Puerto
Emilio Loredo
My Solo Trip to Puerto Escondido
So I’ve always liked to challenge myself and try new stuff haha. I’m a very curious person. Earlier in January 2025 I started thinking… what if I go on a solo trip to one of my safe and favorite places? Puerto Escondido. It sounded like a great idea. I thought I could spend time with myself, learn how I move around when I’m completely alone… maybe take some surf classes to refresh my skills, go on a hike, meet new people, I don’t know. I just wanted to try it out, and Puerto sounded like the perfect place.
For context, I’d already visited Puerto a couple of times before, so I knew the place, the vibes, and maybe a couple of friends there. But this time I wanted to do it differently so it could be a completely new experience.
So yeah, I booked my flight from CDMX to Puerto for one week (or that’s what I thought). I already had my stay planned — I chose a place called Seline, well located in the little town of Zicatela, where I could have a more quiet, chill spot instead of a crazy party hostel. I reserved my surf group sessions, messaged a couple of friends to hang out with over there, and everything was set up for the perfect one-week detox/retreat to connect with myself.
The “Solo Trip” That Wasn’t So Solo
The plane landed, I took a taxi to the hostel, and literally not even 5 minutes into my “self, alone, solo, detox” trip… I met a guy in the lobby. Long story short, we got assigned the same room all for ourselves and clicked right away. So I basically made a friend within 5 minutes of landing in Puerto. That was cool.
We hung out a lot that week. I went to my surf classes, caught some nice waves, got some pics. By the 3rd or 4th day I already had a group of friends, and we ended up renting a boat to go sport fishing, whale watching, and swimming with dolphins. We caught a marlin and took it to the coast where people cooked it for us in a bunch of unique dishes.
Everything was flowing so perfectly that I decided to give myself a little more time in Puerto — so I changed my flight and stayed for another week.
Hostel Hopping & More Adventures
I had to change hostels and moved to La Bonita, which was pretty cool, and since it was in La Punta the vibe was more energetic, a lot more people, so we made even more friends. But they only had 2 nights available, so I had to look for another hostel haha. I ended up in Casa Punta — small, chill, and filled with really cool people.
After all the hostel hopping and a bunch of beach volleyball tournaments, it was almost time to go… but by that point so much had already happened, I had made tons of friends, and I wanted to finish my trip with one last adventure.
So I planned a quick getaway to Chacahua, which is like a whole show to get to — you seriously feel like Indiana Jones. Long story short… I didn’t take my flight. I stayed one more week haha.
To get to Chacahua you take a colectivo to a nearby town (about an hour away), then a random taxi picks you up and drops you at a small port. From there, you take a speedboat that locals use to transport people and merchandise since the only way in is through a huge lagoon. After 20 minutes you get into another colectivo that drops you in the center of Chacahua — which is tiny.
Chacahua was something else. I loved it. There was literally almost no one there — maybe 40 people total. Completely peaceful, quiet, no buildings. Literally exactly what I was looking for.
We stayed a couple of days, then headed back to Puerto where I stayed one more night in another hostel called Viajero, chilled for a bit, and then finally headed back to CDMX to end the trip.
What the Trip Taught Me
This trip really taught me a lot about myself — what I can do, and that I’m capable of literally anything. I had no expectations at all, which helped me go with the flow, connect, and feel comfortable being on my own.
It also taught me who I am, and what kind of people I like to surround myself with — people who motivate me, make me feel comfortable, and help me grow.
A lot of people shared their stories with me about why they were there. Some were also solo traveling, looking for something they couldn’t name. Others were there to party. Others were reconnecting with themselves like I was. Honestly, I think it’s one of the most enriching experiences I’ve ever had.
Getting out of your comfort zone, feeling vulnerable, exposing yourself, and challenging yourself to see how far you can go — all for you — brings so much clarity and so many answers.
I fell in love with the fact that, reflecting on this trip, I realized we’re all just humans experimenting life in our own way. Everyone so different and unique, from everywhere, yet all so connected and the same.
I learned not to fear the unknown, to be more bold, to live freely, and to be who you truly are. Be authentic. Be someone who inspires others.
This trip is the reason I started this project — because I realized I may not be able to tell my story to everyone I meet, but I can capture my ideas and emotions into words and images so people here can see and feel a little piece of my POV.
To everyone who made this trip so special and taught me a little more about life —
love,
Emilio