How to get from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca

Why visit Oaxaca?

Oaxaca (pronounced wah-haak-kah) is a city filled with colourful colonial streets, architecturally-beautiful churches, communal squares, archaeological sites, and welcoming people. It’s also famous for its stunning embroidery and textile crafts. And those are only a few of the reasons why it has landed itself on the UNESCO world heritage list.

Also called Oaxaca de Juárez, the city is well-known for its exciting food scene, offering several dishes that are unique to just the Oaxaca region. A tip when visiting Oaxaca: eat your heart out! One dish you can’t leave without trying is the stew-like Mole, best paired with the popular Mezcal — a strong upgrade from Tequila!

There are 5 ways to travel the 256 kilometre (159 miles) distance from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca. You can choose between the bus, minivan, private transport, flight and colectivo. The journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes to 4 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 295 MXN ($16.30).

If you value having space to stretch your legs, then taking the bus is a solid choice. Thanks to Mexico’s newly-opened “superhighway” in 2024, you can now travel by bus from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca in just 3 hours.

Previously, the bus journey between these two cities took 11 hours across winding roads.

A bus ticket costs 295 MXN ($16.30), but rates may go up during the high season (December to April).

Departure and arrival station

Buses going to Oaxaca depart from ADO Puerto Escondido near the main beach. The bus station is within walking distance, but you can also take a short taxi ride if you’re carrying heavy luggage.

The last stop in Oaxaca is the main station, Central de Autobuses de Oaxaca. This bus terminal is on the northeast side, around 10-15 minutes by taxi from the city centre. Taxi fares start from 50 MXN ($2.80).

Colectivos are sprinter-type minivans that now take the new superhighway instead of the old bumpy road, making the journey much quicker. Travel time from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca with a colectivo is about 3 hours 30 minutes.

There are two companies operating minivans from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca: Villa del Pacifico and Service Express. These companies offer multiple daily departures so you don’t need to worry about booking in advance — you can grab a ticket last minute.

The service quality is similar for both, but Villa del Pacifico offers a few more daily departures. Just a heads-up: if you’re travelling with bulky luggage, it will probably get stored on the roof rack, so keep that in mind.

There’s no option to buy tickets online for Service Express and Villa del Pacifico. You’ll need to buy them at their terminal in Puerto Escondido. The average ticket price is 300 MXN ($16.60), but it can vary depending on demand.

Departure and arrival station

Both Villa del Pacífico and Service Express depart from Terminal TUR near Puerto Escondido’s main beach. If you are staying nearby, you can walk to the station. Otherwise, you can grab a taxi with fares starting at around 50 MXN ($2.80).

The colectivos park at their own terminals in Oaxaca City. Both colectivo stops for Villa Playa and Service Express are within the city centre. This makes it easy to walk to most accommodations. If your hotel is along the route, you can also ask the driver to drop you off early.

A minivan ride from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca costs around 865 MXN ($48). The minivan journey takes about 4 hours, depending on traffic.

Oaxaca Shuttle is the only company operating on this route.

If you check out flight deals on booking platforms like Skyscanner, you’ll notice that there are no direct flights for this route. This is not because they don’t exist, but because they are operated by two small local airlines called Aerotucan and Aerovega.

A direct flight from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca is the fastest option, but also quite expensive. Combined fares start from 3,820 MXN ($210).

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Puerto Escondido International Airport is located right within the city, just 2 km from the beach and town centre.

If you’re staying further out or have bulky luggage, it’s easiest to grab a taxi. Fares start from around 350 MXN ($19.40), depending on where you’re headed.

If you choose this option, don’t expect any big jumbo jet that most of us are used to flying on. The planes from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca are small. If you are not comfortable with single-propeller planes, it’s probably better to avoid this and stick to any of the land options or make a layover.

With limited seats, tickets tend to sell out quickly, so it’s better to book ahead. Flight prices start from 3,000 MXN ($165).

Booking with Aerotucan

Both airlines offer one departure a day. An Aerotucan flight usually departs in the morning, and a ticket costs around 3,370 MXN ($185). You can book flights online through the Aerotucan website, or you can go to their ticket counter at Puerto Escondido Airport and book there directly.

Booking with Aerovega

Aerovega is an even smaller airline with just one 6-passenger plane. Their information online is almost non-existent, and the pilot does most of the duties, including the booking. Don’t worry, Don Vega is a well-known and experienced pilot in the area, and many travellers recommend flying with him.

To check availability and prices, you’ll need to send an email to aerovegapto@hotmail.com or message them on WhatsApp at +529545880062. If you don’t succeed, it’s best to call him directly. The pilot speaks English, and his rates are often cheaper than Aerotucan, starting from 3,000 MXN ($165).

Looking for a bigger aircraft? There is an option to take an indirect flight with a layover in Mexico City, but this will increase the flight duration to at least 6 hours, excluding airport transfers. That doesn’t really make sense, considering you can complete this route in less than 3 hours if you travel by land instead. If you prefer this option, you can check flights on Skyscanner.

From Oaxaca International Airport, you’ll need to travel 8 km north to get to the city centre. A private transfer is the most convenient option.

You can prepay for a taxi at the airport’s taxi counter. Prices vary depending on your destination zone but start at about 465 MXN ($25.50). Travel time with a taxi is around 25 minutes.

Note that the Uber app doesn’t work in Oaxaca, but you can try the taxi-hailing app, Didi.

If you want a cheaper option, there is a shared minivan service, also known as ‘colectivo,’ that departs from the airport and takes you straight to your accommodation. The only downside is that it may take a little longer than the taxi because they also drop off other passengers along the way.

The colectivo ticket office is located in the airport’s main hall, and a ticket costs 120 MXN ($6.60).

A private transfer from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca is the easiest and most hassle-free option. The journey takes 4 hours, and you’ll be dropped off right at your accommodation — no need to worry about extra transfers. 

Prices for private transfer start at 4,340 MXN ($240) for a 3-seater. Split it with your group, and it’s about 1,450 MXN ($80) each.

Private Transport options from Puerto Escondido to Oaxaca