Puerto: The pounding surf of Puerto, or Puerto Escondido: Mexico without Hype,

Published in The Globe and Mail and The Rocky Mountain News

PUERTO ESCONDIDO,Mexico--Our hotel guest book said it all: “Loved getting pounded at the mainbreak on Zicatela,” wrote a satisfied surfer from Redondo Beach. “Spittin’ ten-foot tubes - hesitate you lose!” enthused another hanger of ten.

Known as “Puerto” to its legions of devoted fans, this town on Mexico’s Pacific coast was discovered in the 1960's by surfers looking for the ultimate wave and unspoilt natural beauty. But in recent years, the town has begun to attract a more mainstream kind of tourist who wants a break from the high-rise, high-density destinations that have ruined much of Mexico’s fabled coastline.

While other resorts have visitors dodging taxis, buried in brochures offering pricey excursions, Puerto is refreshingly free of hype, glitz and mega-projects. As Paul Cleaver, manager of the Hotel Santa Fe, puts it, “The only hype you’ll get here is one of the Tehuanas (local women) trying to sell you a hammock you don’t want.”

On Zicatela Beach, from 7 to 10 in the morning, surfers tackle the main beach break - second only to Hawaii for its power and year-round waves. One morning we took breakfast to the beach and watched surfers from Australia, Spain, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Peru, France and the United States tackle the waves.

Mike Carney, a surfer from California, was drawn to Puerto’s cheap lifestyle and endless summer: “Surfing used to be the cheapest of sports - all you needed was a pair of trunks, a board and some wax. After spending 15 years in Hawaii, it finally got to expensive. Here in Puerto, you can still live and surf.”

Carney first came to Puerto 20 years ago, when tourism was confined to the surfing cognoscenti: “In those days, there were no paved roads, a couple of cabins and only a handful of surfers,” he recalled. “Now, there are at least 30 out there every morning, and Puerto has become an interesting little town.”

After surfing magazines ran feature articles on Puerto Escondido, its popularity grew rapidly. Now there are several surfing competitions held each year. The annual Mexican national event is held in mid-April, while two international open competitions bring hundreds of surfers here in August and September.

Unlike Australia or California, Puerto is not limited to seasons - its wicked waves challenge the best surfers year round. Zicatela’s savage surf spits out five or six broken boards by 9 a.m. every day of the year. Miguel Ramirez, born and raised in Puerto, has been gluing them back together for the past five years.

“No winter here in Puerto,” he explains, pointing skyward at a blazing sun. “So muchos broken boards.” Miguel’s souped-up VW beetle, adorned with board fragments and crowned with a surfing hood ornament is like an emergency room for surfboards. Here, surfers plead for the cheapest and quickest repair. Miguel is sympathetic, for he too is a surfer. “They must surf everyday or what is the point?” A passing T-shirt confirms this truth with its Zen-like message: “Surfing is life, the rest details.”

True to its origins as a magnet for beatniks and surfers, Puerto has an offbeat side centred where else but on Zicatela beach. At The Richard Nixon Memorial Library, beachside reading can be rented from a friendly fellow named Rich, who left a low-stress job in the States for an even lower-stress existence in Puerto. Bruno’s, a beachside eatery with nightly “eat all you can” specials and a dog named Stirfry, vies with Art ’N’ Harry’s for the surfers’ custom. La Patisserie offers up delicious croissants, fruit salad and flavorful local Oaxacan coffee, while a film society screens movies nightly, (films by Ken Russell and Ingmar Bergman were featured during my last stay). For salsa enthusiasts and anyone in search of nightlife, Puerto’s small strip of bars, restaurants and boutiques caters to all tastes and budgets.

And Puerto offers plenty more for those who tire of the beach and surfing scene. Deep-sea fishing for marlin, bonita, sailfish and other trophy fish can be arranged on the main swimming beach Marinero. Local fishermen charge about 20-25 dollars per hour for a trip - a bargain compared to prices up the coast at Huatulco.

For those who want to see more of Mexico’s Oaxaca coast during their stay, several tours are on offer. The best of them are organized by Mike Malone, a Canadian naturalist and ornithologist who’s been wintering in Puerto Escondido for the past 15 years. Malone’s company, Hidden Voyages, offers environmentally sensitive excursions to nearby lagoons, available through Turismo Rodimar from December through March. (Similar tours are available the rest of the year from Rodimar and other agencies, but without Malone’s excellent commentary). A good introduction to the region’s wildlife is Malone’s early-morning tour to Manialtepec lagoon. As one glides silently through mangrove-lined waterways spotting local birds and animals, Malone provides expert commentary about the flora and fauna (as well as binoculars and coffee). Wine is uncorked on Malone’s sunset tour.

Malone was one of the first non-surfing North Americans to discover Puerto on a backpacking trip in the early seventies. Since then, many more have made it their winter home, joining some of Mexico’s best-known ecologists, politicians and celebrities. They have been quietly coming here for the natural setting and privacy that Puerto provides - and which they are all eager to protect. Happily, that is easier than it might seem.

Despite a recent boom caused by the construction of an international airport, Puerto is not an Acapulco in the making. Two rival jurisdictions have been battling over ownership of much of the prime beachfront property for years, which has made it difficult for anyone to get clear title to the land. To the joy of Puerto lovers, this has ensured moderate growth and few major developments. “We’re safely outside of official government plans,” Cleaver says with scarcely concealed glee, “which has saved us from what’s happened to other destinations.”

So while the Mexican government busies itself promoting glamorous resorts like Cancun, and nearby Huatulco, naturally beautiful Puerto is left alone. As the surfers here say, “Hasta Corona!”

IF YOU GO:

There are a variety of airlines and packages to Puerto Escondido - but most will have you staying at one of the resort-hotels at nearby Bacocho beach. If possible, stay at the Hotel Santa Fe, which has the best restaurant in town, along with an incomparable position - right between Zicatela and Marinero beaches in Puerto proper. It’s air-conditioned, with a pool and an unrivalled view of Puerto from the bar/restaurant, making it the ultimate dining spot. Doubles run about 85 dollars. Call ahead if you need a room with wheel chair access.

Other good hotels in Puerto are: The Mayflower, (with cheerful rooms with balconies and a view over the bay; the Flor de Maria, with a lovely rooftop pool and bar; and the Hotel Arco Iris, with beachfront rooms with a view over Zicatela. All of these hotels are very reasonably priced between 30 and 60 dollars a night. The Arco Iris has rooms with kitchenettes.

Restaurants run the gamut from beachside wood-fired pizza joints to excellent seafood and Italian restaurants. The restaurant at the Hotel Santa Fe has lots of excellent vegetarian selections.