CDMX:Cariñito Tacos Taquería Maizajo Tacos DomingoLa Once MilTaqueria OrinocoOojo de Agua (Brunch)San MatchaSan Ángel InnRestaurante El Botanico Puerto Escondido:ChicamaGlou GlouLagunas de Chacahua:CrudoOaxaca de Juárez:Onnno (Brunch)Kiyo Café (Brunch)Los DanzantesLos Amantes Criollo

Puerto Escondido:Casa GuajiraLagunas de Chacahua:Casa GitanaOaxaca de Juárez:Hotel Azul Oaxaca

5-day getaway in la Costa de Oaxaca (Puerto Escondido & Lagunas de Chacahua) and Oaxaca de Juárez

Q: Here are a couple of recommendations and things to keep in mind:

Don't walk barefoot — it's full of scorpions (yes, I'm leaving that in bold and in RED so you really see it 😅). There were two in my room. Although you won't die and they have the antidote in the village, if you can save yourself the scare, even better.Be careful with the sea — the currents are very strong.Sunset boat ride through the mangroves — find someone to take you, it's incredible. If you're lucky, you'll even spot crocodiles.🍽️ For dinner: Crudo. It's the only non-local restaurant and it's really good. We ate at beach shacks during the day and at night we headed to Crudo, where they had the catch of the day grilled. Really good.It's important to book because, since it's pretty much the only restaurant of this kind on the island, both the few tourists and many of the non-tourists end up having dinner there. The island isn't very big, so the easiest thing is to swing by after lunch or while you're at the beach and book for that same evening.

Q: Step by step on how to get from Lagunas de Chacahua to Oaxaca de Juárez

🚤 45-min boat ride from Lagunas de Chacahua to the pier.🚗 1h 30min taxi ride to the bus station in Puerto Escondido (remember: 1,200–1,400 pesos).🚌 Bus to Oaxaca de Juárez. To get there from Puerto Escondido, the most convenient and affordable way is to take a bus. It costs around €18 and honestly, the buses are pretty good and comfortable. If everything goes well and there's not much traffic, in about 3 hours you can be in the center of Oaxaca de Juárez. There are buses every hour and you buy the tickets at the station.

Carlota Herrero
19 jun
8 min de lectura

Late April and early May: the perfect time to travel before the rainy season kicks in.

Itinerary summary:

CDMX: 1 day
Puerto Escondido: 1 day
Lagunas de Chacahua: 2 days
Oaxaca de Juárez: 1 day

Day 1 | Wednesday 26/04/2026

CDMX → Teotihuacán → Puerto Escondido

This day was pretty intense, but I'd say without a doubt that, out of my many trips to Mexico, it has been one hundred percent my FAVORITE.

We got up super early to go see the pyramids of Teotihuacán by hot air balloon. We did it with Volare and it was incredible: you get within just a few meters of the pyramids, and seeing them from such a different perspective is seriously mind-blowing.

The best part, and fun fact, is that the balloon can't be steered; it moves with the wind currents. Meaning: once you take off, you don't really know where you're going to land… That's why a van follows you the whoooole way and you end up landing wherever the wind takes you… (literally).

Anyway, an absolute madness. That said, not recommended for those of you who get vertigo…

💰 The price is 3,756 pesos per person. Even though it may sound expensive, honestly, seeing the sunrise from a hot air balloon while flying over the pyramids is truly insane. Plus, they give you breakfast and even bring mariachis (honestly, that last bit wasn't exactly what I was craving at that hour of the morning, but hey… ANYTHING FOR THE SHOW AND TO LIVE THE FULL MEXICAN EXPERIENCE!!!).

After that, I was lucky enough to spend the day at the ranch of a Mexican friend of Cosme's. A little shout-out to Choqui and the spot he's got going on at his ranch: you're a legend!

✈️ In the afternoon we went back to CDMX because we were catching a flight to Puerto Escondido. Super convenient because it's only a 1-hour flight, so we had time to arrive, have dinner and go out partying. So, as you can see, a very full day!

📍 Where to stay in Puerto Escondido

I really recommend where we stayed: Casa Guajira. It's super well located, it's quite new and the quality/price ratio is great.

💰 Around €100 a night, which for Puerto Escondido is a pretty good deal.

Book here

🍽️ Dinner

That night we went to Chicama, a Peruvian restaurant right in the center, literally where all the buzz is. It's amazing and great value. You can't make reservations, but the line moves pretty fast. If you can go and don't mind waiting, I 100% recommend it. I'm leaving some pics here so you can see how good EVERYTHING looks!

Day 2 – Thursday 30/04/2026

Puerto Escondido → Lagunas de Chacahua

That morning we got up and went for breakfast at Glou Glou, a restaurant located on the rooftop of Casa TO, one of the most famous design boutique hotels in Puerto Escondido. Just for the architecture of the hotel and how different it is, it's already worth the visit.

If you want to give it a try, you absolutely have to order:

👉 Scrambled eggs with avocado, ricotta, roasted tomato, bacon and grilled naan.

👉 Arepa Reina Pepiada — avocado, chicken, peas and homemade mayo. Honestly, I don't have words to describe how good it was.

Usually Cosme is the one in charge of picking the restaurants because he's a total expert, but this time I was the one who found the spot and I'm so happy because I haven't stopped talking about how good it was. So now you know: Glou Glou is a MUST (click to book)!

After breakfast we grabbed a taxi heading to Lagunas de Chacahua, our next destination.

How to get to Lagunas de Chacahua from Puerto Escondido:

🚗 Take a taxi, it's the easiest option. It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Puerto Escondido to the pier, depending on traffic.

💰 The taxi costs roughly between 1,200 and 1,400 pesos, around €60 (watch out with this one, there are a lot of chancers around… don't be afraid to haggle!)

🚤 Once you're there, you'll need to grab a little boat from the pier to the Lagunas de Chacahua. The ride takes about 45 min and honestly, it's already part of the experience.

❗ The original plan was to go to Casa Wabi, but to be honest we lost track of time the night before and didn't make it in time for our reservation. If you're going to Casa Wabi, there are two things you need to know:

You have to book: Book here
You have to arrive on time because the visit is guided, and if you don't get there in time, they won't let you in. This is exactly what happened to us, but hey… those are the consequences of liking the party a bit too much. That said, at least we had a good time, that has to be said!

📍 Where to stay

We stayed at Casa Gitana. The place is pretty cool and, as they say over there, it's one of the most "fresa" (posh) spots in the area. For me it's not a 10/10, but I have to admit that, given what's available, it's one of the best options out there, so if you can stay there, do it.

💰 Around €100 per night: Book here

You also have to keep in mind that Lagunas de Chacahua is a very authentic, almost untouched place. There are no big hotels or infrastructure: it's basically little islands with simple houses, local restaurants and very little tourism. And that's precisely a huge part of its charm.

I owe this destination to Cosme, because without him I probably would never have discovered it. It’s not the kind of place that usually makes it onto a Mexico itinerary, and most people have never even heard of it. In fact, it’s one of the few places where you're far more likely to meet locals than tourists.

That said, having been there, if you're going to the Oaxaca coast or Puerto Escondido, I 100% recommend spending at least two nights in Chacahua to experience it properly. You'll struggle to find beaches this empty, this wild and this authentic. It’s one of those places that still feels completely untouched by mass tourism — and honestly, I’m not sure how long that will last...

Day 3 – Friday 01/05/2026

Lagunas de Chacahua

If you're going to Lagunas de Chacahua, you have to be very clear about what you're going for. It's a very quiet place with practically nothing, but if what you're after is disconnecting and spending a couple of days on a DESERTED beach where there's no one, this is your spot.

Here are a couple of recommendations and things to keep in mind:

Don't walk barefoot — it's full of scorpions (yes, I'm leaving that in bold and in RED so you really see it 😅). There were two in my room. Although you won't die and they have the antidote in the village, if you can save yourself the scare, even better.
Be careful with the sea — the currents are very strong.
Sunset boat ride through the mangroves — find someone to take you, it's incredible. If you're lucky, you'll even spot crocodiles.
🍽️ For dinner: Crudo.
It's the only non-local restaurant and it's really good. We ate at beach shacks during the day and at night we headed to Crudo, where they had the catch of the day grilled. Really good.
- It's important to book because, since it's pretty much the only restaurant of this kind on the island, both the few tourists and many of the non-tourists end up having dinner there. The island isn't very big, so the easiest thing is to swing by after lunch or while you're at the beach and book for that same evening.

Day 4-5 | Saturday 02/05/2026 - Sunday 03/05/2026

Lagunas de Chacahua → Oaxaca de Juárez

Here we are at the last destination of the trip and one I left wanting more of, because I feel like I didn't have enough time to discover everything it has to offer, especially in terms of food.

The first thing you need to know is how to get from Lagunas de Chacahua to Oaxaca de Juárez. Although I already covered part of the trip a bit further up, I'll leave it here again so everything is nice and tidy and clear.

Step by step on how to get from Lagunas de Chacahua to Oaxaca de Juárez

🚤 45-min boat ride from Lagunas de Chacahua to the pier.
🚗 1h 30min taxi ride to the bus station in Puerto Escondido (remember: 1,200–1,400 pesos).
🚌 Bus to Oaxaca de Juárez. To get there from Puerto Escondido, the most convenient and affordable way is to take a bus. It costs around €18 and honestly, the buses are pretty good and comfortable. If everything goes well and there's not much traffic, in about 3 hours you can be in the center of Oaxaca de Juárez. There are buses every hour and you buy the tickets at the station.

Once we got there, we literally dropped our things at the hotel and went out to explore the city. Here's everything we did and that I 100% recommend:

☕ Breakfast If you fancy something quick and sweet, head to Onnno. They literally have everything and it all looks incredible. (Attached pic of Cosme enjoying one of the two pastries he bought himself 😅).

Kiyo Café – This one is more of a brunch spot. It was amazing and they have everything. Plus, it's pretty cool because it also has a clothing store with some really nice pieces, so you can take a look around while you wait for your food.

🍽️ Lunch

Los Danzantes – A restaurant with stunning architecture. It's in a covered courtyard and the food is really good. It's very Mexican cuisine, but honestly some of the best I've ever tried.

⚠️ You have to book because it's very popular and usually pretty packed: Book here

🍸 Rooftop for a drink before dinner

Los Amantes – an incredible view from which you can see the Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the whole square.

🍷 Dinner

Criollo – a 7-course tasting menu with 7 different alcoholic pairings for 1,900 per person. Truly insane, I don't even have words. They change the menu regularly, so there's no point telling you what I ate because by the time you go it might not be there anymore.

I'm leaving the link to my Instagram post so you can see how good it all looked.

📍 Where to stay

In Oaxaca there are tons of places to stay. This time, even though I usually recommend Airbnb, I got the feeling there were fewer appealing options, so we went for a hotel: Hotel Azul Oaxaca.

Maybe a bit pricier than the rest, but as I always say, the most important thing is the location, especially in cities like Oaxaca, where it's all about strolling around and seeing what the city has to offer.

With a lot of sadness, Oaxaca de Juárez was my last destination of this trip, but I'm absolutely certain I'll be back. Looking forward to returning to Mexico and continuing to discover everything this wonderful place has to offer.

I hope you like it and that this blog comes in handy! And keep an eye out for the next destination, I know you're going to love it.