Surfers have gathered on the Mexican pipeline for decades. But in the last few years this strip of Pacific coast has welcomed a cluster of smart restaurants and independent hotels bringing the attention of Puerto (as it’s known by locals) to a new crowd.
Concrete, thatched shacks line the beach, each with their own plunge pool. Mexico-City-based creatives pile in on weekends to sip tamarind margaritas on the sand. Next door is creative studio Casa Wabi where artists in residence spin crockery for the hotel restaurant.
Owned by Hotel Escondido, this Japanese restaurant serves an epic 10-course tasting menu. Fish is locally sourced and pristinely presented as elegant nigiri and sashimi; and homemade noodles are served with finely tempura vegetables – each course is then paired with sake, plum wine and Japanese whiskey. With just 12 seats at the bar, it's a hard table to book.
Young people flock here in the day to snag a cabana and sip coconut water out of their shells, but at sundown it has some of the best views across the Pacific. Pull up a stool on the sand and relax to the strum of live guitar music.
The owners are mezcal enthusiasts (the restaurant is named after a type of agave), which means there’s always a party waiting to start on the terrace. Surfers wind up here at the end of the day to sip mezcal margaritas and feast on shrimp tacos overlooking perfect views of Carrizalillo beach.
DISCOVER MORE
