Slightly sunburned I am writing you from Punta de Zicatela, also called 'La Punta' for intimi. You know, that other side of Puerto Escondido that emerged from the dust in the past ten years. A wonderfully chaotic place that eloquently sets itself apart from the almost city-like Puerto Escondido, including its playitas of Carrizalillo and Angelito that previously were synonymous with surf-culture here.

La Punta was always an interesting place for that crowd, with its intense waves and rugged developments (read: barely any) but has since become a haven for anybody looking for good food, some yoga, good amenities in the form of well-kept hotels and, of course, beautiful weather on sandy beaches. Even us non-surfers make a lot of sense here.

Mazunte and San Agustinillo have their own charm, Zipolite in their slipstream, that could be reminiscent of what La Punta is. If you have no time to visit all four, I would recommend you come here rather than the others. It's a little easier to get to, has a little more to offer in terms of scale and liveliness, while maintaining the laidback vibe most people seek when descending down to this stretch of coast.

That being said, this place did not feel like 'just another beach town on the Oaxaca coast' at all. The unpaved roads between the main highway, the 'Costera,' and the beach are just as much a result of the rapid developments as it seems a conscious choice to maintain a certain character.

Coastal developments always come with its challenges and tensions, which is true here too, but this place seems to operate at a scale that's relatively sensible. The number of people match the number of hotels, restaurants and shops, and most of it seems locally run rather than corporate owned (which is not true even just a little further north in Brisas de Zicatela, lots of huge hotels, fancy beach clubs and... American tourists there).

I wasn't super excited to go to Puerto Escondido. Last time I was here it was... fine. I was curious to descend the steps of the smaller playitas up north I referenced earlier, but the town itself was forgettable and seemed commercial to me. So when our plans changed I was okay with aiming for Mazunte/San Agustinillo and seeing if we made it over to Puerto at all.

We have a flight tomorrow from here to Mérida (Yucatán) tomorrow though, so eventually it did make sense to spend some time here. Three nights to be exact. I consider those three nights to be enough, but I'm happy I took another look at the map before booking our accommodation and not relying as much on past experiences. They proved to be worthless altogether.