Oaxaca
Elopement photography · Puerto Escondido
In short
Elopement photography in Puerto Escondido starts at $950: 3 hours on location with a photographer who works in Puerto Escondido, and 150 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 3 weeks.
Why choose elopement photography in Puerto Escondido?
An elopement in Puerto Escondido is a small affair by design. The town has no big resort strip, so ceremonies happen on the sand at La Punta or Bacocho, or on the terrace of one of the small clifftop hotels above Zicatela, with only a few people present and the Pacific behind them. It suits couples who want waves, wind and a barefoot ceremony rather than a ballroom, and couples who are also visiting Oaxaca city and want the colonial streets and the beach in one set of pictures.
Worth knowing about Puerto Escondido
Since the Barranca Larga–Ventanilla highway opened on 4 February 2024, Oaxaca city is about 2.5 hours from the coast instead of 6.5, according to Banobras. Couples now hold a civil marriage or portraits in Oaxaca city one day and the beach vows in Puerto Escondido the next. Anything built on the sand, such as an arch or chairs, is cleared first with the local ZOFEMAT office or SEMARNAT.
What does the session in Puerto Escondido look like?
- Punta Zicatela (La Punta)
- A low clifftop and a sheltered strip of sand for the vows at sunset.
- Playa Bacocho
- A wide, open beach with the sun setting over open sea, and room for a ceremony without onlookers.
- A clifftop hotel terrace above Zicatela
- A private place for the vows, with the surf below and shade if the afternoon is hot.
What does elopement photography in Puerto Escondido include?
- 3 hours of coverage: the ceremony, portraits and one move to a second spot
- 150 edited photographs in a private online gallery
- Gallery delivered within 3 weeks
- Help choosing a location where a small ceremony is allowed and the light works at your hour
- A short timeline shared with your officiant or celebrant
Permits at these locations: Punta Zicatela (La Punta): No published fee for a handheld session on the beach; clifftop hotels and restaurants set their own rules for outside photographers Playa Bacocho: No published fee for a handheld session on the public beach; strong surf means no water shots, and beach-club areas are private
FAQ — Elopement photography in Puerto Escondido
Do we need a permit for an elopement on the beach in Puerto Escondido?
Mexican beaches are public under the Ley General de Bienes Nacionales, so a small elopement in Puerto Escondido with no structures needs no published permit. Staging on the sand, such as an arch, chairs or a closed-off area, may need a permit from the local ZOFEMAT office or SEMARNAT, so it is checked before the date.
Is a beach elopement in Puerto Escondido legally binding?
Only if it is a civil marriage before a Mexican Registro Civil. A symbolic ceremony in Puerto Escondido has no legal effect in Mexico, so many couples marry at home first. Those who marry in Oaxaca contact the Registro Civil early, because foreign documents generally need an apostille and a Spanish translation.
Can we combine Oaxaca city and Puerto Escondido for our elopement?
Yes. The Barranca Larga–Ventanilla highway brought the drive from Oaxaca city to the coast down to about 2.5 hours in 2024, so an elopement can include portraits in the streets of Oaxaca city and vows on the beach in Puerto Escondido on consecutive days.