Puerto Angel is a peaceful fishing village situated in hilly terrain on the Oaxaca coast. While it may not be the unspoiled beach paradise it once was, it is still more laid back than its flashy neighbors (Puerto Escondido and Huatulco). There are no buses that run here from those towns without first going through Pochutla. So whether you are flying in or coming by bus, you are going to Pochutla, and then catching a bus or haggling for a taxi to run you out to Puerto Angel. It really isn’t anywhere or on the way to anywhere, so if you get there by accident you must have really been lost. This laid back little hamlet appeals mostly to budget travelers, adventurers and a group of international slackers. There aren’t any big tourist resorts here, but there are a variety of places to lay your head, including in a hammock under a palapa.
About a mile west of Puerto Angel is Zipolite beach. This is the preferred hangout of a young international crowd of hipsters and wannabes. Smoking pot and frolicking naked in the surf satisfies the alternative crowd, while others eat fresh fish and suck down cold beers while lounging around and chatting with other travelers or maybe just reading a book. Another kind of life to be sure.
Puerto Angel Accommodations
Hotel Angel Del Mar
Restaurant, bar, swimming pool, private balconies, and a bay view. Rates run about USD $35. Located on a hilltop overlooking the town, Tel. (958) 4-3008, 4-3014Hotel La Cabaña – Past the lobby is a plant-filled patio, and guests upstairs enjoy shady chairs and tables with a breezy bay view sundeck. Rates run about USD $40. Located on Pedro Sainz de Barada near Playa Panteón, Tel. (958) 4-3105
Hotel Soraya
Airy bay view restaurant, spartan but clean rooms enclosing a parking area, some rooms with air conditioning are larger and overlook the pier. Rates run about USD $25 to $35. Located at Priv. Jose Vasconcelos 2A, on the bluff above Playa Principal, Tel. (958) 4-3009
La Posada Cañón Devata
La Posada Cañón Devata – The restaurant serves organic fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread, seafood and vegetarian fare. Rates run about USD $25 to $45, no reservations, closed May and June. Located in a leafy canyon near Playa Panteón. Tel. (958) 4-3048