A Guide to Playa La Esperanza Beach Huatulco, Mexico
Home to more than 40 beaches, the Bays of Huatulco are full of hidden gems like La Esperanza Beach. Here I will share everything you need to know about accessing this little slice of paradise!
If you are looking for a quiet beach to relax at for a day, and are comfortable with a short hike and packing a lunch, then Esperanza Beach might be for you!
About La Esperanza Beach
(Photo: Shev)
Playa La Esperanza is a small beach inside of Chahue Bay, one of the 9 bays of Huatulco, which lies near the Chahue Marina, between Tejon beach and the main Chahue Beach.
One of the best of the hidden beaches in Huatulco to visit, La Esperanza is one of my favourites because it feels remote and private, but is very easy to get to from town.
La Esperanza is never busy, largely because it is inaccessible by car so that keeps most tourists away in favour of the many beaches of Huatulco that you can drive to.
If you try and access the beach by moto or scooter, the guard will not let you park. The guards are inspected every so often by management, and the higher-ups will remove any vehicles since no motor vehicles are supposed to enter past the barricade.
Is La Esperanza Beach safe?
(Photo: Shev)
Like most of the beaches in Huatulco, La Esperanza is assigned a 24-hour security member. There is a security guard stationed at the trailhead to playa La Esperanza all year round, 24 hours a day.
The guard is not a police member, but an employee of a local security firm so their task is not to defend the public if something happens, but to act as a deterrent to anyone looking for a crime of opportunity.
The guard is stationed at the top of the hill near the trailhead and makes a patrol every so often along the trail and down to the beach.
In general, Huatulco is a very safe part of the world, but things happen. There have been incidents in the past on some of the remote trails to the beaches, which is why the municipality now pays for guards to patrol the beaches. Always exercise common sense, and never leave your things unattended!
Also, keep in mind that the hike down to La Esperanza is quite steep, be very careful of your footing! And, if you don’t already, be sure you have your travel health insurance card handy, it could be an expensive ride back to La Crucecita if a team has to carry you out because of a broken limb!
I like to purchase my travel health insurance with Safety Wing. They are extremely low-priced and cover you for an extended period. I carry a monthly plan because I tend to be out of Canada often!
You can also compare travel insurance plans here.
Is it safe to swim at La Esperanza Beach?
Yes – sometimes. The surf at Playa La Esperanza can be quite strong, so use extreme caution when entering the water and make an assessment for yourself.
There are rocks at either end of the beach that makes a nice backwater where you can splash around. That’s where I hung out to cool off, keeping my feet firmly in the sand the whole time.
(Photo: Shev)
However I did see some others jump right into the surf and swim out to the cliff edge for some snorkelling, so depending on your skill level, you can jump in for a better swim. I do not recommend it for children though.
The beach is well-situated for digging a hole and letting the water come to you, you could easily DIY a little pool!
Keep in mind there is no lifeguard at playa La Esperanza, so if you are unsure of the water conditions, it is best not to risk it!
How to get to Playa La Esperanza
Despite not being accessible by car, La Esperanza is really easy to get to! For reference, you can see the exact location on this map I put together of the beaches in Huatulco.
Leaving the Chahue area towards Arrocito (Southeast) on boulevard Benito Juarez, you will turn off the boulevard just past the Chahue Marina.
On your right hand side you will pass the marina, then a channel, then you will take the second road after the channel.
The turnoff to La Esperanza is easy to miss, largely because its not accessible for cars. Its just past the turn for Mirador Chahue, and even though the road it paved with brick it has grown in a bit so it looks unassuming. The biggest indicator is a yellow and black striped blocade to prevent cars from driving in.
This is where you can be dropped off by taxi or park a moto for a day. It might be possible to park a car there, but I don’t recommend it. We go by bike!
(Photo: Shev)
When you reach the peak of the road (two short hills up, about 5 minutes by bike from the road), you will see the guard station. We stop to talk to the guard and lock up our bikes there.
From the guard station, its a short walk up to the Mirador (lookout) where the trailhead is. The security guard very kindly walked us up to show us the entrance and the correct path down to the beach.
(Photo: Shev)
Its a few steps down, then you will get a peak at the beach as the path forks in two. The path to the left goes down to the beach, and the path to the right is a nice viewpoint, and how the guard patrols the beach from up high.
Its about a 5-7 minute walk down, so not far – but steep! Thankfull there are lots of helpful trees and branches to use for support.
The return trip is always worse! But it still took only about 5 minutes from the bottom back up to the guard station to get our bikes.
Playa La Esperanza services
This will be short, there are none! Aside from the 24/7 supervision from the private security, La Esperanza beach is completley natural. No restuarants, sellers, lifeguards, nada!
La Esperanza Beach packing list
(Photo: Shev)
Because there are no services at the beach, I recommend brining a few beach essentials!
#1 Sun Shelter
There is very little shade available at La Esperanza, so I definitely recommend bringing some sort of sun shelter system. As someone who travels a lot and spends lot of time at the beach (not to mention, I’m a ginger!), we abosolutely LOVE our Neso tent.
#2 Lots of Water
Again, you will not have the option to buy anything, so definitely pack lots of water for the day!
I don’t go anywhere without my Waatr bottle.
#3 A good beach towel
I like to pack light, so I always bring my Tesalate, and Manuel his Sandcloud towel. They are lightweight which we appreciate when moving about by bike and then hiking down to the beach!
Shev’s Summary – La Esperanza Beach Huatulco, Mexico
Is Playa La Esperanza worth visiting?
Maybe – this one is a personal preference. I love to visit La Esperanza as a local looking for a quiet getaway from the crowds and beach sellers. However, if you only have a few days to visit Huatulco’s beaches, I would recommend something like La Violin for a similar experience, but with better snorkeling.
Other beaches in Chahue Bay
There’s more to see in this pocket of Huatulco! You might also want to check out Playa el Tejon, and the main Chahue Beach of course!
Enjoy this guide to La Esperanza beach? Check out more of my beach guides here.
