Top 5 Things To Do in Zipolite
Being that it is a unique beach town (you won’t find any salt water taffy or boardwalk here), I decided to list off the top 5 things you can do in Zipolite to really enjoy your experience. Don’t get me wrong, I could lay on this beach for a week straight and not get bored at all. But I know some of you like a little bit of action and adventure in your trips, so I thought I’d let you know a few points of interest that will make you fall in love with Zipolite the way I did.
1. Receive the best, and most thorough massage of your life at Espacio Shanti. After laying on the beach for a few hours, I decided it was time to make my way to this gorgeous spot, situated amongst the beach bar, hotel huts, and the lush forest. I signed up for an hour massage, but it quickly turned into an hour and a half healing process. Muscles I did not know existed were reached, and the tightness and bad juju was rung out by my masseuse’s able hands. The windows in the room were cracked open, and I could hear the birds in the trees, and a slight breeze kept me cool and refreshed the entire massage. Since Zipolite is also a hotspot for yoga retreats, I also detected a very soothing Shakti breath that was used to breathe life and length into my tissues. If you don’t check out Espacio Shanti, you have missed a MAJOR part of Zipolite.
2. Free your mind of any and all body issues and self-consciousness by posing for an epic freedom photo. In my earlier post, Get Your Free On, I detailed just how freeing taking my very own freedom photo was. A freedom photo is a picture one takes to help them feel free, a lot of the time it is partial or full nudity. I’m not talking pornography either. This is tasteful, artistic, and serves as a way to drop one’s inhibitions and feel “free” of body conformity. Zipolite, being a “playa nudista”, is a great place to give this a try, and find your confidence again.
3. Hire a driver and beach hop to nearby Mazunte, Puerto Escondido, and other public beaches. When I travel, I don’t really like to drive myself around. Call me crazy, but I do not like catapulting myself down a dirt road in a giant tin can while other drivers are doing so with potentially different rules of the road than what I’m used to…no thanks. Enter Arturo Martinez Tours, and more specifically, his comrade Omar. Omar picked us up in a large, air conditioned SUV, and whisked us away from our resort, while other tourists were loading into a van emblazoned with the resort name on the side (talk about blending in). He drove us down the coast of Oaxaca, giving us history lessons on the region, showing us the countryside, and stopping the car for us to hop out and take pictures of our journey. We snaked our way through Mazunte, famous for their all natural ointments and crèmes, meant to remedy everything from sunburn, to mosquito bites. We ended up stopping and spending our day in the unbelievable Zipolite, but could have continued on to Puerto Escondido, a bonafide “surf” town with a great big reputation for having amazing beaches. It’s like playing Pokemon beach…you just gotta check ‘em all out!
4. Breathe in and out, align your chakras, and get all loosey goosey with a yoga class. This place is famous for it, drawing people to the tiny town for yoga workshops and retreats. Why not find your center where the pro’s go to perfect their art? While I did not get the chance to try a class myself, I already have plans to head back and enjoy a class with Espacio Shanti, followed up by one of their luxurious chocolate body scrub massages. And no, I cannot believe I live a life in which I can do those things back to back. #blessed
5. Go nude! Give it a whirl. In the end, it may not be your thing, and that’s cool (hey, I only go topless, so this is a judgment free zone), but you just might find the lack of tan lines to be the best thing about your trip! And like they say, when in Zipolite, do as the free birds do.
Whether you are a beach bum or a yoga enthusiast, I have no doubt you will enjoy Zipolite. When you visit, you can soak up the sun, exercise your hippie vibes, and have the most relaxing vacation of your life. Fresh coconut water included.