Playa Mermejita: Mazunte's Wild Black-Sand Beach

Playa Mermejita is a roughly 1.3 km arc of dark volcanic sand on the west side of Punta Cometa, a 15 to 20 minute walk over the hill from Mazunte. The sand is genuinely black in places — magnetite, an iron oxide, mixed into the grains — and the surf is open-ocean powerful, which is the single most important thing to know before you go.

Where Mermejita Sits and How to Reach It

Mermejita belongs to the municipality of Santa María Tonameca, on Oaxaca's central Pacific coast. It lies west of Punta Cometa, the rocky headland that separates it from Mazunte's calmer swimming beaches, and about 5 km west of Zipolite. Because the point blocks the view, most people in town have no idea the beach is there until they climb the trail.

On foot from Mazunte

The walking route starts near the village cemetery and climbs the hillside before dropping onto the sand. Budget 15 to 20 minutes each way at an easy pace; the path is unmarked in sections and overgrown with tall grass, so closed shoes and long pants make a real difference. I would not attempt it in flip-flops, and I would not attempt it after dark without a headlamp.

By car or taxi

A dirt road runs from Mazunte over the ridge to the beach. It is passable in a standard car in the dry season but deteriorates badly after heavy rain — recent visitors have reported washouts that stop anything without four-wheel drive. A taxi from town is short and cheap; agree on the fare first, since drivers sometimes hesitate to commit to the return leg.

Parking

There is no formal lot. Drivers generally leave vehicles along the road near the beach access, roughly a five-minute walk from the sand. Space is limited and fills on weekends and during turtle season.

What Makes This Beach Different

Mermejita has no palapa row, no umbrella vendors, no beach club pumping music. What it has is scale: green cliffs on both ends, a wide flat shelf at low tide, and a horizon completely free of buildings. On a weekday morning in the dry season you may see four other people in an hour.

The dark sand is the signature. It shifts constantly with the swell, drawing black-and-tan patterns that change between visits. Walking barefoot on it is a genuine pleasure — warm, fine-grained, and noticeably different from the golden sand at Mazunte a kilometre away. Local guides and repeat visitors will tell you the magnetite has therapeutic properties; treat that as folklore rather than medicine, but the sand does feel unusually soft.

At the western end, a shallow cave offers the only natural shade on the beach, and a smaller adjacent opening shelters a colony of small bats. Do not disturb them, and do not use a flashlight inside.

The Sphinx rock

A rock formation near the beach is known locally as the Sphinx, and it is the reason photographers bother hauling tripods over the hill. Late afternoon light hits it side-on, which is when the shape reads most clearly.

Swimming, Surf and the Real Risks

This is not a swimming beach. The water is open Pacific with no reef or headland breaking the swell, and there is no lifeguard service at any time. Rip currents here have caused multiple deaths, and long-time visitors to the area describe hearing about a drowning nearly every season. Strong swimmers get pulled out; children should stay on the sand.

That said, wading to knee depth in the wash is fine and pleasant, and experienced surfers do paddle out when the swell is clean. If you are not confident reading a break, stay dry. The waves arrive with real force and occasionally run much further up the beach than expected — keep umbrellas and bags well back from the waterline.

Sunscreen and a hat are not optional. There is almost no shade along the entire length of the beach, and the black sand reflects heat aggressively by mid-morning.

When to Go

The dry season runs from November to April. Trails are firmer, the sea is calmer, and the light has that clean dry-season clarity. January through March is the sweet spot: warm, reliably sunny, and outside the heaviest domestic holiday crowds.

June through September brings heat, humidity, and heavy rain that turns the access road into a genuine obstacle. Hurricane season technically runs to 30 November, so check the forecast if you are travelling in October or November.

Turtle nesting adds a second calendar to plan around. Olive ridley turtles nest from roughly July to December, and leatherbacks — for which Mermejita is one of the few nesting beaches in Oaxaca — come ashore mainly between November and March. Night visits during nesting season require an authorised local guide, and flashlights or flash photography on the sand are prohibited because artificial light disorients both nesting females and hatchlings.

Practical Details Before You Walk Over the Hill

Bring everything. There are no shops, no shade rentals, and no drinking water on the beach itself. A few small eco-lodges and campgrounds sit at the eastern access point, and El Chiringuito — a beachfront restaurant and bar with live music some evenings and a strong sunset view — operates at the southern end. El Copal, up the hillside behind the beach, has a restaurant and an infinity pool that day guests can use with a minimum spend. Neither is a convenience store, so carry pesos, water, and a sun umbrella.

Cash matters. There are no ATMs in Mazunte worth relying on and none at all near the beach.

Allow two to three hours if you walk over, sit, and walk back. Allow four or more if you plan to eat at El Chiringuito and stay for sunset, which is the main event here — the sun drops straight into open water with nothing in the frame. The walk back over the hill in darkness needs a light.

Nudism: this coast has a long clothing-optional tradition, and Mermejita has quietly been part of it. Municipal authorities in Santa María Tonameca have run signage campaigns restricting nudism on local beaches and directing people to Zipolite, so read the room and follow posted notices rather than assumptions.

Finally, pack out your rubbish. The beach has no bins and no collection service, and the reason it still looks the way it does is that most visitors carry their waste back over the hill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Playa Mermejita safe to swim?

No. There is no lifeguard, the surf is open-ocean, and rip currents have caused multiple drownings. Wading in the shallows is fine; swimming past the break is not recommended even for strong swimmers.

How do I get to Playa Mermejita from Mazunte?

Walk 15 to 20 minutes over the hill from near the village cemetery, or take a short taxi ride on the dirt access road. The road is rough after rain and may require a four-wheel drive in the wet season.

Is there an entrance fee or opening hours?

It is a free public beach with no gate and no set hours. Facilities are minimal — a couple of restaurants and small lodges at the access points, nothing along the sand.

When is the best time to visit?

November through April for dry weather and firmer trails, with January to March the most reliable window. For leatherback turtle nesting, aim for November to March and go with an authorised guide at night.