La Paz: Season Two

Weathered and Wowed at the Oaxaca Coast 

Well, here we are…getting that small-town beach time. And make no mistake, this is small town!

We are now at our second destination, Zipolite, along the coast of Oaxaca. Previously we were in Huatulco, and our final destination is Puerto Escondido before we fly back to Ashland.

We didn’t know what to expect here, but of course one makes assumptions, and this coast line is entirely unlike what we assumed. The terrain is rugged, hilly—mountainous as one travels inland. The vegetation is dense and includes tall trees—like ceibas, royal poincianas, and many more that I don’t know—palms, cactus, shrubs and vines. It’s literally a jungle, with the humidity I equate with jungles.

The view from our room at Casa Sol in Zipolite.

The jungle.

The rocky coastline reminds us a bit of Costa Brava in Spain, but it’s less developed, and the beaches are sandier and the water warmer.

Huatulco is a region, not a town. La Crucecita is the main town in the region and feels much more authentic than the nearby town of Santa Cruz. I say that because Santa Cruz is where the cruise ships dock, so it feels as if it was built to support that culture.

The plaza at La Crucecita. I asked about the lack of tree tops. Apparently a huge wind storm took a number of the branches down about a month ago. It seems like they overdid the topping, however.

As I sit looking out at the ocean—okay this is weird, I’m facing the ocean on the west coast of Oaxaca, but west is behind me—there is lightning far out to sea and rumblings of thunder. We’re in the rainy season, and we experienced a hell of a storm our last night in Huatulco. 

The vibrating sliding glass doors to the deck woke us up about 4 a.m. The palm trees blew sideways, the rain pounded, and the lightning and thunder were right on top of us. Our swim suits were blowing around the deck so I scurried out to save them before they blew into La Crucecita.

Earlier in the evening a large cicada had wanted into the room, and a preying mantis in the room didn’t want to leave. They knew something. 

Water leaked into the room through the sliding doors, and then we heard water gushing from the ceiling. We jumped out of bed, thinking it was over our heads, but it was actually over the same doors. Fortunately, that slowed quickly and eventually after about 30 minutes, the rain stopped pounding and all the leaking abated. 

Daylight revealed a mess outside. Pool umbrellas and chairs everywhere. Sand in the pool and on the walks. Even the alligator sculpture had ended up in the pool. But I must say the staff was totally quick about getting things cleaned up, and they were serving breakfast in the restaurant by 9:30 a.m. They said this was an unusually fierce storm, and not the norm.

The cab ride to Zipolite was an adventure, dodging downed trees and branches, mud slides into the road, some really large potholes, plus the electricity was off so no traffic lights. Apparently, the electricity at the hotel was thanks to a generator.

There was no seeing the coastline on the trip here. Route 175 is no Route 1 or 101. The road winds through the hills and the dense vegetation, and every so often you get a view of the mountains to the east. An hour later we arrived here at Casa Sol, where the electricity was also off, but 36 hours later it was back and we have air conditioning in our room, which makes sleeping much easier!

This B&B is also owned by Craig Hudson and Jorge Silva, and like their place The Red Tree House in Mexico City, it is beautifully designed and decorated. Our room is totally comfortable, and we have an awesome view of the ocean and a quick walk down to the pool and beach below. It’s also a terrific place to sit and birdwatch. Today’s score is a Cinnamon Hummingbird.

The town of Zipolite is a kick. Nude beaches, pot smokers, and a generally laid-back hippie vibe to it all. It feels particularly small and quiet now during the low tourist season, and so we’d kind of like to revisit this place in December or so and see what it’s like.

The path to town and the main beach.

Beach at Zipolite. Debris from storms and surf.

Not much action in the main street in Zipolite. Wish I could capture the humidity.

 We’re super happy to be here and see what this coast is like. While it’s good for a vacation, we think it’s not our winter destination—too small and more difficult to get to from Ashland, Oregon (what place isn’t?). 

We still think that La Paz could be that winter destination, and at this point we think we’ll find another place in Ashland, but it has to be the right place, and that could take some time—something we are fortunate to have at the moment.

 

These crabs are all over the hillsides and live in the ground. Evidently one sees more of them in the rainy season. They make me laugh. Ed thinks they're creepy!