Beach San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca Municipality of San Pedro Pochutla Oaxaca Coast
A long, wild surf beach with a 1970s backpacker spirit, Mexico's best-known clothing-optional beach and big sunsets.
From Salina Cruz: 2 h 30 min by car (195 km by road) How to get there ↓
Near here
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Plan your visit to Zipolite
Tours to Zipolite
Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Zipolite; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Tour Cocodrilos en Ventanilla, Mazunte, Zipolite+ Libera tortugas
★ 4.8 (101) · From US$55
How to get to Zipolite
- From Salina Cruz: about 2 h 30 min by road (~195 km)
- 4 km east of Mazunte
- Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
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Popular tours to Zipolite
Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.
About Zipolite
Zipolite is the long beach just east of San Agustinillo, a few minutes from Mazunte, and the most famous of the string of small beach towns on this stretch of coast. It started as a fishing settlement where almost no one lived, until hippies and backpackers found it in the late 1960s and 1970s. It kept much of that spirit: cabins and palapas along the sand, yoga, hammocks and an easygoing crowd from all over the world. It is also Mexico's best-known clothing-optional beach, and nudity is accepted along much of the shore.
The beach runs for about a kilometer and a half of open sand, framed by rocky points at either end. The waves are powerful and the undertow is strong, which is one explanation given for the name, often translated as "beach of the dead." Lifeguards and colored flags mark the dangerous spots, and many visitors come here to sunbathe and watch the surf rather than swim.
Behind the beach, the pedestrian street known as El Adoquín is the center of town, with small restaurants, bars and shops. At the eastern end, Playa del Amor is a small, more sheltered cove, and at the western end the rocks of Punta Shambhala are a favorite place to watch the sun go down.
How to get to Zipolite
Drive from Salina Cruz: 2 h 30 min, 195 km
Zipolite is about 10 minutes east of Mazunte by car or taxi on the coastal road that passes through San Agustinillo toward Puerto Ángel. Colectivo taxis and small trucks run along this road all day between Mazunte, Zipolite, Puerto Ángel and Pochutla.
4 km east of Mazunte
Directions from Mazunte on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Zipolite
- Salina Cruz · 195 km by road, 2 h 30 min
- Juchitán · 237 km by road, 3 h 10 min
- Oaxaca · 237 km by road, 3 h 25 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Zipolite: hours, prices and tips
- Time needed
- Most visitors stay at least a few days; many stay a week or more. Along Dusty Roads (updated Oct 2025) · checked Oct 2026
- Best season
- The Encuentro Nudista festival takes over the beach in late January or early February (2026 edition: January 29 to February 1). Weekends are busier. Excélsior (Jan 2026) · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Cash in small notes: the village's only ATM is unreliable and can run dry on weekends, and small shops may not take cards. Swimwear and sun protection. Along Dusty Roads (updated Oct 2025) · checked Oct 2026
- Rules
- Nudity is fine on the beach, but most of the village and its businesses expect you to be dressed; clothed visitors are welcome. The sea has a strong, unpredictable undertow: watch the red and yellow flags, do what the lifeguards say and don't swim late at night or after drinking. Along Dusty Roads (updated Oct 2025) · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Zipolite: what to see and do
Watch the sunset from the rocks at the western end of the beach.
Walk El Adoquín, the pedestrian street behind the sand, for dinner and a drink.
Swim only where the lifeguards say it is safe; the undertow here is strong.
Visit Playa del Amor, the small cove at the eastern end, where the water is usually calmer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Zipolite
Budamar Zipolite Hotel · ★★★ · 300 m from the center Find on Expedia México Zipolite Suites Hotel · ★★★ · 320 m from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Playa Zipolite Hotel · ★★★ · 370 m from the center Find on Expedia La Habana Hotel · 100 m from the center Find on Expedia Posada Itzama Hotel · 120 m from the center Find on Expedia Cabanas El Peyote Hotel · 140 m from the center Find on ExpediaTours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include Zipolite; 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 4 km more to Zipolite, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for Zipolite.
Travel insurance
If you plan on swimming or surfing at Zipolite, 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 Zipolite before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.
Photos
When to go to Zipolite warm
Zipolite shares the climate of Mazunte, 4 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.
Zipolite 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 Zipolite now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
Make Mazunte your base
Zipolite is an easy trip from Mazunte, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Closest to Zipolite
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Puerto Ángel · Town · 3 km away
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San Agustinillo · Town · 3 km away
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Playa Estacahuite · Beach · 4 km away
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Punta Cometa · Viewpoint · 4 km away · Oaxaca
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Playa Mermejita · Beach · 5 km away · Oaxaca
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La Ventanilla · Nature reserve · 6 km away
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Playa La Boquilla · Beach · 6 km away · Oaxaca
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Santa María Tonameca · Town · 10 km away · Oaxaca
Near Zipolite
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Zipolite
Beaches in Oaxaca · 19 Beaches near Mazunte · 16Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.