From the bottom of the stairs to Move Gym, we saw the first two lines of the sign: “No shoes. No shirt”. Uuuuugh. We struggled through the sweat to put our shirts back on and wondered if they’d let us work out barefoot or in thongs (flip flops). Up we went. When the bottom of the sign came into view - “NO PROBLEM” - eyes rolled and we laughed. It was the perfect example of the laid back, live and let live, hedonistic nature of this place. A gym filled with people working out in various stages of undress, stretching in a bilingual yoga class, slamming around long-in-the-tooth equipment and generally just doing their own thing. This is Zipolite, “Mexico's first and only legal public nude beach where much of the hippie culture that made it notable in the 1970s still exists” . . . for now.
Our AirBnb was a few blocks from the beach, above a family home with a boisterous chicken farm next door. Right in our price range, it had the luxury of AC in the bedroom and the luxury of a hammock and swing chair on the terrace. Perfect place to nap between beach visits. Ah yes, there is something to be said for this hedonism thing.
The location also gave us a front row seat to the passing parade — morning food sellers calling out “tamales de pollo, doblados, helado de coco . . .”, kids on their way to school, workers re-doing the artificial turf on the football/soccer field and an unexpected second line-style parade carrying a loved one’s casket to the family wake up the hill. A few days later, the brass band returned, ending the time of mourning with a livelier tune, a familiar New Orleans event, but with a Latin beat. And we cannot forget the dogs. They are everywhere - both as pets and as friendly roamers looking for a handout. Their barking at times was only drowned out by “cohetes” whose BANG! is ubiquitous. Birthdays, weddings, funerals, Saint’s days, festival openings or just someone enjoying watching you jump out of your skin. It is definitely part of the soundtrack and one of the paradoxes of this place: all this noise and yet all this tranquillity. The beach was our refuge, and we spent most blissful days there from sunrise to sunset, peppering in time at palapas, roaming around the village tourist shops, admiring graffiti and stuffing ourselves with loads of margaritas and guacamole. A perfect counter to all the noise.
Zipolite’s location on the Pacific Ocean makes it ideal for catching the annual whale migration from December to February. We travelled fifteen minutes to neighbouring Puerto Angel for a small boat excursion led by the family run Mauri Tours. Besides getting a relaxed few hours on the water, Sonia and Aaron shared their lifelong love of this coastline and WE GOT WHALES! We watched a mum and her calf move back and forth to the pod giving us some tail slaps and breaching. They were a bit in the distance, but still impressive. Snorkelling, sightings of turtles and pelicans were also part of us communing with the sea and seeing this place through local’s eyes.
What we had missed by staying up the hill from the beach were those moments when you beat the crowds and have the sand mostly all to yourself, or the convenience of rolling off your lounge chair and wandering a few feet to your villa for a shower before dinner. Or camping out all day on the appointed beach beds, while being spoiled as your umbrella gets adjusted to accommodate your sunburn. Booking.com last minute deals to the rescue. Two nights at two completely different properties gave us that luxury. Sebastian is overtly LGBTQ+, low-key and laid back while Descalzo is a mixed crowd and a few steps up in offer including well stocked restaurants and a bar. Nothing compares to falling asleep to the sound of the rolling tides – definitely an improvement over the digital one’s coming through an iPhone’s sound machine.
It doesn’t really matter where you stay in Zipolite – it’s clear that life’s pleasures happen on the beach. That is why so many people from different walks of life are here. From year rounders like Maura, who left lawyer-life in CDMX to become the bruja blanca of mezcal beach bar Uhuru, and Claudia and her family that host you for the sea-view sunrise at Shambhala, to fellow travellers Alexander and Michel who have regularly returned for some yoga, meditation and an escape from city-life - hedonism at Mexico’s first legal nude beach means more than just sex, drugs and rock and roll. The diversity is evident everyday with the sometimes-jarring juxtaposition of local families, naturists, older hippies and young bodied Instagram-ready "influencers" colliding to witness the end of day ritual of watching the sun dip below the horizon. There are signs of change (like all global destinations growing in popularity) and with change there is a chance of excluding someone. For now, Zipolite seems set on making you feel welcome – clothing or not.
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem. BIENVENIDOS!
A final note for the foodies.... we didn't have a bad meal in Zipolite. Here were some of our favourites: Shambhala and Gula Gula for morning coffee, Espiritu Verde for mid-day coffees and smoothies, Senora Juana for creamy fruit bowls, El Bicho for sunset drinks, Sal y Pimienta for the best guac and pico-de-gallo, Chololos for fresh fish and seafood tacos, Salmastro for pasta on the beach, Don Defranco for pasta in town, Xhuba and Bruma by Xhuba for burgers and beach food...and the list goes on but we'll stop there.
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