Our Secret COVID Vacation in Puerto Escondido MX
Like all of you I was wary about traveling since I haven’t been on a flight in over a year. Despite vaccination rates up and restrictions lifted, I was hesitant. But also like most of you, I needed a break and to find inspiration through travel. We also had some fun business to take care of in Mexico City, so it was a good excuse to hit the road responsibly. With many hours of research we found that traveling to a secluded destination especially in Mexico is very safe. Mostly because the country requires you to get a rapid test to enter and leave, and they also provide on-site $10 USD tests at the airport that give you results on the spot in twenty minutes or less.
Secluded in a Oaxaca beach town just North of Puerto Escondido
Image from Airbnb Casa Volta
Since we work in hospitality design we often get access to experts who know the best hotels in the industry. Some of my most trusted sources pointed us to this off-the-map secluded beach destination that specializes in indoor/outdoor beach structures. Thankfully it is also super affordable at a whopping $200/night average.
The community, just North of Puerto Escondido, is dotted with homes and restaurants designed by world-renown architects and designers that are built for this occasion - indoor, outdoor palapa structures.
Full 360 casitas and palapa structures invite you to stay and live truly remotely. In the sun amongst the Oaxacan jungle sit this largely unknown group of Airbnbs designed by some of the best Mexican architects. The un-named street they sit on is thriving as a result of COVID since their way of living presents a safer destination and includes self-sufficient restaurants, an artist residency program, one hotel and a bodega store. It’s inherently secluded, hard to get to yet very cheap to stay. The sound of the sea crashing like a thunderstorm and waking to only birds chirping and local fishermen passing by is the stuff isolation should be made of
Only after we returned and did some research did we realize that there is a growing counter-culture along this magical Pacific Surfline. The NYTimes called it Mexico’s Last Counter-Culture Coast in 2017 and exposes the group of surfers, designers and artists who gathered to create this secret destination.
Inherently Analogue, this Place Drips of Slow, Intentional Living.
And the restaurants go at the same pace…
Kakurega Omakase, a sushi-master's secret 16 person restaurant in the middle of the desert. Japanese is popular in Puerto Escondido because similar fishes swim on the Pacific side of Mexico and attract Japanese Chefs, dishes to follow. We found hidden gems on the un-named dirt road: A Secret Mezcal Bars, A 16 Seat Omakase, A Daily Menu Regenerative Restaurant
It was super easy to eat clean and healthy too. The restaurants were all locally sourced, most changing their menus daily for what fish was caught or what vegetable was in prime harvest. Of course we opted for cooking at home, with Chef Erik Oberholtzer doing daily juices, salads, and ceviches. Shopping at Mercado "Benito Juárez" in town was a joy - loads of limes for $0.50 USD, hand-tied garlic, chiles and gorgeous tomatoes. Erik is sharing some of his favorite Mexican dishes on our #FoodLab Blog.
To see more photos including a secret Mezcal bar, you can check out my stories on Instagram. Also I should note that the initial person I was inspired by was AGNP who recommended a dream destination that was way out of my budget but I actually stalked the geo-tag on IG and found some cheaper versions by the same architect! Hope you find some inspiration here too…and safe travels!
