Los Naranjos: rentals and area guide

From Puerto Escondido, take Carretera 200 east past the turnoff for La Punta. The highway crosses the Río Colotepec near the Barra de Colotepec, a small village with schools, a health center, grocery stores and family comedores. A couple of kilometers further on, a side road leads from the highway down toward the sea and the gated entrance of Los Naranjos. There is a Pemex station on the highway close to the turnoff, which is handy for filling up a rental car. The development and the villages around it belong to the municipality of Santa María Colotepec, not San Pedro Mixtepec like downtown Puerto Escondido, and some listings place it under the nearby community of Ventanilla.

Coming from the airport, you cross the whole town, so traffic on the highway through Puerto Escondido sets your time. Ask your host for a pin and directions to the gate, and tell security your arrival time if a driver is bringing you.

The beach in front of Los Naranjos is part of a very long, flat stretch of sand that runs east from the Colotepec river mouth, with no hotels or beach clubs on it. It is excellent for running, long walks and watching the sun go down, and in winter humpback whales are sometimes seen offshore.

It is also open ocean. Like Zicatela and most beaches on this coast without a bay to shelter them, it can have a heavy shore break and strong currents, so swimming is generally not recommended. Treat the sea as something to look at, wade carefully on calm days, and swim in the pool. Families who want calm water drive back to town: Playa Principal and Playa Marinero, or the small coves of Puerto Angelito and Carrizalillo in Rinconada, are roughly 25 to 35 minutes away by car. For surfing, La Punta has the more forgiving wave and Zicatela the famous, powerful one, both about a quarter of an hour away.

The Colotepec river mouth and its lagoon, a short distance west, attract herons and other water birds, and turtle-release programs have operated on this part of the coast in nesting season. Ask your host what is running during your dates.

Homes in Los Naranjos are almost all standalone houses and villas, many of them beachfront, with private pools, outdoor living areas and several bedrooms each. They are designed for families and groups rather than couples on a budget, and you will not find apartments, hostels or hotel rooms inside the development. If you are comparing options, our pages on beachfront villas and large group rentals explain what to check in a house of this size.

Gated-community rules usually apply: registration of guests at the entrance, limits on visitors and on noise at night, and sometimes restrictions on events. If you are planning a celebration, confirm in writing what the community allows before you book.

Nothing is within walking distance except the beach. The Barra de Colotepec, a few minutes away by car, covers the basics: small grocery stores, simple family restaurants and a health center. For a full shop you go into Puerto Escondido, where the Chedraui on Avenida Hidalgo and the Bodega Aurrera downtown are the large supermarkets and the Benito Juárez market sells produce and fish. There are OXXO convenience stores on the highway and around Brisas de Zicatela on the way.

• CarThe easiest option by far. Many guests rent one at the airport.
• TaxiTaxis from town will drive out; agree on the fare first and keep the driver's number for the return, since none wait at the gate.
• ColectivosShared vans run along the highway between the villages east of town and Puerto Escondido, cheap but not practical with luggage or late at night.
• Help at homeMany villas can arrange a cook, cleaning or a first grocery delivery; ask before arrival.

If you like the space but want more of a village around you, compare El Tomatal; if you would rather be near a beach you can actually swim at, look at Bacocho and Rinconada.

Los Naranjos works best for families and groups who want a big house with a pool, a beach without vendors, and the reassurance of a gate, and who are happy to drive into town once or twice a day. It also suits people who come to Puerto Escondido for the quiet rather than the nightlife. It is a poor fit if you do not want to drive, if you want to walk to a surf break every morning, or if a swimmable beach outside your door is a must.