Puerto Escondido is a town in Oaxaca known for its big waves and excellent surfing conditions. Catch some waves on Playa Zicatela - if you don’t surf, you should at least make it over to the beach restaurant Los Tios and have a beer on the beach while you watch people surfing in the sunset. Also a good place from which to watch over breakfast when there's a surf competition on. The Andador is the path around the lighthouse. It is a fun walk, and beautiful, but the surf can be dangerous in spots. The best and safest beach for swimming is Playa Carizalillo. Take a taxi unless you want a half-hour walk. Carizalillo is small, gorgeous, and not too crowded, 167 steps from street level down to the beach (then back up again). There are some surfers and some boats, but mainly swimmers enjoying the waves. What to do? Surf. You can even take lessons if you're a beginner - try one of the friendly surf instructors on Carizalillo beach or Central Surf. You need to look for the silver surf shop. Negotiate the price and ask for Tarzan (Alejandro/Alex). He may be hung-over but the guy is awesome. He loves his Corona after a day of surfing. Try an indigenous type of steam-bath known as a temazcal. Sit in a small building with heats that go up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit and then either be covered in towels or dunked into cold water. One of the most exhilerating experiences for non-surfers is the boat trip into the ocean to catch a glimpse of the wildlife; in particular, the turtles and dolphins. A few tour operators run similar trips out into the Pacific in search of the animals. More often than not, you get a glimpse of the turtles and, if you're lucky enough, the tour guide sometimes jumps in and catches hold of one! Unperturbed, the creatures come onto the boat for some photos and free food courtesy of the tour guide. It's kind of surreal, but incredible. Less often, you will get to see the packs of dolhpins arching over the surface. Again, it is an amazing experience and well ...