Tours & Activities
What to do in Zipolite
Although some like to disagree, Zipolite is more than just a place where you spend your days nude on the beach, sipping cocktails. For the more active travelers, there are lots of great activities and excursions to be found in and around Zipolite.
Surfing
Zipolite is a very popular surfing spot because of its exposed beach break with a quite reliable surf. The best time for surfing is during the winter months, and especially in November when clean waves are typically found about 57% of the time. Ideal winds for surfing come from the north, and the ideal swell angle is from the south to southwest. Great waves can be found at Shambala beach and at the east side of the beach. When surf is up, it tends to get pretty busy in the water.
It’s possible to take surfing classes in Zipolite. The best teachers are the lifeguards (and everyone else who hangs around at the lifeguard tower near Hotel Nude.
Yoga
Although Zipolite’s neighbour Mazunte is the unofficial paradise for yoga retreats at the Oaxaca coast, also in Zipolite it’s possible to stretch that body and do some yoga moves.
The most popular yoga school in town is Pura Yoga, which is located inside Hotel El Alquimista. If you ask around, you’ll definitely find private yoga, pilates and meditation classes as well in town.
Ocean boat tours
From November to March, daily boat tours are organised on the Pacific ocean to spot the magnificent marine wildlife. Whales, dolphins, tortoises and stingrays are often seen during these tours. Included in the tour are several stops to watch birds, to jump off rocks and to go snorkelling in a calm bay.
The tours typically start in the morning and bring you back in the afternoon. They cost between 300 and 500 MXN (15-25 USD) per person and can be arranged at the tour office right next to the road entrance of Hotel Nude.
The mangroves of La Ventanilla
More wildlife can be found in La Ventanilla. A sleepy fishing village just west of Mazunte. The local community has created a small nature reserve around the mangroves where the Tonameca River meets the Pacific Ocean. The ecotourism cooperative organises boat trips in the mangroves where you can spot countless birds, iguanas and alligators.
The best way to visit the mangroves of La Ventanilla is by just showing up. You can take a taxi from Zipolite or take one of the cammionettas that go via Mazunte to Pochutla.
Learn about turtles
When Mazunte was still unknown to international tourism, it was home to a sea turtle slaughterhouse. Luckily, thanks to many laws protecting turtles and their hatchings, the region is now a turtle sanctuary.
Proof of that is the National Mexican Turtle Center (Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga), which was opened in 1991 to help the local economy which now couldn’t live anymore from the turtle and turtle egg trade.
The museum holds every species of marine turtle that is known to the Mexican coast, as well as several species of river and land turtles.
Hit the beach towns
Although Zipolite is likely to be one of the most magnificent beach towns you’ve ever seen, it’s definitely worth to check out the others as well. San Agustanillo and Mazunte also have splendid beaches and great bars and in between the towns you’re likely to find a stretch of beach all for yourself. There are hiking trails from Zipolite to Mazunte which pass by all those great beaches.
On the easter side of Zipolite, Puerto Angel may lack the bohemian atmosphere that’s so typical for the other beach towns. Yet, it’s fun to hang around in this bustling town and its harbour to get the grasp of life in a traditional Mexican fishing town.