Zipolite

Where to stay

Budget travelers cluster along the central beach strip, between the western end at Roca Blanca and the sheltered eastern cove known as Playa del Amor, where most of the palapa-roof cabañas and small posadas sit a short walk from the sand. Playa del Amor tends to be quieter and is where the cheapest hammock spots and dorm beds usually turn up.

Getting around

• Zipolite has serious riptides and a real drowning history. Swim only in the flagged zones or in the calmer water at Playa del Amor on the eastern end, and treat red flags as non-negotiable.
• Colectivos running between Zipolite, Puerto Ángel, Mazunte, and Pochutla cost almost nothing and leave whenever they fill up. Use them for day trips to Mazunte (home to the Cosméticos Naturales cooperative and a sea turtle sanctuary) instead of splitting a taxi.
• Skip the beachfront restaurant prices for lunch and eat at the small comedores on the road behind the beach. Same fish, same tortillas, roughly a third of the cost.

When to go

September and October are the cheapest months, with thin crowds and easy walk-in availability. Beds fill up from late December through April, and Semana Santa (March or April depending on the year) is when prices spike and hostels sell out days ahead.