San Jose del Pacifico is a small town in the mountainous region of Oaxaca state. This little town in Mexico is famous for its stunning landscapes, hot springs and traditional markets but most importantly, it’s the land of magic mushrooms. In fact, it is known as the mushroom capital of Mexico! I only spent one cold and wet night here, but I do plan on coming back during the dry season!
Table of Contents
- Oaxaca City to San Jose del Pacifico
- Where to stay in San Jose del Pacifico
- What to do in San Jose del Pacifico
- Where to next?
Oaxaca City to San Jose del Pacifico
There are a couple ways to get to San Jose del Pacifico but the easiest is taking a bus. I took the Lineas Unidas bus to San Jose del Pacifico. It’s more like a shuttle than a bus. The bus station in Oaxaca City is located here. I was able to buy tickets there for about $16 USD, based on availability.
The bus ride itself was 3 hours long and it was horrible. Horrible is an understatement, especially if you’re hungover. The roads are extremely windy filled with twists and turns, and the driver’s fast driving certainly did not help. Carsickness is definitely possible, there were a few people that were vomiting on the bus on my drive there.
Finally we made it to San Jose del Pacifico at the bus stop, which is really just a parking lot on the side of the road located here. Once I was dropped off here, there were several taxis, very similar to rickshaws, around that I took to the my hotel.
Where to stay in San Jose del Pacifico
There are many hostels, hotels and cabins in San Jose del Pacifico. I decided to stay at Cabanas La Cumbre, located right along the mountainside with a beautiful view of the forest. I was able to book online and once I arrived there, the check-in process was very quick and easy. This is where I made my booking: https://cabanaslacumbre.com/.
I was sharing a room with 3 other people and managed to book this room. The room itself was very clean and cozy. The bathroom was shared and rarely had toilet paper, but luckily they keep a roll of toilet paper at the reception area, which I grabbed every time I had to use the bathroom. The bathrooms are a bit spread out throughout the property and are in an outdoors setting, so the shower and toilet area near the reception is almost always filled with bugs.
There is a restaurant and cafe on the top floor of the hotel. There are also several small restaurants and cafes on the main road nearby. Getting to the hotel is an uphill walk that could get pretty strenuous especially with all your bags.
WiFi and cell service in general is very spotty and basically non-existent. I had very slow service at La Cumbre but it is not good enough for a digital nomad.
What to do in San Jose del Pacifico
Situated high in the mountains, San Jose del Pacifico is a great place for hiking, experiencing temazcal, and relaxing.
Hiking
There are many trails that start from within the town and go out into the dense jungle. The short hike I went on brought me to a swing the the jungle, which can be found here. The trail started along the main road somewhere around here. It was a thin trail through the grass that could be easy to miss, but there are several other trails in the area that may also lead to the swing.
The swing was really just a piece of wood and cable that let it hang from the tree. Oh and it also had a seat belt! There’s a tall platform where you can swing from and it takes you flying over the top of the jungle, it’s very cool and A LOT of fun.
Temazcal
Temazcal is a type of sauna that originates back to the Mesoamerica period. It is seen as a way to cleanse the body and mind. It is typically led by a Shaman who guides you through the spiritual process. Cabanas La Cumbre has some recommendations for where to go for this, and I don’t believe it is too expensive either. I did not have enough time during my stay to experience this, but really wish I did! I’ve heard many great things and also found a few other cities that offer this experience.
Relaxing
The best thing to do is relax in this mountain paradise. It is so peaceful and quiet, the magic of the jungle really calmed me. This is one place where you can really immerse yourself in nature to take in everything it offers. IF you don’t have much time on your trip backpacking through Mexico, I highly recommend spending at least one night here, 2 or 3 nights if you have the time.
Where to next?
My quick pitstop in San Jose del Pacifico was not quite what I expected weather wise, but it was a much needed break from the busy Oaxaca City life. Now I was ready to continue on to the real destinations I had in mind, Mazunte and Zipolite, the small beach towns on the Oaxacan coast along with Puerto Escondido. Little did I know what adventure lay ahead of me.
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