Puerto Puerto Escondido isn't Mexico's best-kept secret. Surfers have washed up on Zicatela Beach for years, drawn by the barreling Mexican pipeline. And yet it's far enough off the beaten track - accessible only by domestic flights or a six-hour drive from Oaxaca City - that crowds are few and travellers, often from within Mexico, come with the intention of getting away from it all.

The town of Puerto (as the locals say) was only established in the 30s. At the turn of the 20th century, it was just a small village intermittently used to ship coffee. And it would be six decades before Highway 200 joined the dots between Oaxaca's coastal towns, causing the population to creep above a few hundred.

Today, free-spirited types are drawn by bohemian vibes and unspoiled bays lined with palapas serving cool Corona with crunchy chapulines. But there's also a flourishing creative scene and socially conscious, eco-friendly hotels that are making waves far bigger than those Pacific breaks.

Set off on day trips to coffee plantations and chi-chi Huatulco. Visit Manialtepec for horseback rides through the jungle or easy-going Mazunte - all yoga retreats, whitewater rafting and stripping off at Playa Zipolite, Mexico's most famous nudist beach. Return for impromptu beach parties and night markets fuelled by mole, mezcal and fish tacos dripping with salsa. This is living.