Puerto Escondido’s calendar is anchored by one huge event, the Fiestas de Noviembre, which fills the whole month of November with concerts, rodeos, parades and international surf competitions. The rest of the year is quieter but still has fixed dates worth planning around, from Semana Santa in spring to Day of the Dead in autumn. Note that the town spans two municipalities, so events are not always coordinated, and exact dates for smaller festivals are announced on the local tourism office’s Facebook page a few weeks ahead. Here is the practical calendar, and you can start from the Puerto Escondido travel guide for the full town picture.
Puerto Escondido Events and Festivals: Fiestas de Noviembre
The Fiestas de Noviembre is Puerto Escondido’s biggest annual celebration and runs for most of November, celebrating the town’s fishing heritage and the arrival of the surf season. Expect free concerts on the main plaza, carnival rides, a fishing tournament, horse parades, regional dance performances and food stalls selling Oaxacan specialties. The headline event is the international surf competition on Playa Zicatela, usually held in the final week of the month, which draws professional surfers from Mexico and abroad. Hotels fill up for the final weekend, so book ahead if you plan to attend, and use the where to stay in Puerto Escondido guide to find a room near the action.
International Surf Competitions at Playa Zicatela
The surf competitions held during the Fiestas de Noviembre are the town’s flagship sporting events. Recent editions have run in the last week of November, with divisions for shortboard, longboard, bodyboard and juniors, plus a women’s division. The events are free to watch from the beach, and the best vantage is the sand directly in front of the judges’ tower on Zicatela. Large crowds gather for the finals, so arrive before mid-morning. Check the best time to visit Puerto Escondido guide if you want to paddle out yourself in the same window.
Puerto Escondido Events and Festivals: Spring and Summer
Semana Santa (Holy Week)
Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter Sunday in March or April, is the busiest domestic holiday of the year on the Oaxaca coast. Mexican families flood the beaches, hotels run at near-full occupancy, and prices spike. There are religious processions in the town centre and beachfront parties on Zicatela, but if your goal is a quiet trip, avoid this week. Book accommodation at least two months out if you are coming then.
Festival Costeno de la Danza
This coastal dance festival showcases traditional dances from Oaxaca’s Costa Chica and Costa regions, including the Danza de la Tortuga and other Afro-Mexican and Indigenous choreography. Dates vary by year but it is typically scheduled in the spring or early summer, with performances on the main plaza and at the municipal theatre. Entry is usually free. The schedule is posted by the municipal tourism office a few weeks in advance.
Puerto Escondido Events and Festivals: Autumn and Winter
Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead)
Day of the Dead, on November 1 and 2, is celebrated across Puerto Escondido with altars, marigold flowers and pan de muerto in homes, shops and the main plaza. The town’s celebration is smaller and less formal than Oaxaca City’s, but the cemetery visits on the night of November 1 and the candlelit altars are worth seeing. November 1 and 2 fall right at the start of the Fiestas de Noviembre, so the town feels busy and festive, and the altars spread across the districts covered in the Puerto Escondido neighborhoods guide.
Christmas and New Year
The week between December 24 and January 1 is peak season on the coast. Beachfront hotels and villas are booked out, restaurant reservations are essential, and Zicatela hosts big open-air New Year parties. December weather is dry and pleasant, averaging 25.7C, which is why it is the most expensive time of year. If you want the same weather at lower prices, shift your trip to early December or late January, as detailed in the Puerto Escondido weather by month guide.
Puerto Escondido Events and Festivals: Wildlife Seasons
Whale Watching Season (December to March)
Humpback whales pass the Oaxaca coast from December to March, and whale-watching boats run daily from the main pier in that window. Trips cost roughly 700 to 1,200 pesos per person and last 2 to 3 hours, with the peak sighting period from January to February. This is a seasonal natural event rather than a festival, but operators advertise it heavily, and it fills the winter calendar alongside the turtle releases. Book through the operators and transport options listed in the Puerto Escondido travel tips page.
Sea Turtle Release Season (Peak October to March)
Olive ridley turtles nest on the Oaxaca coast year-round, but the supervised hatchling releases at Playa Bacocho are busiest from October to March, when the nests hatch in volume. The Vive Mar sanctuary runs releases most evenings around 16:45 for about 150 pesos per person. The things to do in Puerto Escondido article covers how to take part and what to expect.
