Things to do
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Playa Carrizalillo
A small horseshoe cove west of the centre, reached down a long flight of steps cut into the cliff, with calm water inside the headlands. Gentle waves make it the town's surf school beach, and boards are rented on the sand. Palapas give shade along the back. The climb back up is steep in the heat, so water and a slow pace help.
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Playa Zicatela
Long, straight and open to the Pacific, this beach breaks in heavy, hollow tubes that have earned it the nickname Mexican Pipeline, and the big summer swells bring international contests. Watching from the sand at sunset is the usual way in for non-surfers. Rips and the shore break make swimming dangerous along its length. La Punta, at the southern end, has gentler waves for learners.
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Laguna de Manialtepec
A mangrove lagoon twenty kilometres west of town that glows at night: plankton in the water lights up blue when a hand or paddle moves through it, seen best on moonless nights in the rainy months. By day the same boats carry birdwatchers past herons, ospreys and roseate spoonbills. Night trips leave from the shore villages, often with pick-up in town.
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Lagunas de Chacahua
Two hours west, a national park of lagoons and mangrove channels ends at a sand bar facing the open Pacific. Boats from El Zapotalito thread the mangroves to the fishing village of Chacahua, where cabañas, a lighthouse and a surf break sit on the beach. A crocodile breeding pen stands near the village. A full day is the minimum, and many stay the night.
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Playa Bacocho
A wide stretch below the Bacocho cliffs north of the centre, with strong currents that rule out swimming. Its draw is the turtle release: in the nesting season a local conservation group lets hatchlings from protected nests go to the sea, and spectators watch from behind a rope. Beach clubs at the access point offer pools and shade by day.
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Playa Principal
Launches pulled up on the sand and the morning catch sold beside them mark the town's working bay, below El Adoquín, the pedestrian street of shops and cafés. Fishing boats leave from here for dolphin and turtle trips offshore and for the ride to the western coves. Swimming is calmer here than at Zicatela, though boat traffic keeps the water busy.
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Puerto Angelito
Twin sheltered coves between the main bay and Carrizalillo, where the water is usually flat enough for snorkelling around the rocks and for small children. Fishing boats shuttle across from the main beach, and a paved road and stairs lead down from above. Restaurants set tables and umbrellas on the sand. The coves are small and fill on weekends with families from the state.
