Planning to travel from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido?
Our ‘routes’ post has got you covered, with the essentials on buses, vans, transfers, and flights.
One of the best beach destinations in Mexico, Puerto Escondido is evolving from a favourite of surfers and backpackers into a popular pick for a Pacific Ocean vacation or digital nomad base.
We've shared all our advice and recommendations to help you plan ahead in 13 Wonderful Things To Do in Puerto Escondido, but in this routes post, we've broken down the main transport options from the city of Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido.
Both are in the same state in southern Mexico - also called Oaxaca - and it's a popular option for visitors to pair the beautiful colonial city with beach time on the Pacific coast during their vacation. It's a common route for longer-term travellers and backpackers too, with Puerto Escondido the main gateway to the small surf & beach villages along the Oaxacan coastline (e.g. Lagunas de Chacahua and Mazunte)
Travel time between the two is not as straightforward as it may seem though, and there’s a reason why you haven’t found that cheap, direct flight online. Despite only being 250km apart, it currently takes 7-10 hours by a challenging road through the Sierra Madre mountains, with only a single daily flight available.
To help you plan ahead, and choose the best option for your budget and travel style, we've shared the essential information on how to get from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido. There are five options in total - bus, colectivo, flight, private transfer, and rental car- and we've included practical tips alongside the details to help you travel better along.
If your itinerary isn’t yet fixed though, we’ve also included an alternative destination to start your coastal adventures before visiting Puerto.
the routes
Bus | 10 hours - $600 MXN · four daily departures / Easiest and affordable
The new 2024 bus route just 3 hours!
Minivan | 8 hours · $280 MXN · hourly departures / Cheapest but with issues
Fly | 45 minutes · $3400+ MXN · one daily flight / Quickest option
Private Transfer | 7 hours · $5200 MXN · book here / The most expensive
Rental Car | 8 hours · $800+ MXN · look + book here / The experience
Alt | Save Puerto Escondido for the end of your trip, and start further east in Playa Zipolite
The New Highway Connecting Oaxaca To Puerto Escondido
The most important development to be aware of before you finalise anything, is that a new highway from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido finally opened in February 2024 after several long delays.
This will transform transport connections to Puerto Escondido, and as well as tourism along the coast of Oaxaca.
Bypassing the two winding mountain roads that minivans hitherto had to take from the city to the ocean, the Barranca Larga-Ventanilla toll highway will cut travel time from the state capital to to the coast down from seven hours to just two or three.
It will also increase operators and make the journey a lot more pleasant overall, as we can attest that those mountain roads were brutal.
As of February 2024, the new 104 km Oaxaca-Puerto Escondido highway is now operational!
The new bus routes and transfers will immediately to Puerto Escondido have already started, and renting your own car is now a much more practical, realistic option as well. ADO now runs this route with several daily departures; fares are $299-$350 MXN and travel time is 3.5 hours.
Note that, if you also plan to visit San José del Pacifico in the Sierra Madre mountains, then you will still have to travel by the old mountain Highway 175.
How To Get From Oaxaca City To Puerto Escondido
FLy From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido
You can fly to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca City, but we recommend travellers avoid short and unnecessary domestic flights where possible for a more meaningful travel experience and lower carbon footprint.
However, we appreciate some of you may not have much time in Mexico, and that a travel time of 45 minutes is a lot more appealing than 8 hours on the road.
At present, Aerotucán is the only airline operating direct flights from Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido, with a single daily departure at 7am Monday-Saturday, and 10am on Sundays. Travel time is 45 minutes.
Note that this is a very small aircraft (capacity of around 15 passengers), and it won't show up on flight search engines, so you're best to visit the official website here
A one-way ticket is in the range of $150-$200 USD depending on season and availability, with only a limited luggage allowance included.
It often sells out, particularly around peak season weekends and holidays, so advance bookings are a very good idea if you know your dates.
Research indicates that there is another company - AeroVega - but it’s a one-man band with no online presence except a Facebook page, so we hesitate to recommend it to you.
The Bus From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido
Long-distance and overnight buses in Mexico are far fancier and comfortable than what you get back home, and are an economical way to get around.
Think reclining seats, air-con, a Spanish movie or two, and loads of space for luggage.
For the Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido bus route, there are two operators - ADO and Ómnibus Cristóbal Colón (OCC) - with prices ranging from $600-800 MXN per person ($35-45 USD)
Update 2024 | As mentioned, the new road is now open and this more direct route is offered by ADO. The company’s fares are $299-$350 MXN and travel time is 3.5 hours, with 10+ departures per day - check timetables and buy tickets on their official website.
Make sure to read on for alternative options and check out our Puerto Escondido guide before you book though!
Their coaches - always big 'uns seating around 30-35 passengers - are too big for the mountain roads and instead travel a longer, more circuitous route via the existing highways. This means marginally more comfort and slightly fewer bends, but does increase travel time to about 10-11 hours (once that new Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido highway is completed, the bus journey time will be closer to three or four hours, and ticket prices will fall).
The more important decision therefore is whether to travel to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca during the day or overnight.
Most travellers will opt for the overnight option as it has more departures than the morning service, and saves on the cost of accommodation for a night. With it, depending on when you leave, you'll arrive in Puerto Escondido between 6.30-9.30am.
In days gone past, that's 100% what we'd have done - and my goodness did we take many long daytime and overnight bus journeys on our first two-year trip in Latin America. That experience has also taught us however that it can sometimes be a false economy if you have a wretched night's sleep on the bus, can't check into your hostel until the afternoon, and are shattered for the whole day.
We will leave it up to you though and, on shorter trips, going overnight is always going to be most tempting.
Tickets | You can buy your bus tickets in person at the station, but due to the popularity of this route in high season and only 4-5 daily departures, we highly recommend purchasing at least 24-48 hours in advance. This is particularly important if you want to secure a seat on the overnight bus with most convenient departure/arrival times.
Typical prices are $600-800 MXN per person ($35-45 USD), but by booking further in advance can secure cheaper fares.
ADO and OCC are owned by the same company, so don't worry too much about which you opt for, but note that the 'ADO GL' brand is the more premium, luxury bus service.
You buy tickets and check prices, timetables, and availability for the ADO & OCC buses on the official company website (note that the city of Oaxaca is officially known as Oaxaca de Juárez, and that's what you need to select on the drop-down menu).
Stations | Both depart from the ADO Bus Terminal in Oaxaca (maps), a 20-minute walk or 5-minute taxi from the historical centre.
Your journey will end at the large ADO bus terminal at the side of the highway in the centre of Puerto Escondido (here on Google Maps). From there, you'll only be a short walk, taxi, or colectivo ride to your accommodation in town, depending on the neighbourhood you picked.
Plan ahead and find the best base by reading our post: Where To Stay in Puerto Escondido
Travel Tip // Wear and bring a layer for the overnight bus as the AC is often set at blizzard levels. Also, earplugs or noise cancelling headphones essential if you have a driver who puts the movies on all through the night, or a fellow passenger who likes to play their music without headphones.
The Puerto Escondido Minivans
The cheapest but definitely not the most comfortable way to travel from Oaxaca to the coast.
You will find colectivos all over Mexico and Central America, and they are effectively privately-operated minivans running along set routes.
With space for about 15 passengers, they are usually quicker, more frequent, and more convenient than buses, and a great option for slow or budget travellers. If you’re planning very last-minute, the fact you can always just turn up and buy a ticket for same-day travel is also brilliant.
Despite the pros, there are also cons to taking the minivans though.
For the Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido route specifically, each of your colectivo options involves travelling along equally challenging, windy, mountain roads: motion sickness should be expected, rather than a surprise.
If car sickness is a big issue for you, or you need a lot of legroom, then you’ll be better off with the ADO or OCC bus.
It's also a much more cramped, claustrophobic mode of transport than the bus, and some drivers can a bad tad reckless on speed and overtaking.
1. The Direct Colectivo To Puerto Escondido From Oaxaca
Travels via Highway 135, it takes 8-9 hours and costs M$280 per person ($16 USD)
The main operator is La Solteca, and services start from 6am, seven days a week.
You can find La Solteca's terminal and offices here on Google Maps, a couple of blocks from Mercado 20 de Noviembre.
Another operator is Villa del Pacifico, based in the southwest of the city (Google Maps) You may also see them referred to as 'Service Express Arista'.
Each service includes several stops to pick up / drop-off passengers, as well as some comfort breaks, but the amenities along the way aren’t of a high standard.
2. the Indirect Colectivo via Pochutla
Travels via Highway 175 and the town of Pochutla, it's 8-9 hours and $250 per person ($15 USD)
Now, some people will tell you that the indirect option is the one to go for as it's less 'curvy'; they're talking rubbish. We did it this year and, as people who have travelled on many awful roads in many awful colectivos, please trust us when we say it was one of the worst we've been on. We and many other passengers felt so sick throughout the barrage of never-ending curves, and it was a total relief when we finally escaped in Pochutla seven hours later.
And neither of us has had travel sickness in decades.
The indirect route also requires a connection in the town of Pochutla to travel westward along the highway to Puerto Escondido. This will add in about 60-90 minutes to your journey, and that's not really a good use of your time.
Instead, this Oaxaca - Pochutla colectivo route is the better option only if you want to start your Oaxacan coastal itinerary in places like Estacahuite or Zipolite (both of which we love!), and then END your time in Puerto Escondido.
That’s what we did.
The Oaxaca - Pochutla also travels via San José del Pacífico, which is a popular hippy and hiking spot up in the mountains, so some of you may wish to include for a few nights before you hit the coast.
That's why, if you're still in planning mode, you need to work out whether going straight to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca is the best option for your travel style and time.
We travelled with Líneas Unidas, and you can also find their terminal a few blocks south of Mercado 20 de November - here on Google Maps. For further information on routes and hours, you are best to visit their Facebook page.
If you're reading this the night before you travel, you'll be able to just turn up and. get your ticket; no advance bookings necessary.
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For each company and colectivo route, there's not really a fixed timetable, but rather operates to a departure roughly every 30 minutes; they will often depart as soon as a van has filled up.
You can simply turn up and buy your ticket in person for the next available departure, and the only reason we'd buy it in advance would be if we're on a really tight schedule.
Note that, as they are more cramped inside than buses, the seat you get really makes a difference to the 7-9 hour journey. Personally, avoid the middle of the back seat at all costs, and I'd go so far as to say it's better to wait around for the next bus rather than get the last, shit seat.
Also, under zero circumstances do we recommend doing these colectivo routes late at night. Instead, leave early-ish and try to enjoy the spectacular views as best you can.
Private Transfer from Oaxaca city to Puerto Escondido
If the flights are sold out, you have no desire to go on an overnight bus in Mexico, and the thought of a colectivo is too daunting, then this may be your best alternative.
A private transfer from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido costs around $380 USD, and still takes 7-8 hours via the scenic mountain roads, but it would give you more chance to enjoy that aspect and undeniably be a more pleasant and comfortable travel experience than doing the same route with the minivans.
If you aren't counting the pennies, have a lot of luggage, or can split the cost between a group, it’s definitely worth looking into.
Another bonus is that you can choose a departure time to suit your schedule, and be picked up and dropped off right outside your accommodation in each destination.
You can book a private transfer highly-rated and reviewed private transfer here.
Another transfer available to book online, but it doesn’t have any reviews at time of writing.
Hire A Car & Drive To Puerto Escondido
As mentioned, when the new highway is completed, renting a car to do the drive from Oaxaca to the coast will be a much more realistic option for lots of travellers.
At present, it's only going to be feasible for those with a bit of time, a thirst for adventure, and certainty on where + when they're going to drop the car back off (i.e. the likelihood is you'll be dropping it off at Puerto Escondido International Airport).
Set off early, and it can be done in under 10 hours, and would allow you to travel through three distinct climates and landscapes in a single day. Alternatively, you could choose to make it more of a road trip, with the potential to include a stay in San José del Pacifico and more random, spontaneous stops along the way.
It would also enable you to have your own wheels to explore the Oaxacan coastline too, which would definitely come in handy for some travellers.
However, given the type of roads and driving conditions - whether you go from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido via Highway 131 (160 miles/8 hours) or Highway 175 & 200 - we only recommend this as a realistic option for experienced travellers.
We haven't driven this route, but research hints at the longer Highway 175 & 200 combination (197 miles/9-10 hours) being the 'easier' drive of the two mountain routes; if you do rent though, we'd suggest doing a little more background on the roads.
There are local car rental agencies in the historical centre of Oaxaca, but we expect they'd require you to return the car directly to them (if you find one that doesn't, do let us know in the comments!). That's why it's likely going to be better to pick up your rental from the larger franchise firms based in Oaxaca Airport, as some of them enable you to drop off with their offices at Puerto Escondido International Airport.
We recommend looking + booking via Rentalcars.com
Note that dropping off at a different location to your pick-up always increases the rate.
Plan // 9 Car Rental Tips For Travellers
