As I approached Oaxaca in my two-month trek across Mexico I kept hearing about a magical town in the mountains halfway between Oaxaca City and the coast known for its strong connection to magic mushrooms or hongos as they are called. I knew that I had to go and see San José del Pacifico for myself. Little did I know just how magical my experience would be.
BTW This post is not a comprehensive travel guide to San José del Pacifico but rather an account of my experience there, including everything I recommend. I tell the story of my shrooms trip so that someone on the internet could benefit from knowing what to expect.
The shrooms trip I experienced in San José del Pacifico was the best I’ve had in my life. The setting of the tiny town in the lush mountains was absolutely magical. The hostel I stayed, with its view of the mountains and orientation towards the sunset facilitated the perfect trip. I couldn’t help wondering while I was under the influence if everyone else around me was tripping too (they probably were).
San José del Pacifico gave off a strong vibe heavily influenced by shrooms. Mushrooms are prevalent throughout the town’s street art and even represented in their handmade souvenirs. In fact, it’s a part of the culture of the locals and I was told that the children of the indigenous are accustomed to taking them. Although shrooms are not legal in Mexico, they are unregulated in this town. I could easily observe that shrooms were completely normalized in this small community tucked away in the mountains.
The town itself is very quaint, with only one main road so anything you’d want is accessible by foot. There are plenty of affordable restaurants and accommodations to choose from but your options are quite basic and down to earth. For those who like nature there are also a few hiking trails that go through the mountains. While this is a fairly known tourist destination, the town is very local too.
San José del Pacifico is a beautiful town inhabited by locals who have lived and carried out their indigenous traditions and culture. Even though the idea of a shrooms trip here may sound like a great time (which it is), as a traveler please remember to be respectful of the town and its people. This location is becoming more and more popular and for good reason. However, when tourism grows, it has an unfortunate way of diminishing the quality of life of locals.
Quick Tips
It’s Cold (relatively)
I came from being at Puerto Escondido, a paradise beach town that is about 85°F year round, for the previous two weeks and this was the first time I experienced cold since I had been in Mexico. While the weather during the day is warm from the sun, at night it can get chilly (around 50°F in December). I would bring pants and a light jacket.
The hostel Cabañas las Cumbres provides woolen blankets, has a fire pit and serves warm beverages.
Bring Cash
There’s no ATMs so bring enough cash for food, transportation, souvenirs, snacks, shrooms, etc. Cabañas las Cumbres actually accepts credit card at the front desk (but not at the restaurant).
Disconnect
The service is bad there and wifi is rare. If you’re here, you should disconnect anyways! Take some shrooms and go on a hike!
How to Get To San José del Pacifico
By Car
I was lucky that I had met a friend with a car and we departed from the beach town of Puerto Escondido, Oxaca which took about three hours. The drive was very beautiful and lush with plenty of stalls along the road to explore. Closer to San José del Pacifico the roads became windy and mountainous.
By Van
There is also the option of small van from the common starting points of Oaxaca City or Puerto Escondido.
From Oaxaca City you will take a four hour bus ride on the route from Oaxaca City to Pochutla. You can check the Linea Unidas timetables and reserve by phone at their number +52 951 243 23 11.
From Puerto Escondido you can take a Transporte Delfines van to Pochutla and at Pochutla you can catch a Linea Unidas van to Oaxaca City.
Cabañas La Cumbre
Cabañas La Cumbre is the most magical hostel I’ve ever stayed at. It’s on the face of a hill and is designed as multiple separate rooms connected by stairways, terraces and pathways. The structure of the hostel itself seemed to be inspired by a shrooms trip or at least designed by someone under the influence of shrooms. It almost feels like a maze.
Make your reservation in advance directly through their website. Once we arrived we were able to extend our stay by talking to the front desk.
The hostel faces the valley where the sun sets. Several levels of terraces and all the rooms have excellent views of the valley below. There is even a hammock-lined terrace that was absolutely perfect for watching the sunset and lighting up a joint.
There’s a small restaurant at the top level selling meals, snacks and beverages for very cheap. Just outside the restaurant is a fire pit that is perfect for gathering around at night.
There are various options for different room types at any budget which even include private mushroom-shaped domes and cabins. I stayed in their three-bed and two-bed rooms and they were both very spacious and cozy.
The three-bed room was really fun for me and my two friends. At 900 pesos/night it was extremely affordable as it came out to 300/person ($15 USD). The three beds were in a row, separated by wooden walls so you got your privacy but also felt like you were at summer camp. Shrooms summer camp.
Since the town is located in the mountains, it gets pretty cold at night. Heavy wool blankets were provided.
Where to Get Shrooms and Their Various Forms
There are plenty of options around town for acquiring shrooms. I personally found three tried and true methods. If you are unsure about where to get shrooms, you’ll have no problem asking around (either locals or fellow travelers). I suspect that most front desks at various accommodations are either selling them or can provide you with information.
Cabañas La Cumbre Front Desk
At the reception of the hostel there was a little glass case displaying shrooms preserved in honey. I decided not to take these shrooms because (1) I had never had them in honey before and (2) a traveler at the hostel who had taken them warned me that they were fairly weak in their psychoactive effects
Habitaciones de Rubi
The same traveler at the hostel who told us about the shrooms in honey also informed us that Habitaciones de Rubi was the best place to get shrooms. As we walked in, we encountered a man who was able to help us get what we wanted. He even told us about the strain and the amount that we should take for a solid trip. We paid about 400 Mexican pesos for 2.5 grams each. Since I visited in December, shrooms weren’t in season and the ones we bought were actually imported from Canada (lol). I guess that explained the steep price point. The guy knew what he was talking about and his recommendation ended up being the perfect dose.
The Shack of a Local Woman
We somehow acquired information about the location of a woman in town who makes mushroom tea. Without difficulty, we were able to locate her hut and entered her small, dark one-room house. Indeed, we found her standing in front of her stove stirring a pot of mushroom tea. She offered shrooms either in the form of tea or chocolate. We politely turned her down because we were looking for the dried mushrooms as we knew that drinking the tea would have quick-acting effects. However it was incredible to witness just how normalized shrooms are in this town.
Bonus Content
My friend had heard about a man who sells fresh opium in San José del Pacfico and one day we made it our mission to find it. We asked around the locals until we found him. His name is Don Fernando and he lives in a farmhouse outside of town. We bought kief, purple hash and opium resin from him that day and rolled it all into a weed joint as we laid in the hammocks back at the hostel looking at the clouds over the mountains.
I might be taking a risk by putting this on the internet (not really sure what the rules are?) but I wanted to share this because it was a memorable part of my experience at San José del Pacifico. Do not attempt this unless you have a car and you speak Spanish confidently.
🍄 The Trip 🍄
Before you begin…
This post is not a guide to tripping on shrooms! I had had shrooms experience prior to this trip so I knew what to expect. I also took a risk and went on a trip with two travelers, one of which I had just recently met. I was very lucky that they turned out to be very nice people who I now call my friends. Unless you are experienced and trust yourself with shrooms, my advice is the following:
- Don’t do it alone – you’re in a foreign country in a remote town doing a technically illegal activity so be smart
- Do it with people you trust – either a friend or partner or someone you’ve known for a while traveling
- Stay close to your accommodation – in case you need to find a safe space during your trip
- Bring a source of music – music can always help to set the mood of a trip
A Forest Hike
My trip begins by consuming the shrooms at the hostel and departing for a forest hike up a small hill that starts at the entrance of the hostel. Right before we left, a guest at the hostel told us to avoid the main trail that follows a water pipe because there was potentially a man with a machete in the forest who would take your valuables. Great start to a shrooms trip, right?! We were careful to heed his warning and took off into the forest away from the pipe, equipped with a speaker and some ciggies.
As the shrooms started to hit, we realized we were not capable of walking further and plopped down in a clearing in the forrest. We sat here for hours, playing in the dirt and laughing although we realized that the sun was lowering and that we had better get back before it got any darker. At this point we were at the peak of our trip and proceeded to get lost in the forest since we had left the path. We had no option but to find the water pipe and follow it back to the hostel. Once we reached the main trail we ran all the way our hostel back to safety.
The Sunset at the Hostel
Back at the hostel we were blessed with an incredible sunset. We put on some warm clothes and brought out the wool blankets from the room. In my shrooms-impaired vision, I thought that I was seeing was the ocean but in reality it was the clouds. With our vision enhanced by the shrooms, we had never experienced a more beautiful sunset.
Even if you are not staying at Cabañas la Cumbre I highly recommend coming here for a meal or snack and watching the sunset here since there are many comfortable seating options and the view is unbeatable.
Temazcal
A temazcal is a traditional sweat lodge from pre-Hispanic culture whose purpose is purification. There are posters all over town advertising the different temazcal options including their Whatsapp numbers. You only need to message them to set up a time for your temazcal. For clarity, you should ask your temazcal guide before going about what is included in their rituals. Some of them are guided by a shaman and others may involve shrooms as part of the experience.
I chose the temazcal called Four Elements Temazcal just outside of town. It was a very barebones and unguided temazcal experience but I really enjoyed it. It was like a personal herbal sauna. The gardens surrounding the temazcal were very beautiful and I felt lucky just to be there.
The process of my temazcal experience went like this: I changed into my swimsuit and entered the sweat lodge. The guide prepared different herbal formulas and would bring them into the temazcal to pour over the hot stones in the middle. Each time he brought a different herbal concoction and the scents were extremely clarifying. When he would leave he blocked the entryway so that I was alone in the near-complete darkness and overwhelming heat and humidity.
The overwhelming physical sensations that made it hard to breathe pushed me to think about things that I was struggling with in life. At some point I even started crying. It was a clarifying experience to say the least! I honestly find it hard to imagine this experience on shrooms since it was already physically overwhelming without the help of psychedelics.
When I came out, my guide poured cold water on me to cleanse me from my sweat.
Food
I had nothing but delicious homemade meals in San José del Pacifico. Although the dishes were not specific to the region of Oaxaca, I still wanted to share. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines of all time!
Huevos Divorciados
Huevos divorciados translates to “divorced eggs” and is a variation of the popular Mexican braekfast huevos rancheros. The eggs are “divorced” because each tortilla has a different salsa (one verde and the other roja). On top of tortillas are sunny side up eggs, sauce and queso fresco. I enjoyed my meal with a coffee and a beautiful view of the valley!
Chilaquiles Verdes
Chilaquiles are a Mexican breakfast dish of tortilla chips served with either a green or red sauce. Tomatillos make up the green sauce, which provide a bright green color and predominantly fresh and acidic flavor. Tomato and dried chilis make up the red sauce so it has a heartier flavor. Crema, queso fresco, red onions and fried eggs top off the chips. Often you have the option to add protein like shredded chicken or steak. Chilaquiles are one of my favorite Mexican dishes!
San José del Pacifico was my favorite destination in all of Mexico that I saw and my trip has become one of my favorite memories of all time. The location is so special while the amazing hostel, great company and psychedelic substances exponentially enhanced my experience. If you’re in Oaxaca, I hope that you get a chance to experience this magical town!
❤️ Valerie 🍄