Puerto Ángel

The scruffy entry point to this slice of nirvanic coast has the feel of a Mexican fishing village. Boats rather than surfboards embellish the sheltered curve of beach known as Playa Panteón and the food is more tortilla than pizza and pasta. Most travelers don’t stop here at all, preferring instead to press on to the beach bliss of Zipolite or Mazunte further west without looking back. But a night or two needn’t be wasted, especially if you prefer the gritty to the pretty.