Let me start by saying this: The journey to Hotel Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico is well worth it.
By the time your taxi turns onto the final dirt road leading to the hotel (a short 30 minutes from the airport), you’ve already seen a few glimpses of the beaches, stretches of jungle-like palm tree groves, and acres of local farmland harvesting, among other things, the avocados and citrus fruits that are certain to find their way into some of the best meals you’ve ever tasted.
So the final countdown, slow as it may be (it’s a dirt road after all), feels like a culminating moment where you find yourself wondering: Could this place be as good as the pictures? Is being this remote going to be worth it?
And the answer is decidedly “yes”.
Braving three separate flights prior to the roadtrip I just described (and ultimately, three new ones on the way home) felt completely worth it despite the fact that our trip to Escondido lasted a short three days. Puerto Escondido is exactly the kind of destination my friends and I seek when we travel. Off the beaten path enough to make it really feel like an escape from reality. Close enough that you can travel there for an extra long weekend. In fact, my biggest disappointment with the whole experience is that we haven’t found a good time to go back (yet).
Hotel Escondido itself boasts sixteen rooms, all beachfront with their own private plunge pools looking out to the ocean (privacy is ensured by wild cacti that separate each room’s patio from the hotel’s private beach). The hotel property has an open-air bohemian simplicity about it without sacrificing modern amenities, like something in between a hotel and a beach house. It’s the kind of place where going barefoot and wearing a swimsuit the entire time still feels chic because of the surroundings: Thatched roofs. Minimal, modern Mexican décor. Friendly staff. An amazingly fresh, organic food menu that changes daily (but always, of course, includes ceviche). And common spaces that are spread out in a way that tricks you into thinking you have the whole place to yourself — something you’d never catch us complaining about.
Well, that definitely settles it. Time to start planning that trip back.
-JS