Nestled among the moutains of the southern Mexican state Oaxaca, you’ll find the magical village San José del Pacífico. Most travelers visit this village for only one reason: the magic mushrooms that grow in this area. You can legally consume magic mushrooms in this town and it’s even known as the magic mushroom capital of Mexico. There’s no police and the locals make the rules.

Even though tourism in San José del Pacífico has increased a lot in recent years, it’s still a remote village. If you seek tranquility, fresh mountain air and nature (and magic mushrooms), then this place is a must. Besides that, staying there is very afforadble, so it’s ideal for backpackers and budget travelers.

Ultimate guide to San José del Pacífico, Oaxaca - All you need to know about Mexico's Magic Mushroom capital

Things to know before you go

Here are the most important things you need to know before visiting San José del Pacífico:

There's no ATM in San José del Pacífico

Make sure you bring enough cash for your stay in San José. The nearest ATM is about an hour from San José, and in many places you can only pay cash. And the places that allow you to pay by card charge a fee for that.

Pack warm clothes

Depending on the time of the year that you visit, prepare yourself for the temperatures there. It can get extremely cold – especially at night. I went in May and it was quite warm during the day, but as soon as the sun was covered by clouds it got really cold. Inform yourself about the weather before you visit and bring a lightweight jacket to keep you warm.

 

The WiFi is not reliable

In case you’re dependent on a functioning internet connection, San José del Pacífico is not the best place for you. Sometimes the wifi works well, but sometimes it just stops working. Café Express is known to have the best wifi in town. They charge $10 pesos (≈ €0.40) per hour and per device to use their internet.

High altitude

The elevation of San José del Pacífico is almost 2.500 m above sea level. This means that every physical movement that you do may feel slightly more exhausting. Especially when hiking uphill you might notice that you get out breath quickly. Make sure to stay hydrated and always carry a bottle of water with you.

San José del Pacífico

How to get to San José del Pacífico

To get to San José del Pacífico you can either drive by car or take a bus. If you take a bus, you have the option to arrive either from Oaxaca City or from the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca (Puerto Escondido, Mazunte, Zipolite). Busses run quite frequently and there’s no need to reserve your seat in advance.

No matter from which side you arrive, the road is extremely curvy and steep. If you tend to feel sick easily, make sure to take a motion sickness pill before the ride. I was fine because I never get sick from driving, but I’ve seen more than one person vomiting on this journey.

Líneas Unidas

From Oaxaca City to San José del Pacífico

There are two companies that offer a direct connection to San José del Pacífico: Eclipse 70 and Líneas Unidas. The journey takes about 3 hours and costs 100 Mexican Pesos (≈ € 4.30).

From Puerto Escondido to San José del Pacífico

There is no direct connection from Puerto Escondido to San José del Pacífico. First, you need to take a bus from Puerto Escondido to Pochutla. They are called Transportes Delfines and leave about every 20 minutes at the main road “Costera” near Chedraui in the center of Puerto Escondido. The journey to Pochutla costs 60 Mexican Pesos (≈ € 2.60) and takes 1.5 hours.

In Pochutla you need to take a shuttle to San José del Pacífico. The two companies that operate shuttles to San José del Pacífico are Líneas Unidas and Eclipse 70. A ticket costs 150 Mexican Pesos (≈ € 6.50) and the drive takes about 3 hours.

Where to stay in San José del Pacífico

La Cumbre, accommodation in San José del Pacífico
La Cumbre, accommodation in San José del Pacífico

The most popular place to stay in San José del Pacífico is Cabañas La Cumbre. They offer affordable and rather basic accommodation with the best views over the mountains. You can get a private room for as little as $160 pesos (≈ € 7) per night. To get there from the center (where the bus drops you off) you need to hike up a hill and a set of stairs. You can take a taxi up the hill, but you still need to climb the stairs. So I recommend traveling light and using a backpack rather than a suitcase.

La Cumbre, Accommodation in San José del Pacífico

The accommodation includes a spacious terrace with stunning views. You’ll be staying in a little wooden cabin and you wake up with this view every morning, provided that it’s not cloudy.

Best time to visit San José del Pacifico

The best time to visit depends on your reason for visiting the mountain village. If you go there for the magic mushrooms, it’s best to go during rainy season. Rainy season, which is also mushroom season, is from June to September. Be aware that it might rain everyday during this period and it can get really cold as well. But, you’ll get fresh mushrooms, which are stronger than the dried or conserved ones.

If fresh mushrooms are not your highest priority and you’re more interested in spending time in nature, I recommend visiting San José between October and May. I went there in May and the weather was lovely. Warm and sunny during the day, and cold at night. But the major setback was that I could only get dried or conserved mushrooms which have a lighter effect and are more expensive.

Things to do in San José del Pacífico

The main reason why most tourists visit the mountain village is because of the magic mushrooms that are local to this region. But there is more to do and to explore besides getting high on mushrooms.

Magic Mushrooms

Doing magic mushrooms is what almost every traveler does in San José del Pacífico. It’s not a secret. Everyone knows about it and openly talkes about it. In some places you can even pay for your mushrooms by card.

If you want to have an authentic experience (which I recommend), you should find a shaman and do a traditional mushroom ceremony. The best way to find one is to ask at your accommodation or to ask the locals in town. Otherwise, you can just take them by yourself or with friends.

You can either eat the mushrooms as they are or prepare them in a tea. The person that sells them to you is surely happy to explain you everything about how to consume them.

Magic Mushrooms, Oaxaca
Magic Mushroom Tea

If you’re in San José during mushroom season (June-September) you’ll get fresh mushrooms. In other months, it may happen that you can only get dried ones or mushrooms that have been conserved in honey or other sweets. Usually, these have a lighter effect and are more expensive than the fresh ones. If you have the chance, you should definitely visit San José del Pacífico during mushroom season.

As tourism to San José has increased a lot in recent years, apparently, some visitors had experiences where they got scammed with fake mushrooms. Make sure you only buy them from a place that has been recommended to you by someone you trust. Probably even your hostel will sell them. If you stay at Cabañas La Cumbre, they sell them there. These are reliable places to get good mushrooms:

  • Cabañas del Pacífico
  • Mandala
  • Rubi

If it’s your first time taking psychedelic mushrooms, make sure to ask your vendor how to take them and how much you should take. The dosage and how you take them varies depending if you’re taking fresh or conserved/dried mushrooms. 

Hike to Árbol de la Luna

Árbol la Luna, San José del Pacífico
Árbol la Luna, San José del Pacífico

Árbol de la Luna is an old and giant tree near the center of San José del Pacífico. To get to the trailhead, you can either take a motor taxi or stop a colectivo on the main road.

I took a colectivo and paid $10 pesos (≈ € 0.40). If you take a motor taxi it will be a bit more expensive. Tell the driver to drop you off at “Terraza de la Tierra”. This is where the hike starts. The drive is about 5-10 minutes.

Arbol de la Luna, Terraza de la Tierra, San José del Pacífico

From there, just follow the path for about 20 minutes until you see the sign “Árbol la Luna”. It’s a very easy and short hike and the surrounding nature is amazing. I truly loved being in the mountains again and having fresh air after living in a beach town for months.

If you want, you can continue the path further down after Árbol de la Luna to get some beautiful views. I hiked about 5 more minutes down, but then turned around because I didn’t want to climb all the way back up again. The hike is easy, but due to the altitude (2.500 m above sea level) you’ll get out of breath more easily.

Once you hiked back up just wait on the main street until a colectivo drives by and hop on to head back to town.

Temazcal with Paco

Temazcal is a traditional pre-hispanic healing ceremony that intends to cleanse you from all bad things and reconnect you to yourself and to nature. You enter a sweat lodge together with your guide (=”Temazcalero”) and the other participants. During the ceremony, the Temazcalero thanks Mother Nature in an indigenous language by singing and playing a drum. It’s a very powerful and special ceremony.

Temazcal in San José del Pacífico

Unfortunately, Temazcal has become quite commercial in recent years because of the increasing number of tourists who want to participate in such a ceremony. Many offers of Temazcal have nothing to do with the authentic healing ceremony and are more like a sauna. If you want to participate in a Temazcal, make sure that there will be an experienced Temazcalero who enters the Temazcal with you and guides the ceremony. Everything else is not a Temazcal and just a way to make money from tourists!

The best Temazcal in San José del Pacífico is with Paco. He was the first one to offer Temazcal in this mountain village and he has been living there in the forest for 20 years. His aim is to pass on the knowledge of his ancestors, who were well-known Temazcaleros too. He told me that he was sad about the commercialisation of Temazcales, because with commercialisation, the magic would get lost.

Temazcal, Oaxaca, Mexico

The Temazcal with Paco was an incredible experience! After the Temazcal, I felt connected to everything, especially to nature, and I felt a deep happiness within myself. I was overwhelmed by the experience and would do it again anytime. If you want to do a Temazcal in San José, definitely do it with Paco. It costs $200 pesos (≈ € 8.70) and after the ceremony Paco cooked for us and we ate together in his cabin. 

It’s quite tricky to locate Paco, as he lives in the middle of the forest where there’s no signal. He says “I don’t want everyone to come to my place. Those who are supposed to find me will be guided there”. This is why I won’t give you exact indications to get there. If you’re truly interested in doing a Temazcal with Paco, just ask around in town how to find him. He is very well known in San José del Pacífico.

Watch the sunset at the restaurant of La Cumbre

The view from La Cumbre is the best one you can get in San José del Pacífico. If you stay at La Cumbre, you’ll probably watch the sunset there anyways. But, even if you don’t stay at La Cumbre, they have a restaurant that anyone can visit.

Sunset view from La Cumbre

Pick a day with a clear sky – or at least clear enough to have a beautiful view – and watch the stunning sunset at the restaurant of La Cumbre. I recommend trying the vegetarian quesadilla, it’s huge and delicious! Also, I loved their spicy salsa. If you’re cold, get a typical Mexican hot chocolate to warm up, it’s the perfect dessert.

Restaurant La Cumbre
Vegetarian tortilla, restaurant La Cumbre

How many days to stay in San José del Pacífico

San José del Pacífico is a tiny village. Besides forest and small alleys on a hill, it literally consists of only one main road that you can walk from one end to the other end within 5 minutes. I recommend staying 2-3 nights in San José del Pacífico. If you enjoy being in a quiet and remote place, you may want to stay longer, but apart from walking in nature and getting high on mushrooms, there’s not much to do.

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Ultimate guide to San José del Pacífico, Oaxaca - All you need to know about Mexico's Magic Mushroom capital

San José del Pacífico is an amazing place for a quiet weekend getaway. The clean mountain air and the lush green nature paired with the views from Cabañas La Cumbre are a great combination to relax. No matter if you come for the magic mushrooms or just for the nature, for sure you’ll have a good time in San José del Pacífico.

After the cold of San José del Pacífico, you might want some sunshine and beach. Make sure to visit Mexico’s most beautiful beach, Playa Balandra and the cute nearby beach town Todos Santos. If you feel more like heading to a city, check out the 3 best breakfast spots in Guadalajara.

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