Known
to many surfers as the "Mexican Pipeline," Puerto
Escondido, (Oaxaca), is waiting to let you into an unsuspected
world of it's own. This little surfing/fishing town is quaint,
the people are friendly, and the surf is ALL TIME! From our
room at the "Hotel Santa Fe," I first remember looking
out and seeing what looked to be Pipeline, (Hawaii), down the
beach. The surfers whom were traveling this trip were fast to
grab their boards and run down to cool off from the hot, sticky
air. Funny thing was, the ocean was no refresher. And nevermind
I had heat-stroke walking down from the hotel to the peak, carrying
50 pounds of camera gear, wearing pants and a collared shirt
fresh off the plane. But the shots we scored were worth every
bit closer I came to death that day. The first Corona, and the
hotel pool was the refreshing reward after that long first day...
I didn't get much time to venture out to explore more of the
surrounding areas, but we did take taxi's out to another surf
spot called "The Point" which was pretty epic. The
outside section breaks out beyond this awesome rock formation,
then travels way into the inside, which finds an killer reform
towards the shore. It's a long wave, and ultimately there's
like 3 main places to set up and shoot, which allows you to
shoot at various times of the day, (lighting) from all angles.
The Hotel Santa Fe was really nice, although since my visit
they have built and opened newer hotels. The open air restaurant
served up fresh fish, and burgers, whatever the surfers ordered,
while we watched the surf gain in size. The summer months produce
the southern swells that rock Puerto, and we got lucky this
trip. If you go down, make sure to ask for Coco, he's the local
pro, and tell him Keppler sent you!
Translated, this name means "Hidden Port", and it
is an apt name. The surf here is awesome for big wave enthusiasts,
and surfers knew Puerto Escondido long before the local authorities
in the State of Oaxaca invested in proper roads to draw more
tourism to the location.
But the town is much more than a surfers camp full of trendy
guys communicating through Corona bottles... Located just over
200 miles south of Acapulco on Mexico's Pacific coastline, Puerto
Escondido is not a manufactured resort - it's a real Mexican
coastal town - and as such it offers great value and a great
opportunity to experience a wide variety of activities and pastimes.
Puerto Escondido does have nice hotels if that's what you're
looking for. It's also a great base from which to explore
the local area. Apart from the great beaches and water
activities, Puerto Escondido is one of Mexico's premier ecological
regions.
Night Clubs are varied and plentiful in Puerto Escondido, and
like their Acapulco and Mazatlan counterparts, they don't stop
till the sun comes up! Some night clubs charge an
all inclusive cover fee; some a smaller cover and drinks on
top. Drinks are served all night - don't even consider
going to a nightclub before 11pm. Nightclubs keep going
all morning and most people will start to leave between 5 and
7 am.
Puerto Escondido's climate features heat and humidity year-round. The
rainy season is May to October, but as with most monsoon areas,
rains tend to be fierce and brief in the late afternoon, leaving
the evenings dry and cooled off. September brings the highest
levels of humidity and sees the heaviest of the rains
