San José del Pacífico is a beautiful hillside town high in the mountains in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Understand
San José del Pacífico is about 2440 m/8000 ft high on the Pochutla-Oaxaca highway (175), and makes a good overnight stopover when driving between Oaxaca City and the Pacific Coast. San José del Pacífico is also known for its psychedelic mushrooms.
Get in
By car
San José del Pacífico can be accessed from either Oaxaxa city or the Pacific coast. The roads from either directions are long, windy and slow. From Oaxaca, expect a 3-hour drive to travel 140 km of road.
By bus
Buses go from Oaxaca to San José del Pacífico for M$95 per person.
By colectivo
Colectivos also travel across the mountain.
Get around
The town is very compact and can be accessed by foot.
See
- The natural surroundings are amazing: take a walk around the town and enjoy views of the village nestled into the mountains.
Do
- Take a hike: there are several trails that take you up the mountains and into the forest.
Buy
- There are plenty of interesting arts and crafts for sale in the town. The Taberna de los Duendes offers authentic Italian and a large selection of Mezcal infusions.
- Psychedelic mushrooms. Although the sale and possession of psilocin and psilocybin are prohibited, this is mostly unenforced against traditional use by indigenous users, and also non-indigenous users may get away with it to some extent. As with other psychoactive substances, there are a host of risks, especially if used without adequate knowledge. Mushroom season runs from about July to October but they may be found at other times preserved in honey.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- Puesta Del Sol, Carretera Federal, Oaxaca - Puerto Angel 175. Mountainside hotel with cabins and restaurant.
Connect
Go next
If heading north, visit Oaxaca, the historical town. If heading south to the coast, be sure to visit Mazunte, a hippy beach town or Puerto Escondido, the famous surf beach.