Bungalow Arena – Los Guajes

Bungalow Arena sits on the ground floor at Casa Los Guajes, in Costa Cumana a short drive south of Puerto Escondido. Tall palms and flowering bougainvillea grow around it, with cactus among them, which is the particular character of this stretch of Oaxacan coast: semi-tropical rather than uniformly green, the jungle and the dry country meeting within a few metres of each other. The suite faces forward, toward the water, and its own terrace runs the width of it.

Inside there is a king bed with fresh linen and a private bathroom laid out for a long shower after a day on the sand. Handcrafted doors with wide shutters open onto the terrace, and they do most of the work of the room: open through the day for the jungle and the light, closed at night, when what carries through is the sound of the waves. The terrace itself is furnished for sitting out, for reading, for cards and for the long part of the afternoon when the shade arrives. A refrigerator in the room keeps drinks and provisions cold between meals.

Arena is one of five independent bungalows at Casa Los Guajes and shares the property’s common areas. At the centre are open living and dining spaces and a modern kitchen where the villa’s chef cooks and a team serves, with pool terraces alongside and palapas set toward the ocean for the middle of the day. Winding paths through tropical planting and past small fountains link the suites to the common areas, so the property reads as a small settlement rather than a hotel. Chef and bar service, airport transfers and daily housekeeping are included in the rate, and the whole villa can also be taken together when a group wants all five suites.

The beach below the property stays quiet for most of the year. Puerto Escondido is a few kilometres north, with the surf at Zicatela, the fishing pangas at Puerto Angelito and the restaurants at La Punta, and the coast road south reaches Mazunte and Zipolite in under an hour. Puerto Escondido International Airport is a short drive away. For a couple who want a private room at ground level with the garden at the door and a staffed villa around it, Bungalow Arena gives Villa Experience guests the simplest way to spend a week on this coast.