As most of you who read this newsletter know by this point, I spent 5 months living in Mexico from November 2023 to April 2024. It felt like the whole world should have changed.
But I'm home now. And things still look the same as before I left. Back to a life where I don’t watch the sunset.
I’ve been meaning to sit down and write something about the experience but it seems too cliché to write about some sort of profound transformation, plus I find myself saying things like, “it’s hard to find the time”. Which is both true and untrue.
Sometimes still, I’ll put on a pair of shorts and I’ll notice there is sand in the pocket. A sweet reminder.
As you might have picked up on, I’m writing this on a rather melancholic evening. Though I’d argue I’m an optimist (actually, I’m a realist) I have tendencies towards deep nostalgia and feeling the blues from time to time. Maybe I’m forgetting how lethargic the heat made me feel, how the sun damaged my skin, how the birds and squirrels living in our ceiling kept us up. At times it felt like 5 months was such a feat, but now, I miss my small world. I really did just live to watch that sun set every night on the beach. The biggest decision of the day was always, “but which beach?”.
I brought a curling iron and never used it. I gave piles of clothes to visitors to bring back with them because they were redundant and I didn’t wear them. I brought one pair of heels (clogs actually) and I made myself wear them out just once so I could say it wasn’t for nothing. My make up bag was barely touched, but I went through more bottles of sunscreen and hair care products than in multiple years combined. Priorities… they changed.
My daily routine looked something like this: wake up, read a bit, get some sunlight in the eyes (run on the beach or walk), make breakfast (usually something cold like yogurt and granola, or a fresh papaya), work, lunch break at the beach, work, sunset, dinner (more often than not, we ate out) back home to read or watch or write something. Later, when Julia joined us in March, her and I would spend a lot of time together, and I couldn’t imagine going to the gym or beach without her.
It really was that simple. A great reset. We mostly kept to ourselves and didn’t meet new people (only new animals). We had many visitors, which kept our social life alive and well. We planned trips outside of Puerto Escondido, but not many. It was slow and that was hard sometimes, but it was a very beautiful time. It was really good for our marriage, too.
We debated Todos Santos and San Pancho, but I'm glad we landed on Puerto Escondido for a few reasons. For one, it’s got amazing beaches. There are 6 main beaches in PE, and tons more outside the city and along the coast that have much favourable surfing conditions. It’s definitely a city catering to nomadic expats. You can get away with speaking English (which isn’t great), it’s about an hour flight to Mexico City and they recently opened a new highway that gets you to Oaxaca City in just a couple hours. There are distinct neighbourhoods that have their own vibes. The food scene is GOOD. And, well, it’s beautiful!
Overall, I’m thrilled with the way things unfolded. If I were to do it again, which I would, here is what I would do differently:
learn more Spanish
surf more
pack less clothes
take some cooking classes
That’s it! And now without further adieu, here is a comprehensive food guide to the beachy city I was lucky to spend five whole months in, Puerto Escondido!
Rinconada/Bacocho - this was the neighbourhood that we stayed in for the entire 5 months. It’s by far the best place to be if you are looking for a more relaxed and quiet vibe. Everything you need is on the Rinconada strip - restaurants, a pharmacy, a little mini mart and a couple stores. It’s also got 2 incredible beaches; Carrazalilio and Bacocho.
Espadin ($$$) - an absolutely stunning location and view of Playa Carazallio, this is your go to spot for a nice dinner experience in Puerto Escondido. The trick is to go early in the morning for breakfast or brunch because it’s easier to get in and it’s more affordable! The water is also a gorgeous turquoise/aqua at this time of the day.
Cafe Nopal ($$) - cute and healthy breakfast spot that serves chilaquiles, breakfast burritos, juices, etc. Has a lovely rooftop area as well and is a good spot to work from.
Dulce Tierra ($) - similar to the above in that it has a rooftop where people work from but this is more known as a bakery. They have the same offerings every day and I highly recommend the carrot loaf, or the GF banana bites! The chocolate zucchini loaf is also delicious, as are the chocolate croissants and cinnamon rolls.
Pinches ($$) - good spot for tacos. Order the type of taco you want (I loved the pescado a ajo) and then load up at the toppings bar yourself. As with many places in town, the service can be quite quick but if it's busy you can end up waiting a while.
El Nene (−$) - my favourite fish tacos in town. This was a relatively new spot when we were there, and very popular. Trust me, definitely get the fish tacos.
MetxCali ($$$) - higher end spot with a gorgeous rooftop. The only time I “dressed up” to go out for dinner. Great place to celebrate special occasions. The food tasted elevated and was phenomenal
El Curandero (−$) - if you like ceviche, aguachille or any kind of raw fish, try this spot out. Super fresh and delicious.
Helados Palma Negra ($$) - when I think about my time in Puerto Escondido, I often think about this ice cream shop. Chris and I spent SO much money getting ice cream here at LEAST 2-3 times a week. My favourite flavours changed a few times between the mint chocolate chip and pistachio.
Chill-a-Kill ($$) - went here on our last morning and despite an outrageously long wait time, wish we had gone earlier because the chilaquiles were damn good.
El Sultan ($) - middle eastern food, with healthy salads and wraps. I loved their hummus and pita, as well as the kebab wraps.
El Cafecito ($) - this is a Puerto institution, and no, there is never a time without a line up! The food is nothing to rave home about, but there is a certain kind of cafeteria charm to this place that makes you glad you went. Super reasonably priced meals, especially breakfast.
La Spezia ($$) - the best pizza in town, hands down. The pasta is delcisious too, you can’t go wrong. There is a cat called Machiavelli, he will let you pet him.
Disfruta ($-$$) - fresh juices and breakfast options. Simple, healthy and delicious.
Antojitos doña Ines ($) - this is as authentic as it gets. A small hole in the wall spot that serves food until about noon most days, execpt Sundays. C and I would go almost every week and get the same thing: one bistec sope and one chicken Tinga empanada for me, and three chicken Tinga empanadas for C! Lot’s of locals eat here, and at 20 pesos a pop, the price is unbeatable.
Canela ($$)- a surprisingly great health food store with most things you’d find back home. They sell raw milk in the fridge, artisan kefir and yogurts and the best salted peanut butter I’ve come across. Also - get your natural laundry detergent from here!
Mini Super 69 ($)- the main spot to pick up some groceries on the Rinconada strip without going into town to a proper grocery store. It’s also the only place that has AC!
Centro: aka the real Mexico. It’s bustling, it’s busy, it’s loud, it’s chaotic, and it’s authentic. You can still eat like a king here for next to nothing. Tons of small taquerias serving up al pastor, carnitas, etc. Chedraui, the Costco of Mexico, is also located in Centro, and it seems like more modern businesses, like pilates studios, are opening up too. I loved spending the afternoon Sam Youkilis style here — walking aimlessly with my camera and capturing people in their natural element.
La Parrilla Mixteca ($) - another institution in Puerto Escondido. We went at least once a week. My personal favourite was the suadero. Chris loved the al pastor from here. Great people watching, and best sauces in town too!
Taqueria La Tropicana ($) - another great spot to get tacos for super cheap that’s been around forever (since 1978 to be exact). It was recommended by our airbnb host, and was the first al pastor that I fell in love with. Easy, quick, cheap, delicious.
Mercado Benito Juarez ($) - the biggest market in the city. It’s a zoo in here, but you’ll find absolutely anything and everything you need.
Zicatela - named after the infamous big wave, Zicatela, this neighbourhood is central and has one main big beach. Lots of restaurants and shops as it’s quite a touristy area. I would often run here in the mornings to watch the surfers, get an iced coffee or green juice, and then run back. Chris and I watched a surf comp here one weekend, which was very cool.
Elephant Garden ($$) - just follow the pink wall! Lovely garden patio in the back. Cool off with an iced cold drink - they have lots of smoothies and iced coffees. Their brunch menu is great and they sell some pantry items too.
Spirulina ($$) - similar vibe to Elephant Garden but without the patio. Serving up refreshing smoothie bowls and healthy breakfasts.
Hotel Sante Fe ($$$) - I really like this spot for the view. I’ve gone many times, but have only ever gotten an iced mocha. I usually bring a book with me and just sit back and relax. It’s part of a colonial style hotel.
Quesa Birria spot ($) - I'm not sure what the actual name of this place is, but it only just opened recently and is BUSY. A quesa birria is a cross between a taco and a quesadilla. The meat is traditionally slow cooked goat.
Mercado Zicatela ($) - a bit of a smaller market and definitely more organized than the one in Centro. Lot’s of shops and food stands!
La Punta - this is definitely more of a party scene. Think “The Beach” and full moon parties in Thailand in the 2010’s (I’ve never been but have had enough friends paint me a picture). It was a fun place to go for an evening, or take friends when they visited but I had no interest in living here. It’s got a ton of great restaurants I haven’t explored fully, and some cute shops too.
Fish Shack ($$) - a popular spot serving up trendy fish tacos. Be warned, the portion sizes are big! Smoke Shack ($$) is owned by the same people and is just as tasty, serving up different meat tacos instead, as well as burgers.
The Boneyard ($$) - a bar with a built in skate bowl. Cool spot. Rumors had it that Tony Hawk showed up there unannounced, back in March, and just started skating.
La Takeria ($-$$) - great taco spot, super simple and cheap!
I was there in June 2023 ! I was staying in a couple minutes of walk from playa Manzanillo. I live in Paris so we did an exchange flat with a common friend 🫶🏼 it was the greatest experience I did ! She is a local and I could experienced it in her own way of living there and it was amazing !
I lived there for a few weeks by myself and I found a beautiful women community. It’s a wonderful place to connect with a lot of people, but felt less authentic in a way? I was glad to lived outside of the very touristy area and had my own lady tienda to talk to everyday ✨🫶🏼🌞 this place is very dear to my heart !