Getting to Puerto Escondido is pretty easy — if you know a few tricks. Plus, there is no expense of time or treasure too great to miss out on the paradise of Puerto Escondido

Flying: I recommend flying into either Puerto Escondido (PXM) or Huatulco (HUX). PXM is a 10 minute drive from Villa Puesta del Sol. HUX is an hour and twenty minute drive from Villa Puesta del Sol. Both PXM and HUX are served by Aeromar. http://www.aeromar.com.mx The flight to PXM usually leaves Mexico City by 1:30 PM and arrives an hour and 15 minutes later, turns around, and flies back to Mexico City. The Aeromar flights to HUX leave MEX in the morning (around 11) and in the later afternoon (around 3:30 PM). HUX is also served by Interjet: http://www.interjet.com.mx Continental also serves HUX once a day, five days per week, directly from Houston for part of the year and Saturdays and Sundays at other times of the year. Huatulco is served by several charter service companies in Canada (Sunwing and Air Transat) and the United States by Apple Vacations and USA3000: http://www.usa3000.com. The charter service to HUX is seasonal and usually flies direct, so you do not have a stop in Mexico City. The charter service is almost aways Saturday to Saturday. Most charters will allow you to book a one week or a two week trip, but usually not longer. Also available to Huatulco is Mexican Charter company Magnicharters. PXM is also served by two small airlines (Aero Vega and Aero Tucan) which fly back and forth to Oaxaca early in the mornings.

The practicality of the matter is that most people need to either fly Interjet, Aeromar or Continental (or a codeshare partner) to make a commercial flight to PXM or HUX affordable. Aeromar will eventually be a codeshare partner with Continental/United, but due to some regulations delaying this arrangement, that ease of service is a few months away. Sometimes it is more cost effective if you book your flight to Mexico City and then make a second reservation for your leg to and from the Oaxacan coast seperately via the Aeromar website or the Interjet (linked above). Currently (October, 2010) booking your Mexico City to the Oaxacan coast through a ticketing agency like Travelocity or Expedia does not give you the best value (these ticketing agencies also do not post prices for Interjet). If what I explained above seems to make your head spin, please contact Gene at Vista World Travel. He is THE global expert on flying into PXM or HUX. He'll get you the best price you could possibly find without spending hours scouring the internet. Trust me.

When you fly into PXM, you will need to pass customs. From there, you will see two booths with ladies waving tickets for you. These are the ground transportation agents. Choose a company (both are the same price ($35 Pesos per Person)) and tell the driver "Calle Manzanillo Reef." This is a new street, and a lot of the drivers (both airport and taxi) don't know it yet. Tell the driver it (Calle Manzanillo Reef) is between El Pueblito and Playa Manzanillo. When you leave PXM, you can be dropped off at the airport by a regular taxi.

When you fly to HUX, you will need to arrange for transportation to Puerto Escondido. There are three options:

1). Car Service. For a car to pick you up at HUX, it costs $750 Pesos ($70 US) and $650 Pesos ($61 US) return. I can put you in contact with a company which provides this service.

2). Taxi. The airport taxis are a monopoly and they will charge whatever they like to take you to Puerto Escondido. Be prepared to pay in the neighborhood of $1000 Pesos ($95 US) although you might make some headway by negotiating. You can also grab a regular taxi by walking out to the highway and flagging one down. You will need to negotiate, but you can expect to pay in the neighborhood of what the car service costs, although sometimes you can get a cheaper rate by haggling and pay about $500 Pesos.

3). Bus. Walk out to the highway (do not cross, or you will be going in the wrong direction) and wait for a SUR buslines coach. They come by every 1/2 hour or so during daylight hours. While you wait, there is a shade tree next to the road and a little refreshment stand across the road, where you can get a snack and a drink. The bus will take at least 2 hours and you'll probably stop in Pochutla along the way. The bus costs $35 Pesos ($3.25 US) and I've done this trip a number of times.

Taking the Bus: You can get to Puerto Escondido by Bus from Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Acapulco. These trips usually take about 8-12 hours depending on your departure point. Soon, the new highway from Oaxaca will be finished, which will cut driving times down to 2.5 hours from Oaxaca and 8 hours from Mexico City.

Two Vacations in One: Many guests choose to visit Oaxaca City, a fabulous and culturally significant colonial city, before or after their visit to Puerto Escondido. You can bus, van, drive or fly between these two beautiful towns. Continental Airlines, Aeromexico and Mexican discount carriers VivaAerobus (via Mexico City) and Volaris (via Tijuana) all serve Oaxaca City by air.