One Of Mexico's Most Underrated Coastlines Is A National Park With Vacant Beaches And Jungle Beauty

The Oaxacan coast is home to some of the best beaches in Mexico. Puerto Escondido in particular is a surf town known for its big waves, but it also has serene beaches like Playa Carrizalillo. However, having spent a summer learning to surf in Puerto Escondido, I can tell you that if you want true isolation, seclusion, and digital detox, you have to go to Lagunas de Chacahua.

This national park is a coastal wetland made up of interconnected lagoons that have served as a healthy barrier to mass tourism development. Not only do you need to take a boat to get to the main village, but when you get there, you will find that most accommodations are extremely basic, with hostels, campsites, and maybe a more posh glamping hotel here and there. An internet connection is hard to come by, but the beaches and surf conditions are top tier.

A lot of places promise disconnection, but Lagunas de Chacahua really delivers. I will emphasize that this is not the place for high-maintenance travelers (bring everything you could anticipate needing), but it's a great place to authentically disconnect — its own kind of paradise.

Far away from Oaxaca's vibrant capital city, this national park is a bastion of biodiversity, from mangrove-patrolling crocodiles to hundreds of bird species, including herons and ospreys, and it's a busy egg-laying site for sea turtles. With crocs in the fresh water, though, you'll want to stick to swimming in the Pacific Ocean. In the main beach village of Chacahua, there are surf schools where you can get a lesson, or if you feel like exploring, you can cross the small lagoon channel to Chacahua la Grúa and explore the virgin beaches on that side.

When I was planning my trip to Chacahua, I was told that because most places wouldn't have an internet connection, you couldn't reserve your accommodation in advance. The general advice was to shop around when you get there, and there will usually be an open bed. But while many of the bungalow-style accommodations in Chacahua are still first come, first served, there are a few that take reservations online or by WhatsApp, such as Hotel Sanmara and Hostal Onahu. 

In the village, you will find a row of restaurants which you should count on frequenting. There are no ATMs and only two small supermarkets in town, so bring enough pesos to pay for everything you need — including your accommodation and your boat rides there and back!

Lagunas de Chacahua National Park is located west of Puerto Escondido. If you're driving there yourself, it will be a little over an hour to El Zapotolito, which is the town from which you'll get the boat. The only way to get to the main beach town is to pay for a boat ride. These cash-only boats are run by locals and cost $10 to $15 (though you can try to bargain), and the ride is about half an hour.

You can arrange for a day trip to the park, something surf schools in Puerto Escondido might even offer if you ask, but if you want to spend a few nights, you can also get there by yourself without a car. Colectivos are transfer vans and small buses that are usually used by locals to get around and work like a private bus company. They tend to be much more affordable than taxis and big bus lines; plus, their routes are farther-reaching because they serve a more local population. At the bus terminal, you can find the bus going to Río Grande, but you have to make sure to tell the driver yourself you want to go to Chacahua and get off at El Zapotalito; otherwise, they will not stop.

Speaking from experience, Chacahua is for sure a location that will test your mettle as a traveler, but the destination is well worth the journey.