Hi, dear reader! I am Thomas from Internship in Mexico. I would like to share some useful tips and information based on my experience in Puerto Escondido, a Mexican city located on the Pacific coast that has everything to captivate beach lovers.
Why did I choose to go to Puerto Escondido?
Puerto Escondido is a city I visited twice 3 years ago. I really liked the way of life we could find in France on the west coast in summer: heat, beach, surf, tranquillity, and festivity. Puerto Escondido is different from famous coastal cities in the Yucatan like Cancun and Tulum. It has a large majority of locals, making it still one of the rare beach towns not overrun by tourists. Although this may change with the upcoming opening of a highway to Oaxaca, making it a much more accessible and probably busy city.
On the other hand, Puerto Escondido is best known for its world-famous surf spots. This makes it an even more attractive city where surf spots are already increasingly occupied by surf lovers from over the world.
Puerto Escondido is a city in strong growth that offers a unique life experience, because of its unique seaside activities and its preserved authenticity.
Is it difficult to enter Mexico?
No, we just stamp our passports when we arrive in Mexico. It gets more complicated if you stay longer than a month. Personally, I had a 20-minute interrogation when I arrived because the customs officer was suspicious that I wanted to stay for three months.
What got me out of the situation was showing the plane ticket I had already bought to leave the country three months later. So I recommend you have a ticket for the return trip if you stay longer than a month. Even if the solution is to buy a fake one for $7 on Onwardticket. And have the ticket on your phone, as the Wi-Fi did not work at the airport.
Do I need a visa as a European citizen?
You can get a tourist card if you enter Mexico for tourism, business, or other short-term purposes. The tourist card is valid for up to 180 days. You just have to arrive at the airport, fill in a document they give you (it’s important to write a local address; it could be your first hotel or Airbnb), then go through customs, where they stamp your passport and give you a paper you cannot lose (as they will ask you for it again when you leave the country).
How much did the plane ticket cost to Puerto Escondido?
It cost me 570€, taking into account an 11-hour flight from Paris, France, which I bought in September and that was about two weeks before departure. I had a connecting flight in Montreal.
Budget and the cost of living
In general, life is cheaper than in France. However, we need to watch out for the tourist areas, where prices are often similar to those in major European cities.
Accommodation
If you stay for six months or a year, you can find a studio or a place in a shared flat for not too much money (starting from $200 a month). On the other hand, if you stay less than that, you are considered a holidaymaker, and thus entitled to holidaymaker rates.
Food
Food is cheaper than in France. In local restaurants, you can eat very cheaply (1€ for a small taco). There is a great restaurant named Cafecito that serves delicious food starting from 3€. But the closer you get to La Punta, the more prices go above 10-15€ for a dish.
If you buy food at the supermarket, it is way less expensive than in France.
Other costs
Getting a diving certificate costs about 400$. Going to the gym for exercise will cost you about 500 pesos (25€) a month.
As for going out, a 33cL beer in a bottle costs about 50 pesos (2.5€). A ticket to a nightclub costs 100 to 250 pesos (5€ to 11€). Some are free for girls. I would personally recommend the bar Congo where people dance salsa and Punta Origen which organizes open mics in La Punta where live music is played with great food and drinks.
Transportation
You mostly get around on foot and by taxi, as the city is quite small. You can rent scooters for 3,000 pesos a month (150€). Or you can buy a second-hand one for 10,000 pesos (500€). I recommend that you buy a new vehicle if you stay longer than a month, as it is cheaper than renting and selling it later.
There are also many taxis that will take you from one place to another for about 50 pesos (2.5€).
Moreover, getting around town is not very expensive: there are “colectivos” that can take about 10 people around town for an average of 10-15 pesos (less than 1€) per person.
Wi-Fi connection
All flats are basically equipped with a wifi connection. Almost all cafeterias offer Wi-Fi, and some bars in Puerto Escondido also have wifi. The only downside is that I notice frequent internet interruptions. This happens especially when a storm is coming or when it is very windy. If you live in Rinconada, I personally recommend going to Café Choc which has great coffee and Wi-Fi.