What to do around Zipolite at a glance
The list is a selection, not a ranking. Entries 1 and 2 are on the doorstep: the beach and the sunset walk to Punta Cometa. Entries 3 to 6 cover the neighboring villages and the turtle center. Entries 7 to 9 are nature trips with animals, which depend on season and conditions. Entries 10 to 12 are day trips toward Puerto Escondido and Huatulco.
Prices are in Mexican pesos (MXN) as listed in 2026 and can change. Cash is the safest way to pay for small entries. One rule applies to every beach day: the surf at Zipolite is strong and the currents are dangerous, so do not treat the water as a place for casual swimming.
On the Zipolite coast (1 to 4)
The beach, the headland and the village that holds the turtle center.
1. Spend time on Zipolite Beach
The beach is about 2 km long and lies roughly 3 km west of Puerto Ángel, according to older official figures. It is known as a clothing-optional beach. Clothes are worn in the streets, restaurants and shops, and a local travel portal asks you to get consent before you take photos of people. Hotels can set their own house rules. The surf is strong and the currents are dangerous, so read the beach guide before you swim. The Encuentro Nudista festival ran from 29 January to 1 February 2026. Dates for 2027 differ by source, so confirm them before you plan around the festival.
Zipolite beach guide →2. Walk to Punta Cometa at sunset
The state tourism office describes Punta Cometa as a community-based ecological sanctuary. It is not a national park. A local portal puts the walk from the access in Mazunte at 15 to 20 minutes, easy to moderate, and says entry is free with a voluntary donation to the community. Bring small coins, a flashlight and water, and do not count on lighting on the way back. Sunset times change through the year.
Punta Cometa guide →3. Explore Mazunte
The state tourism office lists Mazunte as a Pueblo Mágico. The village is a base for the turtle center, the walk to Punta Cometa and the beaches to the west and east. Many visitors use it as a day trip from Zipolite or as a second stop on the coast.
Mazunte guide →4. Visit the turtle center in Mazunte
The Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga lists hours of Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 16:30 and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:30. The municipal website shows MXN 44 for adults and MXN 22 for students, with children and seniors free. No year is given, and another listing shows different amounts and a slightly earlier Sunday closing, so bring extra cash and arrive early on Sundays.
Mazunte and the turtle center →Our picks: things to do
A day along the coast, a wildlife ecotour and a boat trip, starting in Puerto Escondido.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Mazunte, Zipolite and Punta Cometa day trip
Transport and a Spanish- and English-speaking guide, picked up at your hotel in Puerto Escondido. Reserve entry fees are extra, up to MXN 250 per person.
Check availability →
Wildlife ecotour on the Oaxaca coast
Hotel transfer, air-conditioned transport and a guide. Check with the operator which entry fees apply.
Check availability →
Boat trip for dolphins and marine life
A bilingual guide, boat, snorkelling gear, life jackets, water and insurance.
Check availability →Tours around Zipolite
Lagoon boats, turtle visits, whale season and day trips along the Oaxaca coast, with live prices and availability.
Beaches, port and animals (5 to 9)
Neighboring bays and trips that depend on the season.
5. Go to San Agustinillo
The state tourism office describes San Agustinillo as a neighboring beach about 5 minutes from Mazunte, with small to medium waves and surfing and snorkeling on offer. That is a general description, not a clearance for your day. A coastal warning on 21 September 2026 forecast waves of 2 to 3 m and possible rip currents from Hurricane Polo, so ask locally about conditions.
San Agustinillo guide →6. See the port of Puerto Ángel
Puerto Ángel is a fishing port with the beaches Playa del Muelle, Estacahuite, Boquilla and Mina. Boat rental and kayaks are listed at Playa del Muelle. Do not use the harbor channel as a swimming area.
Puerto Ángel guide →7. Take a boat through the Ventanilla mangroves
Canoe and boat tours show birds, iguanas and crocodiles. The community cooperative lists daily opening from 8:00 to 17:00 and recommends booking in high season. A listing portal shows 2026 rates for another Ventanilla group: MXN 200 per person for a mangrove tour of 1 hour 20 minutes. Do not swim in the lagoon.
Ventanilla and lagoon tours →8. Join a guided turtle visit at Escobilla
The reserve rules require a guide and prior agreement with the administration. Groups have at most 10 visitors, you keep at least 10 m from a nesting turtle until egg laying starts, and you use no flash and never touch animals, eggs or hatchlings. A local ecotourism center lists MXN 200 per person for guided activities and MXN 250 for night monitoring, with no tariff year given. Nesting and hatching cannot be promised for a given day.
Turtle visits compared →9. Look for whales in the season
A zone between Puerto Ángel and Mazunte was approved for whale watching from 15 December 2025 to 31 March 2026. That season has ended. Confirm the permitted dates for 2026/27 before you plan, and expect no guarantee of a sighting.
Boats from Puerto Ángel →Day trips (10 to 12)
Surf, a night lagoon and a national park.
10. Watch the surf at Zicatela
The state coastal route lists surfing and bodyboarding at Zicatela in Puerto Escondido. A local portal gives about 70 km and 1 hour 25 minutes by road from Zipolite. The listing is about surf sports, not a swimming recommendation.
Puerto Escondido guide →11. See the Manialtepec lagoon at night
One provider sells bioluminescence trips on the lagoon in the evening. Glow depends on the night and cannot be promised, and a trip does not give you the right to swim. Ask whether a transfer from Zipolite is included before you book.
Manialtepec and Puerto Escondido →12. Take a boat trip in Huatulco National Park
Boat trips and snorkeling are listed activities. The published park fee is MXN 125 per person and day, on top of the tour price. Children under 12 are free, and discounts apply with valid proof. The park is open daily from 7:00 to 19:00, and boats leave from the Santa Cruz pier or with authorized operators.
Huatulco guide →Before you go
Travel advice and practical points for 2026.
Travel advisories
The US State Department rates Mexico at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in its edition of 29 May 2026. For Oaxaca it names crime and terrorism, and it lists no restrictions for Puerto Escondido or Huatulco. The German Foreign Office updated its Mexico advice on 19 October 2026 and warns of organized crime nationwide, with higher risk on night drives away from toll highways.
Cash and weather
Small shops, entries and boats often take cash only, and cash machines can fail. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season runs from 15 May to 30 November.
Weather and best time →
Things to do in Zipolite: frequently asked questions
What is there to do in Zipolite?
Beach days, the sunset walk to Punta Cometa, the turtle center in Mazunte, lagoon boats at Ventanilla and day trips to Puerto Escondido and Huatulco. The list above has 12 experiences.
Is it safe to swim in Zipolite?
Treat the water with great care. The surf is strong and the currents are dangerous, and a swimmer search near Playa del Amor was reported on 1 June 2025. Flags mean green for favorable conditions, yellow for caution and red for no entry into the sea. A flag in another town does not tell you today's flag in Zipolite.
Can I touch the turtles?
No. At the Escobilla reserve, visitors may not handle animals, eggs or hatchlings, and a guide is required. Choose offers that keep this distance.
Is there an entrance fee for the beach?
No general beach fee is published. Punta Cometa is described as free with a voluntary donation by a local portal. The turtle center and the national park charge entry.
When is the Encuentro Nudista festival?
The 2026 edition took place from 29 January to 1 February. For 2027, sources list different dates, so confirm them with the organizer before you book.