Coast guide
Getting There and Getting Around
The easiest way is to fly into Huatulco or Puerto Escondido; both are about an hour and a quarter from Mazunte. From Oaxaca City there is a toll highway that takes 2.5 to 3 hours. On the coast you get around by colectivo (shared van), taxi or mototaxi, and it pays to carry cash.
Two airports: Huatulco (HUX) and Puerto Escondido (PXM) are 1 h to 1 h 15 min from Mazunte.
Highway from Oaxaca: From Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido it is 2.5 to 3 h on the toll highway (490 MXN by car); on the old road, 5 to 7 h.
No Uber: There is no reliable Uber or ride-sharing on the coast: use taxis, colectivos and mototaxis.
Bring cash: ATMs in Mazunte and Zipolite break down or charge high fees; withdraw money in Pochutla, Huatulco or Puerto Escondido.
Check the road: Before you set out, call CAPUFE (074): there were occasional closures in September 2026.
Pacific hurricane season runs from May 15 to November 30. Landslides can close Highways 175 and 200 for hours or days; Hurricane Erick closed the highway in June 2025.
High season from November to April: flights, buses and colectivos fill up. Book ahead.
There are occasional community blockades on the Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido route. Call CAPUFE (074) before setting out.
Useful numbers: Ángeles Verdes 078, Guardia Nacional 088, emergencies 911.
Do not drive Route 175 at night, or when tired after a long flight.
Airports
Transfer prices are per vehicle, not per person, and are almost always paid in cash.
[Puerto Escondido] · Puerto Escondido Airport (PXM) · It is in Bajos de Chila, 5 km from Zicatela (10 to 15 min by taxi). There are direct flights from Mexico City (AICM and AIFA) and Guadalajara, and in winter from the United States and Canada. The flight from Mexico City takes about 1 h 15 min. · To Mazunte: 1,000 to 1,500 MXN by direct taxi, approx. 1 h; To Zipolite: from 1,600 MXN (private, 1 h 30 min); To Zicatela: 250 to 560 MXN depending on the taxi · Large buses do not enter the airport: you have to take a taxi out to the highway to catch them.
[Puerto Escondido] · Winter flights to Puerto Escondido · Air Canada has announced Vancouver from December 7, 2026 to April 10, 2027 (Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday). Volaris opens Puebla on December 1, 2026. Dallas, Houston, Toronto and Calgary operate in winter, but we found no 2026-27 schedule. · Another source gives December 8 for Vancouver; the official Sectur Oaxaca source says the 7th. Confirm the days with the airline.
[Huatulco] · Huatulco Airport (HUX) · Year-round flights to Mexico City (AICM and AIFA), Monterrey, Oaxaca and Puebla. In winter 2026-27 (from late October) there are flights to Dallas, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver, on some days only. It is about 40 to 56 km from Mazunte depending on the source. · To Mazunte: 1,000 to 1,900 MXN by taxi, 1 h to 1 h 15 min; To Puerto Escondido: 2,200 to 3,600 MXN; To La Crucecita/Santa Cruz: from 735 MXN · Prices vary widely between sources (official, pre-booked or roadside taxi). Ask the price before you get in.
Oaxaca Airport (OAX) and small planes · Oaxaca receives flights from Mexico City, Cancún, Monterrey, Tijuana, Guadalajara and Mérida, and from Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas. Aerotucán flies from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido and Huatulco in 35 to 45 min, with luggage limited to 15 kg. · Aerotucán: from about 3,205 MXN (approx. 130 USD)
Mazunte and the overland route · If you fly into Huatulco or Puerto Escondido, you can reach Mazunte by direct taxi in 1 h to 1 h 15 min. For a cheaper option, take a minivan to the San Antonio junction (crucero) and then a short colectivo ride. · Public transport PXM–Mazunte: under 100 MXN, 1.5 to 2 h
Bus
This is the cheapest option. Buy ahead in high season.
From Mexico City · ADO runs to Huatulco (via Pochutla) in about 12 h, with overnight departures from Central del Norte and TAPO. To Puerto Escondido there is Turistar Lujo (2 departures daily) and other lines taking 10 to 13 h. · ADO to Huatulco: 1,560 MXN during Semana Santa 2026; Turistar to Puerto Escondido: from 1,663 MXN · Prices change with the season and class of service. A 2025 article gave 1,243 to 1,365 MXN to Puerto Escondido.
From Oaxaca City · ADO/OCC to Puerto Escondido via the highway takes about 3 h. To Pochutla (for Mazunte, Zipolite and Puerto Ángel) there are OCC/ADO and Líneas Unidas, taking 3 h 45 min to 6 h. From Puerto Escondido, ADO to Huatulco takes about 2.5 h. · Oaxaca–Puerto Escondido: 355 to 480 MXN per person (June 2026); Puerto Escondido–Huatulco: 201 to 305 MXN · Sources disagree on the number of daily departures. Check the current schedule at ado.com.mx.
Vans and suburbans from Oaxaca · There are shared vans to Puerto Escondido for about 300 MXN per person, in about 3 h. Some take the old road for as little as 250 MXN. Prices come from guidebooks, not from the companies. · Shared van: approx. 300 MXN per person; Private transfer: from 6,500 MXN (Oaxaca–PXM)
By Car
There are two routes from Oaxaca and one coastal highway. Drive in daylight.
Barranca Larga–Ventanilla Highway · It opened on February 4, 2024 and is about 104 km long. It makes the trip to Puerto Escondido 2.5 to 3 h. It has two toll booths, paid in cash or with a TAG. There is little fuel in the mountain stretch and cell signal drops out: set out with a full tank and offline maps. · Toll booths: 245 MXN each; 490 MXN for the full trip (since April 13, 2026); CAPUFE: 074 · In September 2026 there was a community blockade (2nd to 5th) and closures due to accidents (24th and 28th). Check the status on the day of your trip.
Old road (Highway 175) · It passes through Miahuatlán and Pochutla. It takes 5 to 7 h, has many curves, and can have fog and landslides in the rainy season, especially near San José del Pacífico.
Coastal Highway 200 · It connects Puerto Escondido, Pochutla and Huatulco. It is two lanes, with curves, little lighting and loose animals at night. Puerto Escondido to Mazunte or Zipolite is 60 to 72 km (1 to 1 h 15 min). The turnoff for Mazunte is at San Antonio, next to an OXXO.
[Huatulco] · Roadworks between Pochutla and Huatulco · The 25.6 km stretch is being widened. Between May 27 and August 31, 2026 you could only pass in time windows (6 to 8, 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 h). We could not find out whether this continues after that date. The full project would not finish until 2029. · If you are flying into Huatulco, leave extra time and check the schedule before setting out.
From Mexico City · It is about 462 km by highway to Oaxaca City. From there, another 2.5 to 3 h to the coast. We found no published total time. · Tolls Cuacnopalan–Oaxaca: 186 or 313 MXN depending on the source
Night driving and insurance · Guides recommend leaving early, filling the tank and not taking detours at night. Pochutla is the main fuel stop between Puerto Escondido and Mazunte–Huatulco. Mexican liability insurance is essential.
Getting Around the Coast
Almost everything is done by colectivo, taxi, mototaxi or on foot.
[Entire coast] · Colectivos and pickup trucks · Pickup trucks with covered beds run about every 15 min, from 7:00 to 21:00 or 22:00. You flag them down by hand on the road. One company covers Pochutla–Zipolite via Puerto Ángel and another goes via San Antonio and Mazunte. Carry small bills and confirm the price before getting on. · Mazunte–San Agustinillo: 15 to 20 MXN; Mazunte–Zipolite: 25 to 35 MXN; Anywhere–Pochutla: 40 to 60 MXN, 25 min; Pochutla–Huatulco: minivan 50 MXN, 55 min · During Semana Santa they fill up and waits can exceed an hour; taxis may raise prices by 20 to 50%.
[San Agustinillo] · Mototaxis · Useful for short hops between beaches. · San Agustinillo–Mazunte: 20 to 30 MXN, 5 to 8 min; San Agustinillo–Zipolite: 30 to 40 MXN, 10 min; Mazunte–Zipolite: 35 to 50 MXN
[Puerto Escondido] · Taxis in Puerto Escondido · Official taxis are white with a green roof. They accept cash only and it is best to agree on the price beforehand. In the daytime a short ride costs about 50 MXN and a trip to another area about 80 MXN; at night, 80 to 150 MXN.
Uber and DiDi · Uber does not work on the coast and the state government says Uber, DiDi and InDrive are not authorized. DiDi Taxi connects with taxi drivers in Puerto Escondido, but do not depend on it. There is no ride-sharing in Mazunte or Zipolite.
Car and motorbike rental · There are several agencies at the airports and prices vary widely with insurance and season. In Zipolite and Mazunte there are local motorbike and scooter rentals; we found no verified prices. Wear a helmet and be careful: there are speed bumps and the road has no shoulder.
On foot · Mazunte can be explored on foot. From San Agustinillo to Mazunte it is about 3 km (25 min along the beach, depending on the tide). Zipolite has about 2 km of beach and its main street is closed to traffic at night. Mazunte–Zipolite is about 5 km (15 min by car).
[Chacahua] · To Chacahua · From Puerto Escondido you combine a pickup truck, a minivan and a boat. There is no ATM in Chacahua. · Direct boat: 300 MXN per person; Budget combination: about 100 MXN
Cash, ATMs and Internet
This is the most repeated tip in every guide.
ATMs · Mazunte has two private ATMs with a fee of about 110 MXN, sometimes out of cash. Zipolite has no bank ATMs and the private ones fail mostly on weekends. Pochutla, Puerto Escondido and Huatulco have banks. The Puerto Escondido airport charges higher fees. · Bring cash for your whole stay, plus 50 to 100 MXN bills for colectivos and mototaxis.
[Mazunte] · Internet · WiFi in Mazunte is unreliable. We recommend an eSIM or data plan before you arrive.