Mermejida Beach
Mazunte is a niche community nestled between ridges on the rocky Oaxaca coast. Yogis, spiritualists, and people looking for minimal distractions thrive in Mazunte’s plentiful hillside Airbnbs, and in the hotels lining the narrow streets close to the beach.
The main feature of town is Punta Cometa, a massive outcropping of rock perfect to watch to sunset or sunrise from. The 20 minute hike goes up a couple steep hills and perches you ~60 meters above the water with spectacular views of the coastline. Punta Cometa itself is dotted with cabanas, some of which feature restaurants, but the majority of social establishments are on the narrow Rinconcito Street.
Punta Cometa
On Rinconcito Street you’ll find varieties of food including ample vegan food (the highest concentration I’ve seen in all Mexico), Italian and pizza, middle eastern, Mexican and sushi. There is also a coffee shop and delicious bakery, along with several convenience stores and fruit stands on this street. Rinconcito Street ultimately dead-ends into Mazunte beach, which is choked by rocks on all sides but featuring a small, sheltered area for swimming on the western side.
Some surfing exists in Mazunte, but the waves tended to break close to shore. The culture around physical activity here is primarily yoga, though the Punta Cometa walk or visiting and walking to the end of Mermejita beach is also enough to break a sweat. Mermejita beach is a hidden gem of Mazunte, with its black sand and relatively undeveloped beaches. Reach Mermajita beach by walking via Cam. Mermejita, the same street you take to reach Punta Cometa’s trailhead.
Lodging in Mazunte encompasses a variety of different quality levels, and if you like luxury accommodations, booking ahead is a must. There are many high end accommodations, with A/C beginning around pesos $900/night. “The Architect” is popular, so is “El Rinconocito de Mazunte,” and a variety of hostels exist but my recommendation is “El Turquesia,” near the corner of Palma Real and C. la Barrita. When I arrived here, I did not have a place to stay and ended up walking around and settling on a cabana atop the hill.
Construction is happening all over Mazunte, and the coming years will be transformative. The land itself here is quite rugged and will prevent heavy development like in Puerto Escondido, but as the yoga scene grows so will the gentrification of this art of Oaxaca’s jungle coast.
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-Justin Markowitz
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