Gay Zipolite: A Guide to Mexico's Nude Beach Town and Playa del Amor

Zipolite is a one-street beach village on the Oaxaca coast, and Oaxaca's officially recognised nudist beach. It's also the best-known gay beach in southern Mexico, and gay Zipolite has a scene all its own. There are no high-rises and no Uber, the cash machines run dry, and hot water isn't a given. Gay men from Mexico City, the US, Canada and Europe come anyway, for the long beach, the sunsets and Playa del Amor, the little cove at the east end that turns into the town's gay meeting point every evening. This guide covers how to get there, what actually happens at Playa del Amor, the bars and pool parties, where to stay and eat, and when to go.

Zipolite at a Glance

• Where: the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, between Puerto Ángel and Mazunte, about an hour from Huatulco airport.
• The gay beach: Playa del Amor, a small cove at the far east end of the main beach, reached by stone steps over the rocks.
• Nudity: allowed at the two ends of the beach, Playa del Amor and the Shambhala stretch. It's optional, but most of the gay crowd at Playa del Amor goes nude. In the streets and restaurants, you get dressed.
• Nightlife: small but real. A gay nude bar (ChiZme), an LGBT beach bar with drag (La Máxima), and weekly hotel pool parties.
• Best time: December to April for weather. Christmas to New Year is the busiest and most expensive stretch.
• Bring: pesos in cash, mosquito repellent and reef-safe sunscreen. Leave the idea of a hot shower at home.

Getting to Zipolite

Zipolite has no airport, so you fly into one of two airports nearby and take a taxi or shuttle the rest of the way.

• Huatulco (HUX): the closer option, about an hour away on a winding coastal road. Official taxis from the airport stand have run around 800 to 850 pesos. Roadworks can add delays, so allow extra time.
• Puerto Escondido (PXM): a little farther, about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half, but the road is smoother and the drive is prettier.
• From Oaxaca City: a short flight to either airport, or a three-to-four-hour minivan ride over the mountains.

Once you're there, you walk. The town runs along one main pedestrian strip, Avenida Roca Blanca, known locally as El Adoquín, a block back from the beach. It closes to cars in the early evening and fills with food stalls and vendors. Nothing in Zipolite is much more than a 20-minute walk from anything else, though the hillside hotels at the west end involve stairs.

Playa del Amor: Zipolite's Gay Beach

Zipolite's main beach is more than a mile of open sand, and you'll see nude sunbathers, especially at the two ends. But the gay heart of town is Playa del Amor, a small cove at the far east end. To get there, walk to the end of the main beach and climb a steep flight of uneven stone steps up and over the rocks. On the other side is a U-shaped patch of sand backed by cliffs.

Playa del Amor · Landmarks + Attractions · Zipolite, Oaxaca

By day the cove is mixed: couples, a few straight travelers, locals selling cold beer. A couple of stands sell drinks and food and rent chairs and umbrellas. As the afternoon goes on the crowd gets more male and more naked, and by sunset it's mostly gay men watching the sun drop into the Pacific.

At Sunset

Sunset is Playa del Amor's main event. The cove fills up, the crowd turns mostly male, and on clear evenings from November to March it's the social hub of gay Zipolite. It also has a long reputation, in gay travel guides and years of traveler reports, as a cruising spot once the light goes. The rules have caught up with that:

• Sex on the beach is banned. In 2022 the town introduced a 5,000-peso fine plus community service for sex on the beach, and official beach hours that end at 9pm. They apply to Playa del Amor.
• Head back before dark. The steps over the rocks are uneven and hard to see at dusk, and they're much easier at 5pm than after the sun has gone.
• Leave valuables behind. Take only what you need to the beach.
• Bring water. There's no toilet, tap or shower at the cove.

Swim With Care

Zipolite's surf is the real danger here, not the crowd. The beach is known for strong rip currents, and drownings are not rare. Check the lifeguard flags (red means stay out), stay close to shore and don't swim after drinking.

The Nude Beach Rules (Official and Unofficial)

Nudity on Zipolite's beach was tolerated for decades before it became official, which happened in stages: the town declared it a clothing-optional beach after its first nudist festival in 2016, and in 2022 the community set rules allowing nudity only on Playa del Amor and the Shambhala stretch at the west end, in front of Posada Shambhala, while banning it in the streets and businesses. In 2024, according to the Mexican newspaper Excélsior, the state congress declared Zipolite Oaxaca's only nudist beach.

In practice, that means:

• At Playa del Amor and the Shambhala end, nudity is optional. Plenty of people keep their swimsuits on, and nobody will say anything either way. In the middle of the beach, most people stay covered.
• Off the beach, you're dressed. Streets, restaurants and shops expect clothes, even if you just walked up from the sand. The exceptions are inside clothing-optional hotels and at ChiZme's naked nights.
• Only Casa Nudista requires nudity. Every other "nude" hotel in town is clothing-optional.

The unofficial rules matter just as much. Don't take photos of other people. The regulars are serious about this, and plenty of visitors would rather not end up in the background of your selfie. Don't stare, don't follow anyone, and take your cue from the people around you.

There's one running debate you'll notice right away: regulars grumble that the beach has filled up with speedo-wearing visitors who come for the scene but won't commit to the nude part. Nobody will kick you off for wearing one, but at Playa del Amor, going nude is the norm.

Gay Bars and Nightlife

Zipolite's gay nightlife is small, social and spread across a few spots rather than one strip. Most nights start with sunset at Playa del Amor, move to dinner, and end at one of these.

• ChiZme: Zipolite's little gay bar, a block back from Avenida Roca Blanca. It's gay-owned, pours mezcal, martinis and negronis, and is open evenings in high season. At night it's a naked bar: clothes come off, or you head somewhere else.

ChiZme · Bars · Zipolite, Oaxaca

• La Máxima: an LGBT beach bar right on the sand, and the town's drag stage, with shows late in the evening in high season.

• Chavela del Mar: a small gay-owned cocktail bar and clothing boutique just off Roca Blanca, with the occasional DJ set. A good first drink of the night.

Pool Parties and Drag Brunch

The best parties in Zipolite happen in the afternoon, at hotel pools, and most are open to non-guests:

• Friday: the pool party at Men Zipolite, 1 to 6pm, with a DJ and free entry. Naked or not, your choice.
• Saturday: the nude pool party at Casa Nudista, 2 to 8pm, with house music and guest DJs. Non-guests pay for a day pass (150 pesos with two beers or a cocktail at last check; the price can change in high season). Clothes off is the rule here.
• Sunday: drag brunch at Men Zipolite from 1pm.

Sebastián de los Milagros, a queer-run beach hotel near Playa del Amor, also hosts DJ sets and queer party nights, so check its Instagram when you arrive. Roaming parties pop up in high season too. They move around, so ask at ChiZme or your hotel.

Where to Stay in Zipolite

Zipolite has no big resorts. You're choosing between small gay hotels in town, beachfront places near Playa del Amor, and quieter hillside hotels at the west end. The town is small enough that nowhere is far, but a few things are worth knowing. Most bars and restaurants are in town, not at the Playa del Amor end. The west-end hotels come with stairs. And places near the center can be loud until 2 or 3am in high season.

Gay Hotels in Town

• Casa Nudista: Zipolite's gay nudist hotel, and the one place in town where nudity is required everywhere on the property. It's adults only, about 70 metres from the beach, with rooms around a central pool and bar that range from dorm beds and glamping to bungalows. Home of the Saturday nude pool party.
• Men Zipolite: a gay-owned boutique hotel on Calle Palma Rica, a couple of blocks back from the beach, with private rooms plus a 12-bunk dorm popular with solo travelers. The pool and rooftop are clothing-optional, and it hosts the Friday pool party and Sunday drag brunch.

Gay Hotels in Zipolite

Hotel

Casa Nudista, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Hotel

Men Zipolite, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Near Playa del Amor

• Sebastián de los Milagros: a small, queer-run beachfront hotel with a bar and beach club, a short walk from Playa del Amor. It has a pool and a restaurant, hosts queer party nights, and it's pet friendly.

Stay Near Playa del Amor

Hotel

Sebastián de los Milagros, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Hillside Hideaways at the West End

The Arroyo Tres hillside above Playa Camarón is the quiet end of town, with views, pools and stairs.

• HEVEN Residence: a gay-owned naturist guest house with eight apartments, ocean views and a pool, clothing-optional and adults only.
• Villa Aikia: a gay-owned, adults-only boutique hotel with 18 ocean-view rooms and a pool.
• El Guayacán: a small, design-led adults-only hotel with a pool that seems to hang over the hillside and a clothing-optional pool area. It puts peace and quiet ahead of parties.

Hillside Hotels in Zipolite

Hotel

HEVEN Residence, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Hotel

Villa Aikia, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Hotel

El Guayacán, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Beachfront and Mixed

• El Alquimista: a beachfront hotel with yoga and a spa. The hotel itself isn't clothing-optional, but the beach in front of it is one of the town's main gay gathering spots.
• Naked Zipolite: a small clothing-optional beachfront hotel with suites and rooms, a pool and a beach club. The crowd is mixed and Gay Friendly. It's a separate business from Hotel Nude.

Beachfront Hotels in Zipolite

Hotel

Hotel El Alquimista, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Hotel

Naked Zipolite, Zipolite

Zipolite, Oaxaca

Where to Eat

Zipolite eats better than a village this size has any right to. Most of the best restaurants are dinner only, and the popular ones need a reservation in high season.

• Mao Mau: gay-owned Thai and Asian cooking in a garden off Calle Mangle, from a Bangkok-born chef. It's one of the most recommended dinners in town. Closed Tuesdays.

Mao Mau · Restaurants · Zipolite, Oaxaca

• La Providencia: contemporary Mexican on Calle Shambala, about as dressed-up as Zipolite gets. Dinner only, Wednesday to Sunday in season (it usually closes in September and October), and reservations are a must.

• Cochon Rosé: the French-Mediterranean restaurant inside Men Zipolite, open to non-guests from breakfast to dinner, with French pastries in the morning and a proper wine list at night.

• Órale Café: a gay-owned garden café, and the breakfast people most often call the best in town. Order the sweet-and-salty plate. Open 8am to 3pm, Thursday to Monday.

For lunch, the beach restaurants are the move, especially the tables on the sand in front of El Alquimista. At night, the food stalls along Avenida Roca Blanca are cheap and good.

When to Go

• December to April: the best weather, with dry days and warm, calm evenings. This is high season.
• Christmas to New Year: the peak. Playa del Amor is packed, prices are at their highest, and the crowd gets bigger and more party-focused. Some regulars love it; plenty plan around it.
• Late January: the Encuentro Nudista, Zipolite's nudist festival. The 2026 edition ran January 29 to February 1. Dates for 2027 had been announced only as "late January" at the time of writing.
• Late spring: Zipolite Diverso, the town's own week-long Pride, usually in May or June.
• November and May: shoulder months with fewer people and decent weather. Regulars like November, after the rains.
• July to October: hot, humid and rainy, with September and October the wettest.

Practical Tips

• Mosquitoes: they're fierce away from the beach. Wear repellent from the moment you land.
• Hot water: don't count on it.
• The sun: there's little shade on the sand. Bring a hat and reef-safe sunscreen, and rent an umbrella at Playa del Amor.
• Noise: places near the center play loud music late in high season. If you sleep lightly, stay at the west end or ask for a room away from the street.

Beyond the Beach

Zipolite is a do-nothing town, and that's the appeal. But when you need a break from the sand:

• Punta Cometa: a short hike on the headland near Mazunte, and the classic sunset spot on this stretch of coast.
• Mazunte and San Agustinillo: neighboring beach villages a few minutes away by taxi, good for a change of scene and a long lunch.
• Temazcal and yoga: Zipolite has a strong yoga scene, and a temazcal (a traditional steam ceremony) is a popular way to spend a slow afternoon.

For a bigger city stop on the same trip, combine Zipolite with Oaxaca City, or fly up to Puerto Vallarta or Mexico City. Before you go, read our guide to whether Mexico is safe for gay travelers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zipolite gay?

Zipolite isn't a gay resort town like Puerto Vallarta, but it has a bigger gay scene than anywhere else on the Oaxaca coast. Playa del Amor, the cove at the east end of the beach, draws a mostly gay male crowd, especially from sunset on. The town also has a gay bar, an LGBT beach bar with drag, gay-owned hotels and weekly pool parties.

Is Zipolite a nude beach?

Yes. Zipolite is Oaxaca's officially recognised nudist beach, and nudity is optional rather than required. Under the community's 2022 rules, nudity is allowed only at the two ends of the beach, Playa del Amor in the east and the Shambhala stretch in the west, and is banned in the streets, restaurants and shops.

Do you have to be naked in Zipolite?

No. Plenty of people on the beach, and even at Playa del Amor, keep their swimsuits on. The one exception is Casa Nudista, a gay hotel where nudity is required everywhere on the property. Every other clothing-optional hotel in town leaves it up to you.

Where is the gay beach in Zipolite?

The gay beach is Playa del Amor, a small cove at the far east end of Zipolite's main beach. You reach it by walking to the end of the beach and climbing about a hundred stone steps over the rocks. The other stretch where nudity is allowed is at the west end, in front of Posada Shambhala.

How do you get to Zipolite?

Fly into Huatulco (HUX), about an hour away, or Puerto Escondido (PXM), an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half away on a smoother road, then take a taxi or shuttle. There's no Uber, and many drivers take cash only, so withdraw pesos at the airport.

When is the best time to visit Zipolite?

December to April has the best weather. Christmas to New Year is the busiest, most expensive and most crowded period, and the nudist festival in late January also fills the town. For good weather with fewer people, go in early December, February or March, or in November and May.

Is Zipolite safe for gay travelers?

Zipolite has long been a relaxed place to be openly gay, and couples and solo travelers visit every year. The bigger risks are the ocean, which has strong rip currents, and petty theft from the beach. Keep valuables at your hotel, take care on the rocks at dusk, and remember that sex on the beach is banned and fined.

When is the Zipolite nudist festival?

The Encuentro Nudista is held at the end of January each year, sometimes running into the first days of February. The 2026 edition ran from January 29 to February 1, and the 2027 edition was announced only for late January at the time of writing. Book accommodation well ahead, because the town fills up.