hard to find a space. Tyler (the manager) tells me that people come expecting to stay 3 days and end up staying a month.  It’s just that kind of place.  I had the fortune to meet 3 crazy tattooed Swedish girls, who were spending 3 months there, what they lacked in culinary taste (I caught them eating frozen fish fingers), they made up for with big smiles that can only be achieved by spending months in paradise.

Puerto Escondido is the place on the pacific coast of Mexico not to miss. If you want a non-stop party, go to Acapulco, if you want to really relax, meet some amazing people, and get a taste of real pacific coast Mexico, look no further.