How To Get From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido (2023 Guide)

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Looking for the best ways to get from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido? Or from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca? In the following post, I explain the different ways to travel between the two places in Mexico as a backpacker.

Travelling between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca isn’t as easy as I’d love it to be! If I’m honest, it’s quite a task, and most ways to travel between the two are either expensive or incredibly uncomfortable.

The actual distance between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido by road is around a 6-hour drive, but because of the turbulent mountain roads between the two, this isn’t advised. The local bus takes this route, but it’s well known for travel sickness and one bumpy ride. Not many backpackers pick this option!

So let’s get down to the best ways to travel to Puerto Escondido from Oaxaca City as a backpacker or tourist.

Looking for the best things to do in Oaxaca? Check out this complete Oaxaca travel guide by The Discovery Nut!

Psst! I have lots more videos and photos of Mexico over on my Instagram. If you want to check them out, they’re all saved in my highlights! You can follow me here!

Other Mexico posts:

• Puerto Escondido in November: Weather, Tips + More (2022)
• Turtle Release Puerto Escondido, Playa Bacocho (2022)
• Getting Around Puerto Escondido in 2022: A Complete Guide
• Can You Drink The Water In Puerto Escondido? 2022 Updates

How To Get From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido: A Summary

The current highway between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido isn’t necessarily deemed as ‘safe’. In fact, it’s advised to avoid this road altogether, due to frequent falling rocks, landslides, uneven terrain, curvy roads and a high risk of accidents. Not to mention the travel sickness!

Most commonly, backpackers will board the ADO bus from Oaxaca City to reach Puerto Escondido. The ADO bus takes 10.5 hours, and goes the long way around, down a 500km coastal road. The ADO bus does not drive through the mountains, and it is a much safer, easier and pleasant journey (well, as pleasant as a bus journey can be).

However, it takes nearly 11 hours, and at the time of writing this, all ADO Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido buses are overnight.

But, good news is coming! There is a 102km highway currently being built, which will cut the driving time from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido in half. This means the dreaded 6-7 hour bumpy mountainous route will be a 2-3 hour car journey instead.

The opening date of this highway hasn’t been confirmed and has moved quite a few times in 2022. But hopefully, the highway will be open in 2023.

In the meantime, you have a few options when travelling between Oaxaca City and Puerto Escondido:

• ADO bus (most budget-friendly option)
• Plane (most expensive option)
• Taxi, car share or minibus
• Hiring a car and doing the drive yourself

Let’s go through each one so you can decide which is the best way for you.

NOTE: When the highway is finally up and running (hopefully by the start of 2023), getting between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido will be a lot easier. In the meantime, it’s a bit of a struggle, but still doable as a backpacker in Mexico!

By bus

This is the cheapest and most economical way for backpackers to travel between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido. However, make sure you book the ADO bus (book direct here), rather than the local bus that drives through the mountains.

As previously mentioned, the shorter (6-7 hour) drive from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido through the mountains is known as a treacherous, dangerous and unadvised drive, so is best avoided altogether.

The ADO bus takes 4-5 hours longer but drives the entire way around the mountains to avoid this. Currently, the ADO bus only runs overnight to Oaxaca or vice versa.

• Time: Between 8-11pm nightly
• Price: £10-35 ($12-40) – depending on the time of booking, time of year
• Duration: 11-12 hours
• Facilities: Toilets and (unreliable) Wifi onboard. You will also make 2-3 stops and are given a bottle of water at the start of your journey. The bus will also play a movie in Spanish.

I have personally taken the ADO bus, and although I hate overnight bus journeys, I can confirm it is safe and comfortable. There are no ‘treacherous’ roads or curves to be worried about. Actually falling asleep on the other hand, was impossible (how do people do it?!)

Don’t rely on the Wifi onboard, or your 4G. When you’re not in big cities or towns in Mexico, it’s unlikely you will have any signal at all.

Booking buses in Mexico? I highly recommend the ADO bus when moving from place to place. It’s safe, clean, modern and has toilets! You can compare prices and book tickets here.

By plane

The quickest way to get between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido is by plane, but it’s expensive, and not in many backpacker’s budgets.

Catching a regular commercial flight between the two is pretty non-existent, and you’ll have to stop off via Mexico City first. For example, if you type into Skyscanner ‘Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido’, you’ll have to fly via Mexico City. Some flights take over 10 hours!

If you want a direct flight from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, you’ll need to book via Aerotucan. This is then a short 40-minute flight in a small plane. It’s safe and fast, but you can only take on 15kg of luggage, and availability is hard to come by. Make sure you book in advance if you’re looking for seats.

Then there’s the cost. This short flight can cost up to £180 ($200) each way, but you may be able to find it cheaper depending on the time of year.

• Time: Varies, but most are early morning
• Price: £150-200 ($200-250) depending on the time of booking, time of year
• Duration: 40 minutes

By taxi or private car

If you decide to take a taxi all the way from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido, you can expect to pay quite a lot. Bear in mind the mountainous journey takes 7 hours, and the safer route takes 11, so you’re asking for a lot!

Be sure to ask the taxi driver if they are comfortable with driving that far first, and expect to pay upwards of £200/$250 one way.

Alternatively, you can get a private driver in a minibus, and split the cost with a group of you. Just be aware that most minibuses and taxis will opt for a shorter journey through the mountains, so make sure you are comfortable with this before leaving.

By hire car

The final option is to tackle the drive yourself. Whichever way you choose is down to you, and can be done from the comfort of your own hire car.

If you are renting a car, be sure to check the road conditions and for accidents beforehand. Due to the landslides, there can be road blockages that could disrupt your entire journey.

Also, do the journey during the day. Streetlights are hard to come by in Mexico, let alone in the mountains!

As I said, the highway is currently being built, so hopefully, the drive between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido will be much safer and easier very soon! In the meantime, we will personally be sticking to the safety and cheap prices of the ADO bus!

Looking to hire a car in Mexico? We’ve driven all over Quintana Roo, and recommend it as one of the safest ways to travel. Use this company for the best prices!

How To Get From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido FAQs

How much is a taxi from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido?

Depending on the time of year and the route you are taking, the journey will be upwards of £200/$250 one way. This is via the mountains, so if you would rather go along the coast on the ‘safer’ roads, it will be considerably more.

When is the new Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido highway opening?

There are plans for the new highway to be open by the end of 2022. This highway would mean the drive between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido would only take 2-3 hours, instead of 6-7 hours.

How long is the bus from Oaxaca city to Puerto Escondido?

If you get the ADO bus, it takes around 11 hours from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido. If you opt for the local bus, it will take around 6-7 hours. Most backpackers and tourists book with ADO, as it is known to be safer and more reliable.

Why does it take so long to drive from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido?

The bus takes a long time due to it avoiding dangerous and curvy mountain roads. The ADO bus does not take this route and instead travels around the mountains and along the coast.

How To Get From Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido: In a Nutshell

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about getting from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido.

When you’re planning a trip to Mexico, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below!

If you haven’t come across my blog before, I write posts aimed at first-time backpackers on a budget. I’m currently backpacking Mexico with my boyfriend (read more here!), whilst creating guides and itineraries for you to follow in our footsteps!

Keep an eye out for more Mexico content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!

As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!

Happy travelling 🙂

Jennie x

Other Mexico posts:

• Puerto Escondido in November: Weather, Tips + More (2022)
• Can You Drink The Water In Puerto Escondido? 2022 Updates
• Turtle Release Puerto Escondido, Playa Bacocho (2022)
• 11 BEST Things To Do In Punta Allen, Sian Ka’an (Mexico)

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