Zipolite vs Pto Angel

Looking for a change of pace next winter and thinking of heading to this area. Can someone (any or all) let us know about Zipolite and or Pto Angel. We have never been to this area, and want to check it out. Looking for pros and cons (if there are any) of each area. We have spent winters in Ricon de Guayabitos and in Melaque, but looking for something a little smaller and slower paced. Plus we love checking out new areas of Mexico.

Thanks in advance for your input.

These 2 towns are approx. 3 kilometers apart, but differ in that Puerto Angel was and is a fishing village / town and caters mostly to Mexicans, many who come in for a day on large tour buses on the weekend. They spend their time sitting at the Playa Panteon beachfront restos ( overpriced ) and the kids play in the usually calm waters. There is the main municipal beach which is mainly for the many fishing boats that come and go. The up side to Puerto is that there is a fairly good grocery store ....basic canned goods and some cheese and hams and a good selection of red wine and other booze. There is a a small market with most frutas y verduras. You can also buy pollo to cook and fish from the fishermen when they come in in the morning. There is a handful of places that have a room with cooking facilities. Otherwise the downside to Puerto is the lack of decent restos. There are a few hotels with cheap to middling prices. We have stayed in this town at least 6 times over the past 15 years. This year we stayed longer in Zipolite ( 1st time ) and I noted that Puerto was more humid ( enclosed bay ? ) The water in the bay is colder than in other nearby places which I have noted before. I think it must be due to deep water and therefore the good fishing. I also feel that at times the water and sand is not so clean. ( lots of boats, dogs on the beach ? )

Zipolite is on an open stretch of dangerous water ( currents, rip tides ) .It is a great place to walk the , maybe 2 kilometer beach which is relatively empty. It is the only ( that I know of ) nude beach in Mexico. It is also very gay friendly. It used to be a very cheap hippy kind of place but recently there has been a lot of development. Now there are some upscale places with pools, but cheap rooms can still be found. Zipo also has better and more restos than Puerto. BUT, it sucks in terms of groceries, fruits and veggies and wine selection, if you are self catering. I like to swim and even though the water here appears very clean, I do not go in the ocean much past my knees, so we often hop on a camioneta and do the 5 kilometers to San Agustinillo, where at the far west end is a great, clean place to swim. There are also restos there and a small selection of rooms to rent ( not so cheap ). One walkable kilometer further is the town of Mazunte with lots of posadas.

We used to go to Melaque many years ago, but last time I was there, approx 3 years ago I found the water at the west end to be rather dirty and I hated the sight of rows of gringos up and down the beach, sitting in their plastic beach chairs in groups, drinking their beers all day.

Come down to the coast of Oaxaca, find a place to stay and its not a big problem going from beach to beach, town to town for restos, groceries or whatever you need.

The sort of isolated beaches I love to snorkel are a bit more accessable from Pto Angel. And in Colorado, on the way to Pochutla, there is a good restaurant for carnivores called "Finca de los Vaqueros". But Pto Angel does suck as far as restaurants, Zipolite is better in that regard.

Check out San Agustinillo. One of our favorites. Beach cabins as well as upscale suites. Great restaurants.

For me personally I would stay in Zipolite for a variety of reasons but mostly because of the food and beach. Spent a day in Puerto Angel and it didn't have a very welcoming feeling from the locals.

Zipolite! The Italian deli has some decent wine and cheeses. With all the inexpensive, good restaurants there's no need to buy a lot of groceries. Las Mangoes has rentals, a pool, and is very secure.

The white old Irish Gringo in Zipo is one of the mass kidnappers for organ harvesting, slave meth mixing and illegal medical research. His last name is Kelly or Kelley. Leathery old, lined face.

Signed sealed and delivered of various felonies hahaha Too funny.

Charlie Chan Wrote:
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> The white old Irish Gringo in Zipo is one of the
> mass kidnappers for organ harvesting, slave meth
> mixing and illegal medical research. His last name
> is Kelly or Kelley. Leathery old, lined face.

Definitely Zipolite, but heed the warnings about the currents. Watch the flags and if they are red, don't go out very far. I do swim there, but not on rough days.

I have been coming to this stretch of the coast since the 1970s when I was in my teens and there were no places (other than Shambala) to eat or stay, except in Puerto Angel. So I have seen a lot of changes !

But despite more development, there are no trashy high-rises. The kind of tourists who come are mostly backpacker types from Europe, Canada and the US, some older folks who have been coming for decades, as well as some Mexicans in the know. It's a low-key place with restaurants right on the beach.

The places to stay and the restaurants at Zipolite beat Puerto Angel hands down. What's your style of travel and what do you like to spend per night? There are really cheap basic rooms, moderately priced hotels and a few rather upscale places with rooms over $100 US a night. Look on websites like Trivago, Expedia and Booking.com for a sampling. I prefer the Roca Blanca end of the beach (farthest from Puerto Angel) but more out of habit that anything else. I have splurged at El Alquimista (when my wife accompanied) and have gone lower-middle budget at places like A Nice Place at the Beach (loved it when it was just me). Posada Mexico is quite nice and has great food. But there are many, many options for both lodging and food. Most everyone offers decent wifi. If you are coming soon and places look like they are filling up, book a room for a few nights. If you come in the slower season (like summer), you can usually just show up and see what appeals to you.

Let me know if you have specific questions on transportation from Oaxaca (definitely go there!), Puerto Escondido (I like it too, but it is more developed. Decent air service in and out) or Huatulco (just awful, but has the closest airport and you never have to go into the touristy areas), ATMs (best move is to stock up on cash at one of the above-mentioned airports or at one of the banks in Pochutla, at least the last time I was there). etc.