Cover image for the Selina Puerto Escondido review and blog by Inspired Backpacker

I chose Puerto Escondido as my solo trip destination this past summer, for the fact that it was a great place for me to learn to surf, the weather was decent and it was super affordable and it DID NOT disappoint! Selina Puerto Escondido was the perfect place for me to stay while I learned to surf and worked remote, and I would return in a heart beat. I had such a great time that I wanted to pay it back and write a great review to share my experience.

*I’m NOT being paid for this review

Selina Puerto Escondido Quick Review

Selina Puerto Escondido is a tropical paradise that is perfect for any type of traveler but especially digital nomads, remote workers and surfers. The highlight here is the fast and free wi-fi, strong air conditioning and the excellent location right in the middle of everything Puerto Escondido offers. Also, the tropical atmosphere of the hostel makes it feel like you are tucked away into the jungle, with the sound of tropical birds chirping at all hours and the sun shining through palm trees overhead.

They offer a big range of rooms from dorm rooms to a large suite, with most private rooms having a desk for working remote. Selina also has lots of amenities including two outdoor pools, a bar and restaurant area, free plated breakfast (with a certain room rate), yoga and fitness classes, activities and more. Overall Selina Puerto Escondido is one of the best hostels this beach town has to offer and makes for the perfect digital nomad getaway.

A surf board with the Selina pool area in the background, with tall palm trees overhead

Full Review of Selina Puerto Escondido

How to Get to Selina Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido can be a little tricky to get to from the U.S. but I had a very smooth trip overall. The best way to get to Puerto Escondido is to fly into Oaxaca or Mexico City (the new NLU Airport is fantastic) and then from there, flying into the small Puerto Escondido Airport. Once you fly into the Puerto Escondido airport, you’ll be a quick 15-minute ride from Selina.

Location

When it comes to where to stay in Puerto Escondido, Playa Zicatela is right in the middle of it all. Selina is the best Puerto Escondido hostel right off of Zicatela beach, in the perfect spot where you’ll have easy reach to everything this tourist destination has to offer including Rinconada and in La Punta a few minutes away. To the delight of most backpackers Selina is also a short walk away from Puerto Escondido’s best nightlife and clubs. Use my Puerto Escondido map to see where everything is before you go.

Of all the Selina locations, this one was one of my favorites I’ve been to so far, although of course I’m biased as someone who loves to surf.

Bar and restaurant area with hostel guests hanging out and mingling with a few people at the bar, under a wooden roof and with a sand floor

Is Selina Puerto Escondido A Good Value?

In my opinion Selina was an excellent value. I would stay there again in a heartbeat! The value for the price is excellent, especially if you’re a digital nomad, need to work during your trip or appreciate a hostel that feels more like a boutique hotel.

The Experience

I was amazed at how beautiful Selina Puerto Escondido is and what a great atmosphere it has from the moment I got there. Although it’s right off the main street of Zicatela it really feels like you’re in the jungle. There are palm trees everywhere and the bar is in the sand. The hostel is also on the side of a steep hill, so it has a layered feel to it. So cool – I wish there were more places like this!

After checking in one of the security members helped me get my luggage up the very steep steps through the beautiful trees and past a few tropical birds, all the way to the top floor.

Steep outdoor stone steps with a monkey decoration and lush palm trees and foliage surrounding it

An important thing to note is if you are mobility challenged or have trouble with climbing steps, you should consider staying elsewhere or asking if they have accommodations on the bottom level. There’s no way I could have gotten my suitcase up the steps myself without taking an hour or so, and climbing those steps every day to get back to my room was intense. I welcomed it because it felt like exercise, but I can imagine some people not wanting to feel that way on vacation.

Coworking at Selina Puerto Escondido

There are multiple spots to work remote at this Puerto Escondido hostel, perfect for digital nomads and really anyone who needs a strong internet connection.

My favorite place to work was the desk in my private room because I work best alone. The great AC, my private bathroom, free WI-FI and the well lit and sunny room made it easy to like working from my room.

A POV view of a laptop and breakfast entree in front of the pool area at Selina Puerto Escondido, to show one of the many spaces you can work remotely at the hostel

The coworking space at Selina is pretty big with a big palapa style roof and plenty of desk space and AC. This is great for anyone staying in the dorms or to get out of your room if you’re staying in a private.

There’s also a few places to work outside of the obvious spaces – one of them I didn’t find until the end of my stay and I’m so glad I did! Past the pool on the top floor, walk behind it toward the ocean and you’ll find a desk under a shaded space with an ocean view. The internet wasn’t great there but totally worth it to work up there for a bit before it gets too hot out! I had it to myself any time I went up there.

Woman working remotely from a desk on a rooftop open air space at Selina Puerto Escondido, looking out over the ocean on a sunny day

You can also work with your feet in the sand by the pool at the bar area while sipping on a drink or getting something to eat. This area is shaded and has a bunch of tables making it a great place to work. Just watch out for the mosquitos – there were lots out at certain times of day and they tend to hangout near the sandy parts of the hotel. I didn’t notice my feet were getting attacked until it was too late lol.

Rooms at Selina Puerto Escondido

Selina Puerto Escondido has a few different room options. The most budget friendly are of course the dorms. They have female only and mixed dorms, which all have industrial style bunk beds with air conditioning, outlets and storage space. I was bummed they didn’t have curtains for the beds which is part of the reason I opted for a private room. That’s something they could do to improve the hostel in the future! Aside from this guests reported that the dorms are really clean and are overall great.

An industrial style dorm room bunk bed and locker area with brightly colored design
Bunk bed in dorm room at Selina

They also have a few different types of private rooms. You can get a tiny private room with shared bathrooms for a discounted rate, or a teepee tent room which is a screened-in tent with a bed, outlets and a little patio area. The teepee rooms would be great for nature lovers and for the novelty of it for a night or two.

They also have fully private rooms with en suite bathrooms, along with one huge suite with a separate living room area and ocean views I’d love to stay in some time.

I opted for a private room to make sure I could do what I needed to do each morning before heading over to Oasis Surf Camp for my surf lessons, and so I could work remote from my room. My room at Selina was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had at an hostel.

Private room at Selina Puerto Escondido, with a double bed, desk and bright yellow walls
My private room at Selina Puerto Escondido

The best part was that the air conditioning worked so well. Within five minutes of getting into my room it was very cold, which was unexpected considering how hot it was outside. Keep in mind this could be different in dorm rooms. I’ve seen reports of the AC not working well in the dorms, and also about power outages that would of course wipe out the entire hostel’s AC.

In addition to the great AC there wa a ceiling fan, extra bedding, a great bathroom, lots of plugs for charging, multiple lighting options and best of all for anyone working remote – a desk and fast and free WI-FI. From my experience and research, it would be hard to find better room options at any other popular Puerto Escondido hostel.

While all of the staff was super helpful throughout my whole stay, I was extra impressed by the front desk workers. They helped me do some laundry when I needed it, helped me to find an ATM, get taxis and a bunch more little things.

Atmosphere, Amenities Activities at Selina Puerto Escondido

Selina Puerto Escondido has two beautiful outdoor swimming pools for guests to enjoy which are both surrounded by foliage and palm trees and have plenty of lounge chairs around them.

Beautiful pool area with some people enjoying the pool on a sunny day with a lush forest of huge palm trees behind them

There’s an on site bar and restaurant at Selina, which includes a free served breakfast depending on the rate plan you get and was super convenient. I ate there and got drinks many times throughout my week long stay. I highly recommend the steak tacos and/or the guacamole.

Guacamole and a pretty red cocktail with star fruit in front of a tropical paradise, to show the amazing food and drinks options available at Selina Puerto Escondido
3 delicious looking steak tacos

Selina Puerto Escondido also has events throughout the week like daily fitness and yoga classes, surf lessons, karaoke and more. When you check-in make sure to get the WhatsApp group link where they will keep guests posted on what all is going on at the hostel. You can see a sample of the activities schedule below!

An example of an activities program at Selina Puerto Escondido on any given week, showing a day by day list of things to do

I was there during off season and it was pretty empty overall and hard ish to mingle, but I’m sure if I wasn’t so busy surfing and working, I could have met some new friends. The other issue I had is that most people staying at the hostel either solely spoke Spanish or mainly spoke in Spanish, so that was another barrier to making friends.

A group of people laying on their backs during a yoga class in an open air space up in the trees overlooking the ocean and palm trees

Selina also has an on site surf school, so if you’re interested in learning or want to improve your skills you should stop by and see what they offer! I’m sure they have both rentals and lessons. Although I’m biased and think the best place for surf lessons Puerto Escondido is at Oasis surf camp.

They also partner with a variety of different tour operators so you can easily venture off on excursions around Puerto Escondido. Some popular ones are a nighttime bioluminescence kayaking trip, a dolphin spotting cruise, and a turtle release tour.

Ready to visit yet?! I was having a hard time getting the official website to load, but you can make your reservation at Hostelworld. Enjoy your beautiful stay at Mexico’s hidden paradise!

For more info on the area, check out all of my blogs on Puerto Escondido here.

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Lauren Kessel
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Lauren Kessel is the author of this blog post and the creator of the Inspired Backpacker travel blog. She is a passionate digital nomad, with the mission to make slow travel a more accessible way of life for everyone. Lauren believes travel is an important means of education and more importantly, a way for people of different cultures to come together and understand each other better. She has a BS in Tourism and has planned countless domestic and international trips for herself, her family and friends, having visited over 12 countries and 30 states so far.