Living Local on the Coast of Oaxaca

by | Feb 11, 2022 | Mexico | 1 comment

Options on the Coast of Oaxaca

There are many options for extended stays along the coast of Oaxaca depending on your beach preference, food and entertainment options, shopping availability, budget, and general small beach town vibe. In my previous blog, Exploring Six Amazing Coastline Burgs of Oaxaca, I described each of the beach/small-town options along the coast from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido and everything in between.

Small cabana on a hillside Photo by Gwen Hyatt
Small cabana on a hillside Photo by Gwen Hyatt

We landed at Posada Olivio, a small cabana on a hillside, between the easy-to-walk-to beach towns of Mazunte and San Agustinillo.

After exploring many options, this location gave us the ability to access several lovely walking and surf beaches and a small swim/snorkeling cove.

The local vibes of Mazunte and San Agustinillo are quite different, as are the options for entertainment, food, and basic supplies.

Living on the Coast of Oaxaca

Surrounded by lush native plants, we rented a small one-bedroom cabana at Posada Olivio for 2800 pesos or approximately $140 a week. The cabana and several other accommodations were created, crafted, and built by an Italian expat couple, Marco and Rebecca, who immigrated to the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico, eight years ago.

One of many secluded, relaxing spaces at Posada Olivio Photo by Gwen Hyatt
One of many secluded, relaxing spaces at Posada Olivio Photo by Gwen Hyatt

The terraced gardens on the property are abundant with local plants, flowers, trees, bees, birds, and butterflies and graced with creative stonework, pathways, secluded sitting areas, and hammocks.

The colorful two-room cabana contains an open-air main living area and kitchen sheltered with a massive, thatched roof, which is a common design in this hot, humid environment.

The bedroom is enclosed with screened windows that open toward the sea to catch the breeze. A small bathroom/shower is attached, cool water only.

Rustic Living on the Coast of Oaxaca

Life is more rustic here – We must store all food in closed plastic bins or in the refrigerator to keep the critters away in the open-air kitchen. The friendly resident iguana frequently stops by for a visit. A comfortable hammock is our favorite hanging-out place in the main living area.

Cabana kitchen Photo by Gwen Hyatt
Cabana kitchen Photo by Gwen Hyatt

A floor fan helps to circulate air in the heat of the day, and we move it to the bedroom for night-time cooling.

Sleeping within a mosquito net, using only a sheet in a room with large, screened windows is like camping.

The primary mode of transportation here is the moto, and moto garages are busy places. Collectivos (inexpensive canopied pickup trucks with benches) or taxis are abundant and provide transport between coastal towns.

Once a week we take a bag of laundry to the local lavenderia and pick up clean, neatly folded clothes for 50 pesos ($2.50) in the afternoon. Water delivery is frequent because local water is not potable and we don’t use it for brushing teeth.

Local water delivery Photo by Gwen Hyatt
Local water delivery Photo by Gwen Hyatt

All produce should be washed in Microdyn and rinsed in clean water before use. Toilet paper goes only in the wastebasket, not down the toilet, and water is conserved, so no frequent flushing. Everyone separates organic kitchen waste for compost.

Food and basic supplies are available from small local tiendas or from truck or food cart vendors. Mazunte even features a pharmacy and a small clinic. Other supplies and shopping require a taxi trip to the larger towns of Huatulco, Puerto Escondido, or Pochutla, about 45 minutes inland.

A Typical Day on the Coast of Oaxaca

Savory ceviche Photo by Gwen Hyatt
Savory ceviche Photo by Gwen Hyatt

Our typical days goes something like this:  having coffee and breakfast at the cabana, a ten-minute walk to our favorite swimming and snorkeling cove for a morning swim, walking playa San Agustinillo, and a second cooling swim before purchasing supplies and returning to the cabana for lunch and downtime (reading, writing or a siesta) during the heat of the day.

Then, a late afternoon yoga class, a Spanish lesson, another swim, or a beach walk, or a cocktail with a savory ceviche.

Enjoying a tasty shrimp cocktail at one of the beachside palapas finishes the day before we are heading uphill to the cabana.

The pace is slow. Life is simple. The days ebb and flow beach life.

Have you found your expat haven yet? Would you like to know more about Oaxaca? Become a member for free and start the conversation. Where will you land?

by: Gwen Hyatt