Hotels and Accommodations

A long time favorite of US travelers, the Casa Colonial is a charming B&B on the west edge of town. The accommodations (and prices) are modest but very intimate, with its large garden courtyard, well-stocked library and relaxed clientele. The warm atmosphere at this bed-and-breakfast owes much to American owners Jane and Thornton Robison, who seems to know everyone in town and happily dispense information on all things Oaxacan. Corner of Calle Miguel Negrete and Division Oriente. Comment on this B&B

Reservation strongly recommended: ++52 (951) 516-5280, from the US +1 800 758 1697 or karensue@cdsnet.net. US$50 to $80.

If you are in for the big experience, or just like fancy hotels, consider the Camino Real. Built in the former 16th-century convent Oaxaca's Camino Real is one of those rare hotels that you wish you could live in forever. Now declared an historical monument, the hotel's Spanish Baroque architecture and authentic colonial mementos take guest back in time, and its lushly landscaped courtyards make it a lovely dining spot. Once a week, the hotel organizes a folkloric dinner show with pageantry reminiscent of the city's annual Guelaguetza festival. The service is gracious, and the high-ceilinged guest rooms, with their handcrafted furnishings and tile work, assuage the weary spirit with a cloistered calm.

The 91 rooms and suites arranged around courtyards filled with bougainvillea and hibiscus and tidily clipped trees, are a haven of peacefulness, and generally large, some have balconies, with high, beamed ceilings, stucco walls, king or double beds, and large, tiled combination baths.

There is also a verey popular bar, beyond arched courtyard entrance, hosted in the dim interior of a sixteenth-century library lined with shelves of antique manuscripts and vellum books.

Rates start at US$200. Comment on this Hotel

Reservations: 516-0611 or 1-877-7CAMINO. Reservation.

More suited for business travelers than tourists is the high-end 70.000 sq. meters Hotel Victoria, on a north-side hill overlooking the city. Bougainvilla-entwined bungalow with king-sized beds cost $120 and up; less expensive rooms in the hotel must be booked months in advance. Has a restaurant with a spectacular setting. Dinner is $20 per person.

Facilities: Tennis courts, ppol.

Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido offers visitors a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets, from basic cabañas to decent hotels, but does not boast the same sort of luxury hotels as Huatulco.

Right by the Zicatela beach is the classy newish Hotel Santa Fe, with a refreshing mix of international tourists and Mexican vacationers. The restaurant is outstanding. A fanciful confection of peaked rooflines, towers, arches, meandering tiled steps and azulejos (tiled wall plaques), the hotel has a neoclassical look above a rocky outcropping. Comment on this Hotel

$60 to $80.

Reservations: ++52 (958) 20170, fax: (958) 20260. Toll Free in Mexico: 01-800-27057. From the US: 1 888 649-6407. info@hotelsantafe.com.mx. web.

An old time favorite is the Hotel Paraiso Escondido, slightly more pricey but ideally located on Perez Gasga Blvd and overlooking the main beach in town. Built around an inviting tropic-style pool, each of the hotel 20 rooms were custom-designed with a curious collection of Mexican folk art, masks, religious art, and paintings. Operated by a friendly staff, the place is quiet and feels intimate. The penthouse suite has a whirlpool tub and kitchenette, a tile chessboard inlaid in the floor, and murals adorning the walls--it is the owners' former apartment. Comment on this Hotel

If you are on a budget, try the Mayflower Hotel and Youth Hostel, near the west end of the adoquin, half a block from the beach.

$20 up. Comment on this Hotel

Telephone: (954) 582-0367 Fax: (954) 582-0422 minnemay7@hotmail.com

For Surfers, a good choice may be Bungalows & Cabañas Acuario motel, right in front of Zicatela Beach. bungalows offer fundamental kitchen facilities but don't have air-conditioning. The cabañas are more open and have hammocks. Comment on this Hotel

$60 high season, $30 low season. Bungalows are around $30 more. Extra fee for A/C.

Another good mid-range hotel is the Hotel Casa Blanca. Amneties are comparable to higher-priced hotels, but the hotel is not being right on the beach. A large courtyard pool with an adjacent gazebo restaurant make a great place to rest from the draining beach life. Comment on this Hotel

Facilities: Restaurant, pool, in-room massage, money exchange, car rental, room service, safe-deposit boxes, fans and TV in all rooms, no parking.

$30 double low season. Extra for A/C and balcony rooms.

Av. Pérez Gasga 905. Tel (954) 582-0168.

Facilities: Restaurant; on-site gym (extra fee), surf shop, vegetarian restaurant, and Internet cafe.

Puerto Escondido Lodging Forum

There is also a Trailer Parks at Campamento Ecologico Ayuda Las Tortugas Playa Barra de Colotopec. $10/RV. Tel: ++52 (954) 582-0077.

Bahia Carrizalalillos, Puerto Escondido Comment on the Park

Ecotourism Units