Why visit Puerto Escondido
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 183 places to eat, 97 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Galeria Diana.
Weather in Puerto Escondido
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Puerto Escondido
Puerto Escondido (English: "Hidden Port") is a Mexican city-port and tourist center in the municipality of San Pedro Mixtepec Distrito 22 in the state of Oaxaca. Prior to the 1930s, there was no town. The bay had been used as a port intermittently to ship coffee, but there was no permanent settlement due to the lack of potable water. The name "Puerto Escondido" had roots in the legend of a woman who escaped her captors and hid there.
From the Wikipedia article Puerto Escondido (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Puerto Escondido on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do4
Agropecuaria Zihuatanejo
Farm and orchard · 1.4 km
Calle Agua Azul, Puerto Escondido
Museums and landmarks7
Taller libre "El pincel mágico"
Museum
Calle Primera Sur, Puerto Escondido
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Delegación Municipal Colonia Santa María
Park · 2.4 km
Calle Vista Hermosa, Puerto Escondido
Restaurants and cafes183
Chicatana Surf Cafe
Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Local, Mexican, Sandwich
Calle Primera Sur
Mo-Sa 07:00-15:00
La Batata Sabor Argentino
Restaurant · Argentinian, Steak House
409 Av. Hidalgo, Puerto Escondido
We-Su 18:00-23:00
Paulie's Fandango
Restaurant · Pizza, Pasta, Barbecue, Regional · 2.4 km
Live music and BBQ menu Sundays at sunset
606 Privada de Amapolas, Puerto Escondido
Th-Tu 08:30-21:30
Café Mar
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 0.8 km
Coffee van parked in front of Puerto Dreams Hostel
8 Jacarandas
Mo-Su 08:00-14:00
El Polaco Kebabs Zicatela
Restaurant · Burger, Arab, Kebab, Turkish · 2.1 km
Las Brisas
Mo-Su 12:00-23:00
MAGUEY’s HOUSE
Restaurant · Seafood, Mexican, Deli, Chicken, Pasta, Friture, Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Burger, Tapas, Local, Fish, Fish And Chips · 1.3 km
19 Calle del Morro
Mo-Sa 13:00-23:00
Sushido
Restaurant · Sushi · 1.3 km
Calle Delfines
Mo-Sa 10:30-23:00
Baguettería
Restaurant · Sandwich, Pancake, Breakfast, Ice Cream, Crepe
Mo-Sa 09:00-20:00
Dulce Tierra Zicatela
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.9 km
3 Calle del Morro
Mo-Sa 07:15-19:00; Su 07:15-17:00
171 more on the map.
History
The area around Puerto Escondido had been inhabited by indigenous peoples for centuries, but no towns of any size were established during the pre-Hispanic or colonial eras. The bay was known as Bahia de la Escondida (Bay of the Hidden Woman) due to a legend associated with this place. The story states that a fierce pirate, Andrés Drake, brother of Sir Francis Drake, anchored his ship in the bay when the area was completely uninhabited, to rest for a few days unmolested by authorities.
Some weeks before, he and his crew kidnapped a young Mixtec woman from the village of Santa María Huatulco and took her prisoner. While in the bay, the woman escaped the cabin in which she was being held, and being a good swimmer, jumped overboard to get to shore and hide in the jungle just beyond the beach. Since then, the pirates referred to the woman as "La Escondida" (the hidden one) and every time the ship returned to these waters, the captain ordered his crew to search the area around the bay, however, they never found her. Hence, the area became known as the Bahía de la Escondida.
From the History section of Puerto Escondido on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay97
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping20
Gas and EV charging5
Estación de combustible de Puerto Escondido
Gas station · 2.5 km
BOULEVARD JOSÉ MURAT
Schools, colleges and libraries36
Escuela Preparatoria Federal por Cooperación Puerto Escondido
School
Camino a Puerto Angelito
Escuela primaria 16 de Septiembre
School · 1.3 km
Cerrada Cerro Piedra, Puerto Escondido
Healthcare58
Farmacias de más Ahorro
Clinic and pharmacy
Calle Primera Norte, Puerto Escondido
Map of Puerto Escondido
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Puerto Escondido International Airport (PXM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 km away.
- Colonia Libertad 1 km northeast, about 1 min by car
- Brisas de Zicatela 4 km southeast, about 4 min by car
- La Barra de Colotepec 6 km southeast, about 6 min by car
- Barra de Navidad 7 km southeast, about 7 min by car
- Bajos de Chila 9 km northwest, about 9 min by car
- Ventanilla 12 km southeast, about 12 min by car
- Santa María Colotepec 14 km east, about 14 min by car
- El Huarumbo 14 km north, about 14 min by car
- La Reforma 17 km northeast, about 17 min by car
- San Andrés Copala 17 km northwest, about 17 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mexico-PuertoEscondido-Airview, Nimodo at de.wikipedia, Public domain
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.