Road Trip Pacific Coast, Mexico, Oaxaca

Road Trip Coastal, Oaxaca City to Nogales

Southern mountains between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido

Oaxaca to Puerto Angel/Zipolite

 Driving Oaxaca City to Pacific Coast

    Driving from Oaxaca City to the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca can be done over three different Routes: Route 175 to Pochutla, Route 135 to Puerto Escondido, and Route 190 to Huatulco.
On each of these mountain roads you will have incredible scenery in the southern mountains.

• Route 175

For  Routes 175 and 135 (131 on some Maps,  Puerto Escondido Road on other maps) take the road towards the Oaxaca Airport,  Route 175.  This road splits into 175 to the left and 135 to the right after the airport.
Follow Route 175 to Pochutla if you will go to Puerto Angel, Zipolite Beach, San Augustanillo, Ventanilla, or Mazunte, or go right to Route 135 (131 on some maps) to Puerto Escondido. The crossroads comes up shortly after the airport (OAX) turnoff.

•     Puerto Escondido

You can reach Puerto Escondido on Route 175  as well and it is a better choice for several reason. The road is better maintained for one, and at times Route 135 could be congested with religious pilgrims traveling by bicycle to the mountain town of Santa Catarina Juquila.
The pilgrims travel in large groups supported by vehicles and can be difficult to pass.  During November and December there can be many groups from all over the country biking and walking on the roads to to Juquila.
 The festival in Juquuila is a fascinating event and well worth the visit.

• Reach Puerto Escondido through Pochutla 

Reach Pochutla on Route 175 and drive Route 200 northwest 40 miles to Puerto Escondido
   

• Pochutla for Zipolite, Mazunte, Puerto Angel

 If you follow Route 175, you will go through Ocotlan, a town with market day on Friday, then you will enter a broad valley on the way to Ejutla and, eventually, Miahuatlan.
     Once you pass Mihuatlan, you start up into the mountains. The road narrows and the hairpin turns test your patience. (and your brakes)
This can be a five to eight hour trip , although the distance by road between Miahuatlan and the coast is only 90 miles.  The road twists through untold peaks and valleys of the Sierra Madre Del Sur.  (8 hours from Oaxaca)

   If darkness comes upon you before you clear the mountains it is best to park for a while until the heavy traffic subsides. The dangers are the buses and vans that shuttle to and from the City to the coast. The drivers push the limits and often hog what little road is available.
     There are hotels at a few of the mountaintop towns and you can pull off the road for a nap at the cleared spaces in front of the few roadside restaurants. Otherwise, there are few amenities on this stretch of mountain road.
     While driving over the many switchbacks, you make about 15-25 miles and hour headway.

•         Vans serve the Pacific Coast from Oaxaca City  120-150 Pesos, six hours

One interesting village at the three quarter point of the mountain trip is the coffee producing town of Pluma Hidalgo. The turnoff is 121 miles out of Oaxaca City. Pluma Hidalgo has a small hotel run by a former coffee broker. Find the hotel at the end of the one street village. The coffee co-op roasts its coffee near the main street. follow the smell of roasting coffee to visit and watch the process.
    December and January are the coffee harvest season.  Ask at the co-op if you can work as a volunteer picker for a few days, a great experience for a coffee lover.

     The mountain road Route 175 will eventually flatten out as you approach the town of Pochutla where you will find the crossroads for Coast Road, Route 200.  If you continue on 175 and cross the main highway, (Route 200) you will come to the coast and the fishing village of Puerto Angel after six miles. Route 175 ends in Puerto Angel, having gone about 320 miles and crossing Mexico east to west over two mountain ranges while going from Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico to Puerto Angel on the Pacific Coast

At the Pacific Coast end of Route 175 you find several interesting coastal villages:  Puerto Angel, Zipolite,  Mazunte, San Agustinillo, and Ventanilla.  Find hotels, posadas and camping at these villages.

• Route 190 To Huatulco Pacific Coast Oaxaca

An alternate route to the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca is Route 190, the Pan American Highway.  The route leaves the City of Oaxaca heading southeast towards Tlacalula / Mitla and goes over the mountains to Tehuantepec and then Huatulco.  This can be a ten hour trip to Puerto Escondido.

OCC Buses serve Huatulco with connections to Pochutla and Puerto Escondido.

Next Puerto Angel, Zipolite, Mazunte

Bus to Mexico Beaches, Bus Acapulco from Puerto Escondido

Bus to Mexico Pacific Coast Beaches

Sunset Photos Puerto Escondido

 Bus to Acapulco from Puerto Escondido
Update 2013

Acapulco
From Puerto Escondido head north to Acapulco via Estrella Blanca Bus from Puerto Escondido’s first class/second class bus station. Estrella Blanca Futura or Alta Mar buses make the 8 hour trip for 435Pesos. They make many daily trips to Acapulco's Ejido Station.  Estrella Blanca Bus  (link) serves with Futura Buses.  The alternate is AltaMar buses.
 Buses from Estrella Blanca serve also Puerto Vallarta,  $1,264 Peso on Futura Bus service from Ejido Station, Acapulco.

Second Class buses that reach Oaxaca City from Puerto Escondido (link) are also available at the first class/second class station via Estrella Roja. They make frequent trips to Oaxaca City starting at 7:00 am ending at 11:30 pm. They go over the southern mountains via the town of Sola de Vega and make the trip in 8 hours. (cold buses, steep mountain roads)   Oaxaca City events and ruin sites(Link)      Oaxaca Street Parade Youtube
Motion sickness pills have been reported as effective in preventing motion sickness.  Travelers recommend taking one pill 2 hours before departure.  Dramamine is available over the counter and mention by many as effective.

From the beach area in Puerto Escondido the taxi to the bus station is 25 pesos. It is best to taxi to the station before your intended departure day and note the current bus schedules because the schedules can change frequently.

• Van Service To Puerto Escondido

Vans also provide service from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido, Pochutla (for Zipolite Beach) and Huatulco,  150-160 Pesos,   6 hours,   2013 prices

• First Class Bus Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido,  OCC  (ADO)
• Huatulco from Oaxaca City, 340 Pesos  

• Acapulco

Acapulco has many great beach options, not just the downtown high rise hotel beaches.

A good beach for camping and budget accommodations is the area of Pie de la Cuesta, (link) a nearly ten-mile, Southwest-facing beach area northwest of downtown Acapulco. Local buses serve the area with frequent service. Several campgrounds offer shady sites on the beach.

It is best to arrive in Acapulco during the day to have time to find an accommodation. In the Estrella Blanca (Ejido) terminal there is a list of hotels and prices. Cab drivers can be helpful but they usually work with the hotels for a commission and they won’t always give you good advice. Be sure to negotiate the price, have a firm price,  before entering a cab in Acapulco.

• Ejido Bus Station

The night bus out of Puerto Escondido will arrive at Acapulco's Ejido Terminal in the morning and give you plenty of daylight to find an accommodation. There are not many good options of night buses out of Acapulco to other beach areas except the night bus to Lazaro Cárdenas (for Playa Azule, Michoacan State).  This is a first class bus that is listed as a local.
Some travelers prefer the day buses from Puerto Escondido to Acapulco for better security.  It is best to take an early morning bus when heading north from Puerto Escondido to Acapulco so that you arrive in Acapulco with daylight to spare.

To reach Pie de la Cuesta, cab from the Ejido Station to the zocalo and ask where the bus passes. The bus follows the beach road for a short distance just south of the zocalo. Watch for the bus marked, Pie de la Cuesta,  Playas Luces.

Playa La Ropa Zihuatanejo

• Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo lies 150 miles north of Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Estrella Blanca buses serve Zihuatanejo from Acapulco’s Ejido Station.

Although the 1970s construction of the resort area of nearby Ixtapa, five miles to the north of Zihuatanejo on Route 200,  turned this fishing village in a wide sheltered bay surrounded by steep hills into the most popular Mexican tourist destinations after Cancun and Puerto Vallarta,  Zihuatanejo's older section (five miles south of Ixtapa) still retains the small village feel and is well worth a visit.

A lagoon south of Zihuatanejo offers ecotours by kayak to observe the birds and animals indigenous to the area. The Potosi Lagoon, Laguna de Potosi, is about ten miles south of the town of Zihuatanejo along a stretch of sand beaches near the airport. The beaches are open ocean beaches and can be dangerous for recreational swimming. Playa Larga, Blanca, and La Pozas continue south to Barra Potosi where the Laguna de Potosi offers bird watching kayak trips.

The ambiance of Zihuatanejo lies somewhere between the rustic surfing cabana village to the upscale resort community. It is a good place to enjoy a return to civilization after the rustic digs on the deserted beaches. The beaches in the sheltered bay of Zihuatanejo offer safe swimming.

Call taxi driver Rene Brooks Morales for a private tour of the area. He charges 200 pesos per hour, is very helpful and speaks English and Spanish. (Cell, 755-108-7043)

Bus service from Zihuatanejo serves to the City of Lazaro Cardenas where combis serve to the beaches of Playa Azule.

Playa Azule fishermen 

• Playa Azule

North of Acapulco and Zihuatanejo, reach the city of Lazaro Cárdenas via Estrella Blanca bus. Exit the station and walk a block northeast to the Galeana bus Station and cross the main road where (combis) collective taxi vans make the 15 pesos run to Playa Azule.

Morning Playa Azule

Playa Azule is a southwest facing beach with a good surf.
There is little development and plenty of palapa restaurants and tent areas.

Playa Azule is a fishing community with few visitors except during Christmas and Easter vacation. These will be deserted south facing beaches for the most part where you will have good surf and great sunrises and sunsets.

Highway to Patscuaro

From the Galeana Bus terminal in Lazaro Cardenas, you can reach further north to Nexpa (Barra de Nexpa) 50 miles along the coast just a few miles beyond the town of Caleta de Campo (Cala on some maps). Get transportation in Cala (Caleta) de Campos to the access road to the Nexpa site, famed for its river mouth surfing. Find posada, restaurants and palapa shelters for camping on the beach.

• Patzcuaro

From Lazaro Cardenas or Zihuatanejo, take a Parhikuni Bus inland to Uruapan for 315 pesos and then get a local bus for 48 pesos to Patzcuaro. These will be high elevation areas where the night temperatures drop.



Next Patzcuaro

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Copper Canyon Villages

Where Are the Villages of Copper Canyon
Update Oct 2012

Copper Canyon weaver

• Latest News, Cable Car, Adventure Park 

The Adventure Park with its cable car and zip line are the latest news from Copper Canyon.
Copper Canyon is still remote, regardless of the modern touches, and for the hiker and bike rider, there are still several isolated villages within Copper Canyon that you might visit for hiking, biking, and sightseeing.  Some hikes are on the ridges overlooking the canyons and some down in the canyons and reached by switchback roads and trails where you hike,  bike, or drive.  The train stops (Link)
along the way at three of the locations that are most popular with visitors: Posada Barrancas, El Divisadero, and Creel.

• El Divisadero  

El Divisadero is noted for its lodges on the edge of the canyons, with lofty views down into three canyons.   Here is where you find the new Teleferico (cable car) and zipline,
Divisadero is located about half way on the 400 miles of track between the Pacific coast and the City of Chihuahua.  El Divisadero is one of the important stops for tourists on the train line because the train stops for 15 minutes to give passenger a chance to take in the views from the overlook.  The hotels hug the edge of the cliff with views down into the canyons.  El Divisadero is 30 miles by road from Creel.  Walking tours, bike rides, and van tours to the villages (link)in the canyon are offered at El Divisadero.  Hikes to the cable car from Divisadero (3 miles round trip) are along the canyon rim.

• An El Divisadero Hotel

     The Hotel Divisadero Barrancas is located at the cliff edge with views down into the junction of three canyons, Del Cobre, (Copper Canyon) Urique Canyon, and Tararecua.  The restaurant offers views while dining, and some rooms offer balconies with a view.  The hotel offers a bar, cafe, reading room, souvenir shop, and parking for those that drive into the canyon.  The room rates start at 190 USD for a single in December and include breakfast.  The hotel is located just to the left where the train stops for the viewing area.
   Shop Hotels Chihuahua, Creel,  Divisadero, Areponapuchi

Copper Canyon weaver Cusarare

• Posadas Barrancas 

The Posadas Barrancas stop is another stop popular with tourist because of the access to hiking in the Urique Canyon.  Find lodging at the Mirador Posada Barranca, ( Posada Barancas Mirador) a hotel on the rim of the canyon offering great views.   This area is called Areponapuchic on maps.  The hotel offers in-room fireplaces, WiFi, and balconies overlooking the canyons.  The hotel can arrange hiking, horseback riding, helicopter flights, and it offers proximity to Tararecua Canyon and Tarahumara Ranch.

• Creel 

 Creel

Creel is an important rail stop away from the edge of the canyon.  Creel offers a more budget-friendly range of hotel options that include Hotel Margarita at 25-30 USD with breakfast.
Creel offers a bank and ATM machine, restaurants, bus service, and bus tours to the villages.  Creel is a popular train stop with tourists.
The village, at 7841 feet, is at the highest point in elevation along the train route.
 From Creel, you can access all the Copper Canyon villages with tours, bike routes, taxi, and bus transportation.  A good tour or bike ride from Creel is the 12-mile road to Cusarare, the small mission church of San Ignacio, cave dwellings, and the Cusarare Falls.  Check with the Three Amigos on the main street of Creel for rentals of vehicles and tours.  Check with Hotel Margarita for daily tours to mission church and the falls.

• Bus Service

From Creel, first class bus service reaches east to Cuauhtemoc and Chihuahua, a trip of 5 hours.  The train is not the only way to reach Copper Canyon but is the only direct way to  reach the canyon from the Western or Pacific Ocean side.

Copper Canyon Train, El Fuerte

• Copper Canyon Train

The Copper Canyon Train is the most popular method used by tourists to reach the canyons.  On the First class train, diesel locomotives pull passenger cars and a dining car once a day from the eastern end of the track at Chihuahua to the western end at Los Mochis.  At the same time, a train leaves from the western end at Los Mochis, headed over the 405 miles of track for the 15-hour trip to the inland city of Chihuahua on the eastern end of track.
The Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico, or Chepe, as the train is called, starts its run at 6:00 am from Los Mochis, an industrial seaport town on the Gulf of California and the Sea of Cortez.
Los Mochis also offers ferry service to La Paz on the lower Baja.

Shop Hotels Los Mochis, Mazatlan

• Train Route 

The Copper Canyon train follows Urique Canyon on its run to the villages at nearly 8000 feet elevation and then on to the City of Chihuahua on the Central Plateau.
       A second class train leaves Los Mochis as part of the first class train several days a week.  At other times, the second class train is a separate train leaving at 7 am to make the same run.  The trains also leave from Chihuahua in the same fashion.  These schedules change with changing demand but the six am starting time has remained constant.

• Continued, Copper Canyon Villages