I often spend a lot of time in these travel posts getting into the nitty gritty of a place. Giving you the background on the things I learned about the people or the history of a town. The truth is, for Puerto Escondido, I don’t have a lot to report back on. Not to say that there isn’t interesting history or fun facts about the culture. But that all I really gleaned from my week there was simply, a mood. The mood in question? It was all about the surf, man. I started watching videos about Jaws and Nazare. I talked about “getting barrelled” and spewed off stories about Kai Lenny with my surf instructor. So, no facts to share this time… just vibes. And the vibe was chill as hell (lol, don’t worry I’m cringing at this persona as well… promise it won’t last long). So, if you find yourself in Puerto Escondido, what are the most vibey places to go? Thought you’d never ask!

For the Food

Chicama

I won’t lie… Puerto Escondido isn’t the best spot in the world for foodies. And despite being seaside, there’s always a chance for food poisoning, especially in the heat. But Chicama is a next level restaurant and a top notch meal. Guaranteed. Such fresh food, such good energy from the servers. The night we went, the chefs and the front of house were all singing old-school Peruvian classics as they dropped off the freshest sashimi, ceviches, and aguachiles I’d ever had. Please, do not miss this meal (and maybe go back twice).

Alaburger

Nothing hits quite like a burger after a day full of activities. These were big, medium rare patties with tons of different types of toppings. I love a good smash burger, but it was also nice to have an old-school thic burg again.

Fish Shack La Punta

I love seafood. Especially if it’s fried. And Fish Shack was the best of both worlds. Tacos, coconut shrimp, calamari, po boys, oysters… and their Chinese Salad? A random addition to the menu but so good. The Cucumber Margarita was also a gamechanger!

Elephant Garden

Smoothies, tonics, homemade breads and omelettes with lots of fresh veggies - if you had a killer night full of margaritas, Elephant Garden is the spot to visit to nourish yourself back to health.

El Coste

More good seafood. Eat as much seafood as you can while you’re in PE, you’d be hard pressed to find a spot where it’s fresher!

For the Drink

After dinner at El Coste, head over to Palapita Bar. Tons of delicious tropical concoctions right on the beach, and often served in a coconut or pineapple. Again - the right vibe for the week.

There’s also various bars that are big on different nights. I think it was Wednesday that we went to Congo Bar over in Centro and it was unreal. A giant dance party, with lots of salsa and a live band to kick off the night.

For the Activities

Most certainly do not miss a surf lesson. There are lots of options ranging from 2 hour lessons to week-long commitments. I did 2 hours (despite what my adopted persona in the upfront paragraph would suggest, I found surfing exhausting and could not have imagined doing it for longer). I did catch some sick waves though! We went over by Playa Zicatela - there’s lots of options for rentals and instructors around there.

Lastly, Spirulina is also a fantastic place to relax after a week of surfing. I had a life changing massage there, and we did a couple yoga classes at the top of the tree house as well.

Really, a week spent in Puerto Escondido is meant to be restorative. Salt, sand, sun, surf… all those amazing things. So pack a book and get some sunscreen and you really could not go wrong after that.