Is Puerto Escondido safe?
Is Puerto Escondido safe?
This hot Pacific beach town is known for its great surfing, awesome nightlife and overall good vibes. If you’ve ever wanted to release a baby turtle into the ocean, then here’s your place!
Puerto Escondido is also the gateway into the Oaxacan Pacific, and from here you can easily reach many awesome spots such as Mazunte, San José del Pacifico and Huatulco.
Puerto Escondido Quick Summary:
- 📍 Where is it: Western Mexico
- 🗺 Difficulty Getting There: Easy
- ⏱ Time needed: 3-5 Days
- ☀️ Best Time to Visit: February-April
Is Puerto Escondido Safe?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you’ll need to know about Safety in Puerto Escondido as a backpacker or traveler.
We’ll look at all the different factors, our top safety tips, other useful information as well as an FAQ section where we answer your key questions.
As always, we would advise any travellers who are thinking of heading to Puerto Escondido to prepare properly before arriving, and to get in touch with us where we can offer more guidance.
Is Puerto Escondido Safe Right Now?
Quick Answer: Yes, this Pacific beach town is currently safe to visit. The areas of La Punta and Zicatela are especially safe, where you can walk around alone both during the day and at night without issues. Puerto Escondido town definitely feels a little more local and “less touristy”, however is still fine as long as you take the usual precautions.
The biggest worry when visiting Puerto Escondido is actually the beaches.
Given it’s the Pacific, the waves and riptides here can be unforgiving, and sadly many have drowned when swimming in the less safe spots. Make sure to check which beaches are safe for swimming before jumping in.
Puerto Escondido Travel Warnings
There are some sites that claim that Puerto is a dangerous town, however they’re often using a generalised picture of Mexico rather than basing it off actual facts or experience.
Having been here several times ourselves, we’ve found that this town is actually really laid-back and doesn’t give off any of those seedy vibes that you’d find in downtown Cancun or near the US border.
As well as being careful when swimming, the other main things to keep an eye out for are pickpocketers. The best way to avoid getting robbed is to leave valuables in your apartment, and to use a hidden Money Belt to keep your cash extra safe.
Where to Stay in Puerto Escondido
There are three main areas to base yourself when in Puerto Escondido, with each neighbourhood having a different and are best for different types of experiences.
Those who are on a budget yet want to be close to all of the action will love La Punta. This is where all the best restaurants and hostels are located, as well as various nightlife stops and surf shops. We recommend staying at La Palmera Rosa, which is just a few blocks off the Main Street street of Calle Alejandro Cárdenas Peralta.
Zicatela is another really popular area, which has a more relaxed and bohemian vibe. With the long wild beach running along its main street, here you’ll find many boutique hotels and apartments. Our top pick is the Selina Puerto Escondido, which has a range of comfortable dorms and private rooms. There’s also an on-site bar and swimming pools too.
The last area is the main Puerto Escondido town. Here is much more local than the other two, where you’ll find better amenities and general services such as police stations and hospitals. It’s a good option for those looking to stay longer-term, given rent here will be much cheaper than the other zones. We recommend staying in the Carri Surf Studio, which is just two blocks off the stunning Carrizalillo beach.
Things to do in Puerto Escondido
There’s an absolute tonne of things to see and do in Puerto. Of course the beaches are the main highlight, so that’s where we’ll begin.
Playa Carrizalillo is the most beautiful of all, with its scenic cove and safe waters for swimming making it one of the most top-rated in the whole of the country!
La Punta is the best for surfing, where there’s both spots for pros as well as for those who are just starting out. If you’re a beginner then you can book a lesson here.
You can also do a Turtle Release here too, which is one of the most popular things to do along the Mexican Pacific. With this organised experience, you’ll help a baby turtle make its dart for the sea, which is usually from 5pm onwards on Playa Bacocho.
Another popular day trip is to the bioluminescent lagoon of Manialtepec. It’s one of the few spots on earth where there’s enough illuminating plankton for it to be seen by the human eye, and here you can go for a swim at night in the bright blue waters.
Be sure to visit our comprehensive guide on visiting Puerto Escondido for more ideas.
Is Puerto Escondido Safe to visit?
Below we’ll take a look at the current safety situation in Puerto Escondido.
Crime in Puerto Escondido
The biggest issue for travellers here will be petty theft such as robbery, which is more common on the beaches than anywhere else. Just make sure to leave your stuff either with your group (or at home if alone) when going for a swim.
Out during the day the streets are pretty safe, and you can walk most areas alone without any problems. Of course this isn’t a licence to take extra risks (such as flashing your accessories and phone in the local markets), given petty theft can happen anywhere at any time.
According to data collected by Numbeo, Puerto Escondido scored 43.19 on the crime index (0 being the safest whilst 100 the most dangerous). For reference, Acapulco scored 60.52 whilst Cancún scored 56.16.
What parts of Puerto Escondido are safe?
The whole town and surrounding districts are pretty safe, although tourists will find the areas of La Punta and Zicatela the best for a stay.
Given these are the most popular, here the atmosphere is much calmer than the town centre (which can sometimes feel too much for those after a more relaxing time). This means there’s more hotels, restaurants as well as extra security in and around the area.
Unfortunately Uber isn’t yet a thing in Puerto Escondido, however you can still safely hail cabs when travelling between different areas of town.
Puerto Escondido Safety at Night
With tonnes of great nightlife options (even despite its relatively small size), Puerto is a great place to hang out for some drinks and enjoy the warmer nights.
La Punta remains the best in terms of overall options and safety. Given there’s a big crowd here, it makes crimes like assault very rare here. Zicatela is more calm (as well as less busy), although you’ll want to be careful when going for walks along the beach at night.
Puerto Escondido town needs the most attention, given it’s less touristy. Pickpocketing can definitely be an issue here, so it’s important to leave valuables at home when heading out (and also to follow other safety tips).
Be sure to read our backpacking Oaxaca itinerary for more tips on how to travel around this region of Mexico.
7 Safety Tips for Puerto Escondido
Below we will list 7 of our top safety tips for when heading to Puerto Escondido.
1. Be Cautious before Swimming
As already mentioned, some of the beaches along this stretch of coast are too dangerous for swimming given the extra strong rip currents. The most notorious is Zicatela, which can be hard to get back out of. Carrizalillo and Playa Angelito are among the safe-to-swim options, although it’s still best to heed local guidance when there (since conditions can change on a daily basis too).
2. Leave Valuables at home when Heading out for the Night
Puerto has many top nightlife spots, and in general the city is quite safe for walking around and partying in. However there is always an opportunistic thief or two lurking around, and after a few extra drinks you may take a few extra risks you otherwise wouldn’t. It’s best to leave things like your Passport and Credit Cards at your apartment, given these things are going to make or break your trip! If you absolutely must, then make sure to safely hide them away in this Secure Money Belt.
3. Drink lots of Water to avoid Sunstroke
Given how hot Puerto can get during the day, you’ll want to make sure you’re constantly topping up with water. This will help prevent dehydration, which can be made even more of a risk when exercising (even walking along the beach counts) or throwing a cocktail or beer in every now and then. As well as buying 2 litres of bottles at the helm, it’s also good to buy a multi-purpose water bottle to have on you at all times. We highly recommend this one, which also has a filtered cap meaning you can also drink safely from less safe sources too (perfect for those rural hikes).
4. Avoid Tap Water like the Plague
Whilst drinking lots of water is important, the quality is even more so too. Puerto Escondido – like much of Mexico – is still developing, which means that the majority of water systems are not yet filtered (it’s a third world country after all). This means that tap water can carry nasty parasites and other harmful bacteria you’d want to best avoid. Of course you can shower fine, however when drinking it’s best to stick to sealed bottles of water. This also means avoiding ice when ordering any kind of drink, since you can’t be certain where that water was sourced from.
5. Take Surf Lessons with an Experienced Teacher
The surf scene in Puerto is really heated, which can make some areas like La Punta super busy. This means it’s best for beginners to have a private teacher on hand to get the basics nailed down quickly, and also know which parts to avoid (although it’s just one beach, there’s definitely areas that learners will need to avoid). We highly recommend taking this surfing lesson, where a qualified teacher will prep you well before you attempt to ride your first wave.
6. Bring Minimal Belongings with you to the Beach
As already mentioned, crime is relatively low in Puerto, however is still a risk nonetheless. One of the biggest reported crimes here are stolen clothes or belongings when people go to the beach, and especially when swimming in the sea. It’s best to go with a group who can watch your things as you go for a swim. If going alone, then you’ll want to bring minimal things with you to lower your risk (such as just keys and some cash). If they were to get stolen then it wouldn’t cause such a crisis as if it were your passport or credit card.
7. Always Peel any Vegetables or Fruits before Consumption
Again back on the food and safety train, this time we have fruits and vegetables. Again we can’t be clear what type of water they’ve been rinsed in, or even if they’ve been washed at all! So it’s best to first wash them in a safe water source (using bottled water is one of our go-to methods) and then peeling any external skin before eating. To avoid getting sick in Mexico while on the road, when it comes to eating vegetables in restaurants, we recommend being cautious, and only going for it if the place looks reputable.
Puerto Escondido FAQ Guide:
Here we’ll take a look at the most frequent questions we get asked by our readers about safety in Puerto Escondido.
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Is Puerto Escondido Safe? Final Words
And that’s all for our guide on how to stay safe in Puerto Escondido.
Known for its all-round good vibes, Puerto Escondido is always a good idea. As well as living it up both during the day and night, there’s plenty of memorable things to do here such as surfing, turtle releases as well as visiting one of the most clear bioluminescent lagoons on earth.
In this guide, we’ve explored the current safety situation in Puerto Escondido, which includes the areas to avoid, as well as any current travel advisories. As well as looking at the best things to do in Puerto Escondido, we’ve also included our FAQ which answers your most burning questions.
While you’re still here, be sure to read our backpacking Mexico guide for more tips and travel inspiration.
👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.
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