Beach Santa María Tonameca, Oaxaca Municipality of Santa María Tonameca Oaxaca Coast
The world's main nesting beach for olive ridley turtles, where hundreds of thousands come ashore together in mass arribadas.
From Salina Cruz: 2 h 45 min by car (211 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Playa Escobilla
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Tours to Playa Escobilla
Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Playa Escobilla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tours from Puerto Escondido
Dolphin & Whale Watching in Puerto Escondido
★ 4.8 (362) · From US$61
How to get to Playa Escobilla
- From Salina Cruz: about 2 h 45 min by road (~211 km)
- Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
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Tours from Puerto Escondido, near Playa Escobilla
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About Playa Escobilla
Playa Escobilla is a long, wave-beaten beach on the Oaxaca coast in the municipality of Santa María Tonameca, roughly halfway between Puerto Escondido and Puerto Ángel. It is the Santuario Playa Escobilla, a federal protected area run by CONANP that covers about 263 ha and 18 km of shoreline, and it is considered the most important nesting site in the world for the olive ridley turtle (tortuga golfina). Leatherback and black turtles also nest here in smaller numbers.
What makes Escobilla famous is the arribada: on certain nights, tens or hundreds of thousands of female olive ridleys come ashore together over several days to dig nests and lay about 100 eggs each. The mass nestings concentrate on a 9 km stretch at the western end, between the communities of Guapinole and Vainilla. The season runs from about May into the following February or March, with the biggest arribadas usually from August to January; the 2024 season counted more than 625,000 turtles. Hatchlings emerge some 45 days after each arribada.
Turtles here were once harvested for meat and eggs. A first turtle camp was set up in 1967 with local fishing cooperatives, nest counts have run without a break since 1973, and a presidential decree of 29 October 1986 made the beach a reserve; a 2022 reform gave it its current name, and CONANP published its management programme in 2025. Local residents, many of them former fishers, formed a cooperative in 2004 that now runs guided turtle walks, cabins, a restaurant and canoe trips on the nearby lagoon. The surf is strong and the beach is not for swimming; visits are about watching nesting turtles and hatchlings with an authorised guide.
How to get to Playa Escobilla
Drive from Salina Cruz: 2 h 45 min, 211 km
The entrance is at about km 181 of Federal Highway 200 between Puerto Escondido and Pochutla, roughly 35 minutes by car from Puerto Escondido, just before the Santo Domingo Morelos junction. A short dirt road leads to the beach and the CONANP turtle camp. Buses and colectivos on Highway 200 can drop you at the turn-off, but most visitors come on an evening tour from Puerto Escondido, Mazunte or Huatulco with transport included.
Directions to Playa Escobilla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Playa Escobilla
- Salina Cruz · 211 km by road, 2 h 45 min
- Oaxaca · 212 km by road, 3 h
- Juchitán · 254 km by road, 3 h 20 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Playa Escobilla: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- Visitors may enter the sanctuary from 6 am to midnight. CONANP management programme (DOF, 2025) · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- Arribadas happen mainly from August to January, peaking in September and November; the season opens around May and ends by February or March. Wikipedia (es) / Excélsior · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- Tourism in the sanctuary is only allowed with guides authorised by CONANP. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide CONANP management programme (DOF, 2025) · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- No white light or flash photography, no touching the turtles, no pets, umbrellas or fires on the beach; take your rubbish with you. CONANP management programme (DOF, 2025) · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Playa Escobilla: what to see and do
Watch an arribada, when thousands of olive ridleys nest on the same night.
See hatchlings make their way to the sea at dusk.
Walk the beach with an authorised local guide from the cooperative.
Paddle a canoe on the nearby lagoon to look for birds and crocodiles.
Stay overnight in the cooperative's cabins to be on the beach after dark.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Playa Escobilla
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Playa Escobilla.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Playa Escobilla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at HUX (Huatulco): about 44 min by road to Mazunte, then 20 km more to Playa Escobilla, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for Playa Escobilla.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Playa Escobilla, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Mazunte: download a map of the way to Playa Escobilla before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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Photos
When to go to Playa Escobilla warm
Playa Escobilla shares the climate of Mazunte, 20 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
Playa Escobilla is best for swimming and time on the water in the warmest months (March, April, and May); in the rainiest ones (June, August, and September) expect storms in the afternoon.
See the month-by-month climate of Mazunte
Weather in Playa Escobilla now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Mazunte
Mazunte is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Playa Escobilla, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Playa Escobilla
-
La Ventanilla · Nature reserve · 18 km away
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Playa Mermejita · Beach · 20 km away
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Punta Cometa · Viewpoint · 20 km away
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Santa María Tonameca · Town · 20 km away
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San Agustinillo · Town · 22 km away
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Zipolite · Beach · 25 km away
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Puerto Ángel · Town · 27 km away
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Ventanilla · Village · 27 km away
Near Playa Escobilla
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Playa Escobilla
Beaches in Oaxaca · 19 Beaches near Mazunte · 16Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.