Puerto Escondido

Is this where surfers go when they die? Many places claim to be the world’s best surfing beach, but Puerto Escondido’s Playa Zicatela – 3.5km of golden sand and crashing waves – would make most wave-riders’ top tens. Even if you have no desire to test your balance as a 20ft wave curls over your head, Mexico’s ‘hidden port’ is a highly desirable place, a small mellow town where Mexicans, expats and world travelers intermingle, and surfboards are as ubiquitous as cell phones.