Mazunte is known for it‘s hippie vibe and many artesanos, and that is exactly what welcomed me when I arrived in this place. It is a kind of subculture that has emerged from many traveling craftspeople from Argentina and Chile that stop and stay in the small village. Especially in the winter month the beach can be crowded but it doesn’t feel commercial and is very chill with a mixture of locals, Mexican families on holiday, artists, and backpackers. On every street there are hostels and campgrounds where you can rent rooms, beds, tents, camping lots or hammocks. Most of the village is centres around the main road, it is lined with restaurants, shops, and bars. An open secret is the bakery “La Baguetta” where you can buy delicious, sweet and savoury baked goods as well as rolling tobacco and organic groceries. It also hosts an info board, advertising Yoga lessons, meditations, tattoo artists and events happening in town, this friendly place is definitely a hot spot in Mazunte.
In the eastern part of the village operates a turtle sanctuary. It is home to a variety of turtles from all over Mexico and in a separate part injured turtles and new-borns are taken care of before they are released back into the ocean. If you have a phone and data available there is a guided tour available through an QR-code.
From Mazunte I took a boat through the lagoon at Playa Ventanilla, the local conservation centre offers guided tours in small wooden boats paddling along the river and informing about the flora and fauna. It was a super cool experience to have giant crocodiles swimming next to the boat and the tension when it would submerge was strong. On the beach of Ventanilla a local association takes care of turtle nests found on the beach and help the babies on their dangerous way towards the ocean. Each evening they welcome volunteers to support with the release of the new-borns.
A special sunset spot in Mazunte is known to be Punta Cometa. About half an hour hike from the main road along a small path you reach the most southern point of Mexico’s pacific coast. Some of the cliffs fall very steep and others offer small bays for sunbathing and swimming. During the heat around mid-day it is not an easy walk, but the view is unmissable.
San Augustinillo
Only a few kilometers to the east lies San Augustinillo, a small beautiful calm beach. It is one of the best beaches for swimming in the area because there is much less current than in Zipolite and much calmer than Mazunte. Few tourists find their way to this small beach, and I slept peacefully in a hammock on the beach.
