La Punta: rentals and area guide

Playa Zicatela runs southeast from the town's bay for a few kilometers. Calle del Morro, the beach road with most of Zicatela's hotels and bars, follows it, and Carretera Federal 200 runs parallel further inland. La Punta sits at the far southern end, where the sand meets the point. Like Zicatela, it belongs to the municipality of Santa María Colotepec, but in practice everyone treats it as part of town.

Rough distances:

• Zicatela strip (Calle del Morro)A 15 to 25 minute walk along the beach or the road, or a short taxi ride.
• El Centro and Playa PrincipalA 10 to 15 minute taxi ride.
• Carrizalillo and Puerto Angelito15 to 20 minutes by taxi, depending on traffic.
• Airport (PXM)Usually 10 to 15 minutes by taxi.

The point produces a left-hand point break. Swell that hammers the middle of Zicatela wraps around the rocks here and arrives slower and more organized, so the waves are longer and less punishing. It suits intermediate surfers, and surf schools use it for lessons on smaller days. It is still the open Pacific: on big south swells, mostly from May to October, it gets heavy and crowded, and the rocks are close. If you are new, go with a school or a local instructor rather than paddling out alone.

For swimming, La Punta is not the place. On very calm days you will see people get in near the point, but currents are real and conditions change quickly. For safe swimming, take a taxi to Carrizalillo or Puerto Angelito in Rinconada, to Playa Manzanillo next to Puerto Angelito, or to Playa Principal in the bay. What La Punta does very well is the late afternoon: people gather on the sand and the rocks to watch the last sets and the sunset.

Almost everything for daily life is a few minutes on foot. The main street has cafés with good coffee and laptop tables, juice stands, bakeries, taquerías and international kitchens, along with yoga studios, surf schools, board rental and repair. Small grocery stores and convenience shops cover water, fruit, snacks and phone top-ups. For a bigger shop or fresh fish, the Mercado de Zicatela is a short ride north and the supermarkets downtown a taxi away.

Evenings are lively. Bars and restaurants around the main street stay busy, and there is usually music somewhere until late, more so on weekends and in high season. A few blocks away from the main street it quiets down quickly.

Rentals are mostly small: studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments, cabañas and casitas in shared gardens, rooms in co-living houses, and several hostels with dorms and private rooms. Larger houses exist on the edges of the village and toward the hill behind it, but La Punta is mainly a place for couples, friends and solo travelers. Many units are set up for monthly stays, so it is a natural fit for long-term rentals. Our La Punta rental guide goes street by street.

• Distance to the main streetClose means convenient and noisy; three or four blocks back means quieter nights. Ask which way the bedroom faces.
• Lanes after darkMany are sand, unpaved and poorly lit. Carry a flashlight, and expect some lanes to turn muddy in the rainy season (June to October).
• InternetIf you work online, ask the owner for the connection type and a recent speed test.
• CoolingFans are standard, air conditioning is not. From May to October it matters for sleep.
• WaterTap water is not drinkable; check whether the rental supplies garrafones (large refill bottles).

Bookings on this site are made directly with the owner, without a platform fee.

Inside La Punta you walk. To reach the rest of Puerto Escondido, taxis pass along the main street and on Carretera 200; they are cheap for short trips, but agree on the price before you get in. Colectivos on the highway cost less and stop on request. Many long-stay residents rent a scooter or a bicycle, which makes the beaches in Rinconada and Bacocho easy for a day trip. At night, take a taxi rather than walking dark stretches of road with valuables.

For the next area along the beach, see the Zicatela guide or the quieter streets of Los Tamarindos just behind it.