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Puerto Escondido, Mexico, is a chill beach town on the Oaxacan coast. It’s rapidly becoming a popular destination for surfers, digital nomads, and other tourists. The bar scene mostly caters to these groups, at least along Playa Zicatela, which is lined with beach bars, but there are a few nicer bars, too. Here are my favorite bars in Puerto Escondido, including cocktail bars and beach bars.
The Best Cocktail Bars in Puerto Escondido, Mexico
PARAISO ESCONDIDO
There are lots of beach bars in Puerto Escondido. Some feel like they’re just trying to sling the cheapest drinks as quickly as possible, while others feel like they’re putting in more effort.
Paraiso Escondido is a zero-frills beach bar in Zicatela that fits into the latter category, making it my favorite Puerto Escondido beach bar.
It feels like a bar from a TV commercial (in a good way, of course).
There are rows of wooden chairs inside the beach shack, along with a wooden bar facing the ocean.
Book your hotel in Oaxaca now!It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset over the crashing waves. Chickens and dogs ramble around. A single palm tree between the bar and the beach makes for the perfect photo.
The bar has a simple cocktail menu including piña coladas, mezcalitas, and micheladas. They also offer a selection of mezcal and a snack menu.
We enjoyed piña coladas, my favorite tropical drink.
I can always tell when a business is run by people who care about and enjoy what they are doing. This is definitely the case with Pariso Escondido. The family that runs it is clearly passionate about creating a beachside experience that visitors and locals won’t soon forget.
Address: Frente a zona federal, Brisas de Zicatela, 70934 Brisas de Zicatela, Oax., Mexico (map)
KARA SALADA Mexa Cocktail Bar
Kara Salada Mex Cocktail Bar is home to the most creative cocktails in Puerto Escondido. It’s located at the One Love Hostal, but it has a more upscale vibe than your typical hostel bar.
Their menu goes beyond the beach town standards, though they have the classics, too, of course. All of their spirits are from Mexico.
Drinks include creative signature cocktails and classics with a twist. I particularly enjoyed the Mani Mai.
It was one of the most unique and tasty cocktails I had in all of Oaxaca, and this includes the cocktail bars in Oaxaca City that appear on lists of the best cocktail bars in the world.
The drink is inspired by the Mai Tai, but also the local agua, peanut water.
We also enjoyed the Peni-Chillin and the Daiquiri.
There’s also a street food-inspired menu. We had the guacamole, papas fritos, and quesabirria. All were excellent.
The service was especially good at Kara Salada. The guys were especially excited to talk about their business concept and each drink. They even offered us bug spray if we needed it.
Note: KARA SALADA Mexa Cocktail Bar is currently marked as temporarily closed on Google Maps, and there haven’t been any social media posts in a couple of months, so I’m not sure if it is still in operation. I hope they are, since I really enjoyed the place. Check before you visit, if you can.
Address: Tamaulipas S/N, Brisas de Zicatela, 70934 Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico (map)
Website
La Bruja Olvidada
La Bruja Olvidada is the best bar in Puerto Escondido if you like quality drinks. While most other local bars serve up cheap drinks, La Bruja Olvidada is a bit more upscale.
The bar and bottle shop offers a good selection of cocktails, natural wine, mezcal, spirits, and craft beer.
La Bruja Olvidada is a fun place to hang out. The bar hosts special events and other gatherings. When I visited, there was a botanero brunch with some special cocktails and small bites. The couple running the event were experienced bartenders in Atlanta, Baja, and Mexico City.
If the fantastic selection of drinks and friendly staff hasn’t convinced you to visit, maybe this will. La Bruja Olvidada has excellent air conditioning.
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Address: Benito Juárez 5, Rinconada, 71983 Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico (map)
Website
Palapita Beach Club
The northern end of Playa Zicatela is particularly busy with beach bars. Although there are several good ones, my favorite one that we visited was Palapita Beach Club.
The bar has plenty of comfy resort-style seating so you can relax and enjoy the ocean view. It’s particularly nice at sunset, of course.
In addition to the seats out on the beach, there’s also bar seating inside, including swings.
Palapita Bar is known for its piña coladas, which are served in pineapples.
During happy hour, you can get cheap refills. Of course, there are also other signature and classic cocktails available. The bar also has a full food menu, including seafood and tacos. They even have breakfast.
It’s a nice, chill place, and the service is great too. Staff were frequently walking around taking orders for the next round while promptly clearing out empties.
Address: Av. Del Morro s/n, Playa Zicatela, 70980 Brisas de Zicatela, Oax., Mexico (map)
Website
Mezcalería & Tacos Chavez
Oaxaca is, of course, famous for its mezcal.
Mezcalería & Tacos Chavez is a fun patio bar in Brisas de Zicatela. The menu is simple: mezcal, mezcal cocktails, and tacos.
I enjoyed their mezcal mule. It was refreshing and served in the requisite copper mug.
Their mezcalitas are also great, with multiple flavors offered, including tamarind, lime, and passion fruit.
The covered patio has rotating fans that help keep the space nice and refreshing. In the afternoons, it’s pretty chill, with TVs showing sports like the NFL, MLB, and F1, while it gets livelier in the evenings. The music selection is also great. When I was there, it included David Bowie, The Clash, CCR, Jimi Hendrix, & Iggy Pop.
Address: Alejandro Cárdenas Peralta s/n, Brisas de Zicatela, 70934 Puerto Escondido, Oax., Mexico (map)
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In addition to these cocktail bars, there are a few others that are highly rated, including Prana Cocktail Bar and BrujaBar.
There are also a couple of great places for craft beer in Puerto Escondido.
