Klearly, Puerto Escondido...

by: Tyler Burrows

By KAVU

March 10^th, 2020

KAVU Days ahead!

In mid December, my partner Jessica and I traveled to Puerto Escondido.

A sleepy fishing village in the southern state of Oaxaca on the pacific coast of Mexico, this would be my first time to Puerto Escondido but, I had made many trips to Mexico prior to this trip. However, this was Jessica’s first time seeing Mexico so, we were both excited for what adventures would come!

We had loose plans to make a few skydives but mostly, wanted to relax and soak up the sun and culture of the area.

Short trip, letter rip!

The best (and only) time for jumping in Escondido is from mid-December until the end of January so, getting to jump and fly there is a special treat.... adding to what would be an epic trip!

Once we arrived and dropped our gear off at our apartment, we set off to explore the town. The best way to do that is to rent a scooter. The scooter.... for sure..... was one of the most fun parts of the trip, allowing us to get around to see and experience a lot more of the area than we would have if only on foot or using taxis.

There’s room for three on a scooter if you.....

...... Hold on Tight!

Traveling around the town lined with beaches, in 85 degree (F) weather.... with an 80 degree (F) ocean to swim in, open air markets with fresh seafood fruits and vegetables, evening street vendors with steet corn and al pastor tacos, sand floor restaurants and bars, while getting to watch your fish cook in the side of a volkswagon van turned into a grill is admittedly pretty dreamy;-)

Hammocks, cold coconuts frosty beers and mezcal make what ever amount of time you plan to spend there seem like not enough. Even after three weeks, I felt we just started to figure that place out! Next time we go back, it'll be a longer trip, for sure.

I’m thinking 2 months minimum...... will be required for a proper KAVU visit;-)

The skydiving in Puerto Escondido is done at a different pace than we are used to, as well.

Starting at the beach where the dropzone is located, you load onto a van for a 20 minute drive to the airport. Then gear up.... and load the plane which, can vary greatly with the traffic at the airport. Once finally on the plane, it’s a 20 minute ride to altitude while looking out over the vast ocean and maybe.... seeing a whale if you’re lucky.

Once out of the plane, it’s an amazing view with hills, inland valleys, and miles of sandy coast as far as you can see!

Flying our wingsuits out to sea (and back) lends to some added nerves. Especially when I had a cut-away and my main-parachute landed in the ocean!

Luckily I was able to land safely on the beach and my gear was recovered quickly. If you were going to only make one skydive in your life, I would highly recommend doing it over the ocean in Puerto Escondido, for sure! There's simply nothing quite like landing on the beach at sunset and to be greeted by smiling faces holding a cold beer for you!

KAVU, Indeed!

Our typical day there started at the beach with some swimming, stretching, and meditation. Then, off to a breakfast of banana pancakes and mango smoothies.