Words by Dan and Lisa Goy
Owners/Operators Baja Amigos RV Caravan Tours
It was late February and our group was northbound on Federal Highway 200, heading to the state of Oaxaca and Fernando’s Campground led by two of our caravan members, Bruce and Marian.
Our long day included driving across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, which is known for its high winds and dozens of wind farms. The destinations planned for this Mexican adventure? We trekked from the beaches of Playa Zipolite and Puerto Ángel to the heightened excitement of the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains to Oaxaca City.
Dan Goy
The north view of Playa Zipolite.
Playa Zipolite and Puerto Ángel
Fernando’s Campground, located at Playa Zipolite, is only steps from the beach and only costs a mere $10 USD per day. Interesting enough, Playa Zipolite is the only sanctioned nude beach in Mexico (fortunately it’s not mandatory) and the community only consists of a 1.6 km (1 mi) stretch of beach with a parallel street. Colonia Roca Blanca is the central neighbourhood, named after the island or large rock just off its shore, which is white due to bird guano.
After our arrival and setting up, the group headed to the beach, a short three-minute walk away. We celebrated being in the area with a group dinner at the Aloha Restaurant that served excellent food and cheap, cold beer. The evening capped off with a wonderful sunset on the beach. What else could be better?
Playa Zipolite maintains much of the hippie culture that made it notable in the 1960s and 1970s. We found the nude aspect of the beach very popular among homosexual men, Europeans, and the younger generation, especially backpackers, who commonly stay at one of the many rustic cabins or hostels along the shore.
Dan Goy
Settled in at the Zipolite Campground.
This was the last of our serious beach time before heading inland for a while so we made the most of it. With 35° (95°F) highs and 90 percent humidity, we spent lots of time in the water, walking the beach, and strolling through the nearby town of San Agustinillo. Collectively, we visited many different restaurants over our four-night stay. We did have electricity at Fernando’s but unfortunately not enough to run our AC units but almost enough to run the fans.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Zipolite was hit hard by two hurricanes and a fire. The first hurricane was Hurricane Pauline in October 1997, a category four storm that destroyed nearly everything in town with strong flooding, but there were no deaths. Then, there was Hurricane Rick in November 1998. While not as strong as Pauline, the storm-damaged roads and other infrastructure that was only partially rebuilt after Pauline.
The last disaster here that caused major damage was a fire that broke out in February 2001, burning many of the wood and palm-thatched structures on the beach. We could see the campground owner’s house had been badly damaged by previous hurricanes as only the concrete bearing walls and roofline remained on the second floor.
Dan Goy
Boogie boarding in the surf at Playa Zipolite.
The Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains to Oaxaca City
We departed Playa Zipolite and Puerto Ángel and made our way to Oaxaca City, which is deep in the interior of Mexico. Grant and Anita took the lead on Federal Highway 175 shortly after our departure. Although it was only a 269 km (150 mi) drive, the narrow two lanes, 2,500 m (8,500 ft) climb, and endless switchbacks, slowed our travel but the scenery was nothing less than spectacular.
Nonetheless, our timing was ideal as the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains are subject to heavy precipitation during the rainy season. The damage can be widespread and we did see some but the road was fortunately in good shape. The drive from Puerto Angel to Oaxaca City took us all day and we arrived about 4:30 p.m. under sunny skies and warm temperatures, which was quite a change from the hot steamy weather we left behind on the Pacific Coast.
Dan Goy
The group at Fernando’s Campground.
It’s worth mentioning that travelling northeast from Federal Highway 200 ascends rapidly into the mountains and we went from banana and coconut plantations to coffee-growing regions in no time. We were warned that some folks suffer from motion sickness on the drive due to the twisting nature of the road, steep incline, and endless switchbacks.
However, our only delay was when Bruce and Marian snagged one of their tires on a bolt just before lunch in Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz. With Grant’s help and impact gun, they had it changed in no time. It was a very memorable drive.
We were anticipating on meeting the Amigos Rodante RV caravan upon our arrival, but the group had been delayed. The Oaxaca Campground & RV Park had recently opened and after settling in, an impromptu happy hour broke out.
Dan Goy
Driving along Hwy 175 Suchixtepec, Oaxaca.
On our first day, we visited Tule, which is five minutes from the campground. Tule’s claim to fame is a 2,000-year-old Montezuma cypress tree, known as the El Árbol del Tule that is quite possibly the oldest and largest tree in the world, located at the church in the town centre.
In 2001, it was placed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. El Árbol del Tule is impressive and one of the many old Montezuma cypress trees that grow here. The trees age and their existence have been chronicled by both the Aztecs and Spanish, founders of Oaxaca City.
The tree is enormous. It stands about 35 m (114 ft) with a volume of approximately 800 cubic yards, an estimated weight of 630 tons, and a diameter of approximately 12 m (about 40 ft). The tree dwarfs the town’s main church. It’s taller than its spires and is still growing. To the Mixtec indigenous people, the cypress tree was sacred. We also took time to visit the town square browsing the various shops and sampling Mescal, a specialty libation of Oaxaca.
Dan Goy
The Oaxaca Market.
Oaxaca City
The following day we made our way into Oaxaca City and jumped on a local trolley bus tour. This was inexpensive and provided great views of the city. Oaxaca de Juárez, or simply Oaxaca, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of the same name. This city relies heavily on tourism, which is based on its large number of colonial-era structures as well as the native Zapotec and Mixtec cultures and archeological sites.
We spent the next three days visiting Oaxaca, shopping the markets, and visiting various historical sites including Oaxaca Cathedral, Plaza de Armas Zócalo, Mercado de Benito Juárez, Mercado de Abastos, and many more. We plan on returning to Oaxaca City and the state in the near future.
Dan Goy
Oaxaca Campground
On our last day, we travelled to Monte Albán, a pre-Hispanic city that was an ancient capital of the Zapotecs. It reached its peak between 500 BCE and 800 CE with about 35,000 inhabitants. The partially excavated civic-ceremonial centre of the Monte Albán site is located on top of an artificially-leveled ridge, sitting at about 1,940 m (6,400 ft) above sea level.
Besides being one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica, Monte Albán's importance stems from its role as the pre-eminent Zapotec socio-political and economic centre for nearly 1,000 years. We spent an entire day walking around the site and visiting the museum. If you are visiting Oaxaca City, make sure you visit this archeological marvel, which was declared a World Heritage Site (along with the Oaxaca City) in 1987.
From the cool waters of the ocean and expansive beaches to the diverse culture – past and present – this tour included several highlights any RVer should consider exploring.
Dan Goy
Anita and Grant at Monte Alban.
*At the time of publication, the borders were closed to non-essential travel, and cross border RV tours are suspended among all operators. Check with individual operators regarding their COVID 19 protocols for tours. Many already have them in place.