Get Away Beaches: Agua Blanca and Puertecito
People vacation in Puerto Escondido to escape from the pressures of work and urban living. But where do Puerto people go when they want to get away from it all? Some have retreats in Puertecito, a farming community of just 15 families - plus a handful of foreigners who have built houses near the beach — while others spend the day in Agua Blanca, or even a few days at its one hotel.
On a visit to Agua Blanca in August, we found Katia, the proprietor of Casa Babylon and 8-months pregnant, with partner Paul and daughters Yazmine and Natalie, at the Ambarina Surf Hotel. They live near Zicatela, half way between the main strip and the Punta, but they wanted a family vacation on a quieter beach.
Less than a half an hour southeast of Puerto, Agua Blanca is known for its beachfront palapas, serving fresh fish and, from November to March, lobster and oysters straight from the sea. Although Agua Blanca is not a swimming beach, except for some days in November and December when the water is calm, it’s a great beach for lying in the tide pools between the rocks. It’s where local families go with their small children to play in the water.
Christmas and Easter weeks the place is packed with Mexican vacationers, but the rest of the year it is delightfully tranquil.
A smaller, more secluded beach can be found in Puertecito. The attractions are a rocky cove and the possibility of camping under the trees. There is a small palapa restaurant, where doña Yolanda presides. She also has four cabañas for visitors.
Getting there: The turn-off for Agua Blanca is at the 172 km marker, on Highway 200, going east towards Pochutla, 30.6 km from Puerto. The one-kilometer dirt road to the beach is in excellent condition. Puertecito is a few kilometers before the Agua Blanca turn-off. The 3-km dirt road is rough, especially in the rainy season.
