The complete guide to getting to Puerto Escondido by taxi, bus, rental cars, Uber, and all possible ways

Finding ways how to get to Puerto Escondido Mexico? In this post, I will share with you the different routes from different destinations like Oaxaca, Mexico City, and even the United States!

Puerto Escondido is located in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It’s one of the most famous surfing spots on the Pacific coast of Mexico and is famous for its buzzing nightlife.

This is one of my favorite Mexican beach towns and you’ll never go wrong in choosing this destination for your next Mexican vacation.

Please note that there is another Puerto Escondido in northern Colombia so be mindful of your search terms when doing research for your trip.

✈️ What airport serves Puerto Escondido?

The airport that serves this beach town is Puerto Escondido International Airport, with the airport code PXM. Most national airlines fly here, particularly Aeromexico, Aeromar, Viva Aerobus, and Tar.

The airport is only 15 minutes away from the center and there are many ways you can get to the city proper from the airport.

🚌 In a hurry? Find the best transportation options to Puerto Escondido here, from $39 USD.

🗺️ How to get to Puerto Escondido Mexico from the airport

There are many ways to get to the center of Puerto Escondido from the airport. Mind you, it’s not also that far. Probably about a 15-minute ride.

These are the following ways on how to get to Puerto Escondido from the airport. I’ve tried them all so I will also give some short stories about my experience.

Getting to Puerto Escondido from the airport with a rental car

When you arrive at Puerto Escondido airport, you will see two International car rental companies which are Hertz and Europcar.

Renting a car in Mexico is not that difficult and you can actually do it upon arrival. I don’t really recommend you book it ahead of time.

It’s not very busy, especially during COVID. You’ll have a secure rental car even if you book it upon arrival. It’s also way cheaper when you do it in person.

A basic car costs US$25 per day but you have to put a security deposit through your credit card that ranges from US$350 – US$700.

This deposit will be given back to you when the car is returned safe and sound. I always rent a car when I am in Oaxaca so please feel free to read my road trip articles for further information about renting a car in Mexico.

Getting to Puerto Escondido from the airport with a shared taxi

I only did this once because of COVID. I wasn’t comfortable sharing with 10 other people I didn’t know but this is probably the cheapest option as it only ranges from US$10 per person.

You will see all these shared taxis outside the airport, also known as colectivo.

This colectivo will drop you off at your accommodation in Puerto Escondido so don’t worry about taking another ride. You just have to tell the driver where you are staying.

Getting to Puerto Escondido from the airport with a private taxi

I find the private taxis in Puerto Escondido ridiculously expensive but since I wanted to have my own ride, I paid US$25 for a ride. Why is it expensive?

The airport is really close to the city center so by Mexican standards, US$25 is a lot to pay for a ride. Unfortunately, Uber does not work in Puerto Escondido so these are your only options.

🚖 Mexico City to Puerto Escondido

You are probably arriving in the country through Mexico City (CDMX), the biggest flying hub in Mexico. CDMX has flights to all major national destinations that are often cheap and direct.

Below is the frequency of domestic flights from CDMX to PXM, together with the estimated prices.

Flights from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido

• VivaAerobus: daily flights to Puerto Escondido at 20:45 and 11:05. I use Viva but it’s not my favorite since they have a lot of hidden charges. A one-way flight costs US$45
• Volaris: daily flights to Puerto Escondido at 14:45. Volaris is fair and I prefer this more than Viva.
• Aeromexico: daily flights to Puerto Escondido at 9:50. This is the official flight carrier of the country and is not a budget airline. A one-way flight costs US$75
• Aeromar: daily flights to Puerto Escondido at 10:35 and 15:05. A one-way flight costs US$100.

All of these rates do not include checked luggage. You need to pay for that separately which is a pain in the ass. It wasn’t used to be like this!

I realized how cheap it was to fly within the country when COVID hit but in 2021, all the national flight prices just increased. For better rates, I always use Kiwi.com and Expedia.

These two have better flight rates than booking on the websites of the companies above.

Bus from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido

This is a bit strange since I get this question a lot. The bus journey from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido takes 18 hours and it costs the same as the flight.

I mostly get this question from Mexican nationals as they prefer to take the bus than fly. Sleep through the night and arrive at the destination. But still, 18 hours is a lot!

If you want to go to Puerto Escondido from Mexico City by bus,  it costs US$72 but they are very comfortable (sleeper bus).

🚌 Huatulco to Puerto Escondido

On my second trip to Puerto Escondido, I started in Huatulco. There is also an airport in Huatulco and fare prices are the same as flying to Puerto Escondido.

It’s very easy to get from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido by bus. The trip duration is only two hours and the bus is around US$11. The busses go from 1:55 AM, 4:25 AM, 5:25 AM, 8:25 AM, 9:20 AM, and 4:55 PM daily.

Alternatively, you can also rent a car at Huatulco International Airport which will cost US$25 per day. The drive from Huatulco to Puerto Escondido is really nice and you’ll definitely enjoy it!

If you don’t want to drive and want to hire a private taxi, there are many taxi drivers offering this trip from $50 – US$75. Make sure you know how to haggle the prices as they can raise them to US$150.

🚗 How to get to Puerto Escondido from Mazunte, Zipolite, and San Agustinillo

Mazunte, Zipolite, and San Agustinillo are small towns in the Oaxacan coast. This is usually added to the trips when visiting Huatulco and Puerto Escondido as it’s in between them – it’s really the perfect route!

These three beach towns are close to each other (about 5-10 minutes’ driving distance from each town).

In order to get to Puerto Escondido from this area, you need to take a taxi to Pochutla which is a 20-minute drive. Taxi prices start at US$5 – don’t pay more than that!

When you reach the Pochutla bus station, you will see all the buses going to Puerto Escondido. You don’t have to book in advance as the busses go from 3:05 AM, 6:35 AM, 9:35 AM, and 10:25 AM.

The last trip is at 6:05 PM. This costs US$7 but make sure to go to the station an hour before to secure your ride.

The duration of this trip is 1.5 hours and it will drop you off at the bus station in Puerto Escondido. From there, you can take a taxi or a colectivo to your accommodation.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any car rental companies in Mazunte. You have to go all the way to Huatulco to rent a car.

Is it safe to hitchhike from Mazunte to Puerto Escondido?

Yes! It is very safe! I’ve tried this once and you don’t have to worry about it. Most of the cars go to Puerto Escondido so just raise your thumb and someone will take you.

Oaxaca is a generally safe region but I don’t really recommend this if you are not confident. This is a short driving distance so rest assured that someone will take you.

If you’re up for a little adventure, go hitchhiking in Oaxaca and you will meet a lot of amazing people! I must warn you that it’s more difficult to get a ride for more than 2 people but if you see a pick-up truck, then you’re lucky.

🚍 San Jose del Pacifico to Puerto Escondido

San Jose del Pacifico is usually not part of the Oaxacan coast road trip route but I always include it in my itinerary especially if Oaxaca City is also part of it.

It’s so easy to get here and the drive is stunning! Well, I am saying it’s easy because I always have a rental car. Unfortunately, there are no direct busses from San Jose del Pacifico to Puerto Escondido.

If you don’t want a drive by yourself, you have to take a taxi to Huatulco (about 1.5 hours) and it costs between $15 – US$30. From Huatulco, you can take a bus.

Follow the steps of how to get to Puerto Escondido from Huatulco above.

You can also ask a taxi driver to take you to Puerto Escondido from San Jose del Pacifico. This is not really easy especially if you don’t speak Spanish but when I asked them, they charge between US$75 – US$150 for the trip.

It will take about 3-4 hours. This is a better option if you are traveling with a group so you can split the cost. Any taxi driver you see in San Jose will be able to offer this service to you.

🚐 How to get to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca City

Oaxaca City has an international airport but I don’t encourage you to fly from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido because there are no direct flights. You need to stop in Mexico City.

The flights are also expensive (about US$100 one-way, est) and there’s no sense in flying because this is only a 6-8 hour drive (if you’re renting your own car).

You can even pass by San Jose del Pacifico, Huatulco, and Mazunte first because both are on the way.

Renting a car in Oaxaca City is convenient as they have Europcar at the airport. I use them all the time when I visit Oaxaca. However, their office is located outside the airport but the staff will give you a ride if you have a reservation beforehand.

If you’re taking the bus, it will take 10 hours. Busses from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido depart daily twice a day. One in the morning at 8:30 AM and another in the evening at 9:30 PM.

The best thing to do is to take an overnight bus so you’ll save on accommodation as well. For some reason, the 8:30 AM bus is cheaper (US$17) while the evening bus costs US$29.

🛫 Puerto Escondido from Cancun, Baja California, or any part of Mexico

One of the reasons why I am moving to Mexico City this fall is that all flights that I take within the country from my home in Puerto Vallarta stop in Mexico, which means I always need to pay extra as opposed to living in CDMX.

For example, a friend of mine who lives in Mexico City paid US$30 for a flight to Acapulco with Aeromexico (not a budget airline) while I paid US$80 for the flight coming from Vallarta.

Whatever you do or wherever you are coming from within the country, you need to stop in Mexico City.

You can easily type in your destination (example: Cancun to Puerto Escondido) but it will always give you a flight stopping in Mexico.

You can also try to book them separately on different airlines and see if it’s cheaper. I’ve had so much luck in getting way cheaper fare if I book them separately.

This way, it also does not dictate how many hours you should stop at the airport. You are totally in control! I recommend stopping in Mexico City for a day or two because it’s a really great city and there’s so much to see!

🧳 How to get to Puerto Escondido Mexico from the US

Most USA airlines fly to Mexico City. From there, you can always book another flight to Puerto Escondido easily. However, if you are looking for cheap flights from the United States to Puerto Escondido, I can definitely show you some tricks.

These are all with budget airlines so please don’t expect a 5-star treatment.

I also encourage you to pack light so you won’t have to pay for check-in. Puerto Escondido is a beach town so you don’t really need a lot of clothes, believe me! You’ll end up packing a lot and regret not using them all. Know how to pack light.

Flights from Los Angeles to Puerto Escondido

• Aeromexico is a sister company of Delta Airlines. If you go to the Delta website, you can find a flight to Puerto Escondido that stops in Mexico City for 4 hours and 15 minutes. You don’t need to re-check your luggage since you’re only flying with one airline. The trip duration is 11 hours and it costs US$273, one way.
• VivaAerobus, a Mexican airline flies from LA. The cheapest option is to go fly to Guadalajara. From there, take a Volaris flight to Puerto Escondido. This will only cost you US$200 for both flights.

From San Diego to Puerto Escondido Mexico

Unfortunately, this one is a little bit more complicated as it can go up to three stops, usually Phoenix, Dallas, and Mexico City. This is why I know a lot of my friends who drive to LA to take a flight to Mexico as there are more LA-MX direct flights.

This can also take longer (up to 24 hours) and you don’t really want to travel that long!

From Texas to Puerto Escondido Mexico

Dallas and Houston’s flights go directly to Mexico City so flying from TX is not really a problem. It’s also shorter (about a 7-hour flight duration) and only costs US$150 (one-way).

If you are coming from the USA to visit Puerto Escondido, the best thing to do is to try all the airports around you or check the flights from your city to Los Angeles or Texas.

Delta, American, and United are some of the best USA flight carriers that have frequent and convenient flights to Mexico. If you’re having trouble finding flights, I can definitely help you with that! Just get in touch.

Well, if you’re up for some fun and are traveling indefinitely, also think about doing a road trip from the USA to Puerto Escondido (traveling the whole coast).

I have lots of friends who did this from California. There are even some who came from Vancouver, Canada with their cars!