Mexico’s sleaziest town

It’s a big call, but the sunny beachside haven of Puerto Escondido is surely home to the sleaziest men in Mexico. The fact that most women are more scantily clad than in other parts must have something to do with it, but I have never been leered, whistled, stared or catcalled at with the same gusto since I arrived in this country.

One breezy afternoon I put on a dress because we were going out that night. The hemline is well above the knee, but the top is rather conservative looking, with small capped sleeves and a high round neckline. I walked up the street to buy water, and was whistled at by about 8 different people within the space of five minutes. Guys working on a construction site (no surprises there), guys at the gas station, the guy driving the septic tank truck, even a guy driving a large air-conditioned bus gently tooted his horn!

Until now, I hadn’t experienced much of the ‘machismo’ that Mexican men are reputedly famous for. I have heard the odd sexist remark here and there, and I’m pretty sure men here don’t help out with the housework, but I’ve never been stared at quite like this before.

Palm-lined Puerto Escondido is an ideally-sized beach town. Small enough to have a laid-back, accessible feel, it is large enough to have a variety of beaches to visit, each with their own unique character. We stayed a few minutes out of town near Playa Carizalillo, a perfectly-shaped crescent with chunky yellow sand and vivid green water.

The beaches are connected by a rocky escarpment with amazing views of the whole area, from the town’s curved main beach to the long, straight surf beach of Zicatela. Another beach, Playa Angelito, looks to have been designated the Mexican family beach. Its sheltered cove was packed with children playing in the shallows, and rows of motorboats a little further out. Barely a square inch of sand was visible, as most of the beach packed with tables, chairs, deck chairs and umbrellas.

Mexicans take a different approach to relaxing on the beach to Australians. For us, beaches are places of relaxation, seclusion and tranquillity, as we lay down our towels far away from any other groups of people, soaking up rays and swimming wearing next to nothing.

Not a square inch of space left on the Mexican family beach

For Mexicans, going to the beach is a social event, a fiesta for the whole family. Nobody sits on towels on the sand – this is why beaches are almost completely covered with tables and chairs. Umbrellas are mandatory, as no self-respecting Mexican is prepared to sit out in the sun when there is the possibility of enjoying the shade.

Mexicans are not content to snack on icy poles or the humble meat pies as served in surf club kiosks in Australia. They want restaurant food. Beaches are lined with taco stands, sandwich shops and mini-restaurants selling all manner of seafood dishes as well as other favourites such as enchiladas and tostadas.

Surf beaches do not seem popular here as they are in Australia. In Mexico, there are also lifeguards at surf beaches but they don’t seem to do any actual life saving. If there is any hint of a swell or undertow, the beach is declared unsafe for swimming and nobody is allowed in. Meanwhile surfers have free reign and can use any beach they please.

We went in for a swim at Zicatela, which is meant to have dangerous undercurrents, but we were only waist-deep when we heard the ear-splitting whistle of a lifeguard ordering us out of the water. Apparently the rule is you can only go in 10m from the shoreline, which at low tide meant you could go in up to your ankles.

Sunset at playa Zicatela

So Mexican beaches are really fun places to visit as there is always something going on, but they are not necessarily the best places to kick back and relax!

The laidback atmosphere of our hostel in Puerto Escondido more than made up for the beachfront madness. Tucked away on a back street, the rooms were arranged around a palm-fringed courtyard containing swimming pool, lounge chairs and a cabana. It had a fun and friendly vibe and the comfortable common area made it easy to hang out and get talking to people.

Puerto Escondido was the perfect place to wind down after our cycling adventure, but we were keen to stay somewhere a little more low-key, where you could rent a cabana right on the beach for peanuts. Luckily there are a handful of these beaches within an hour of Puerto Escondido, so after three nights we were on the move again.