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The Pacific coast of Oaxaca is home to a wonderful attraction:
Puerto Escondido.
This natural paradise was the first tourist center of the “Emerald
Coast” region. Known since the 19th Century as Punta Escondida,
it was a fishing area and had a pier for loading locally produced
coffee and precious woods.
Puerto Escondido has earned worldwide fame for being one of the
few places on the American Continent where surfing can be practiced
on a professional level, thanks to the huge waves on Zicatela beach.
It boasts rich land and marine wildlife, including a plethora of
exotic and migratory birds, turtles, whales, crocodiles, iguanas
and much more. All these can be observed in their natural habitat
because Puerto Escondido and its people are committed to protecting
the ecosystem and preserving the area as ecological reserve.
Puerto Escondido is diverse and magical. It offers relaxation and
adventure, excitement and nightlife, from the tranquility of its
thermal waters, the folkloric tradition of the local cultures, its
precolombian history, modern hotels, its nightlife and its unbelievable
landscapes, capturing the luxuries of modern living in a spectacular
natural environment.
Weather
Year round warm temperatures (an average of 27°C) and lightly
humid weather, light rain showers during summer, makes Puerto Escondido
an ideal place to visit during any season.
How to get there
From the city of Oaxaca, capital of the state, by car, you take
highway 175, and drive for 324 km. Via Pochutla and Sola de Vega,
a distance of 260 km, or from Acapulco via highway 200, driving
for 400 km. By air, you can catch a 45-minute flight from Mexico
city, or a 30-minute one from the city of Oaxaca, landing in the
International Airport of Puerto Escondido.
Tourist Infrastructure
Puerto Escondido is less than common in this. You can find 4-star
hotels as well as cozy cabins where visitors can enjoy a totally
rustic vacation. The same is true for the delicious local food of
the coast. There is a variety of excellent restaurants, where you
can find traditional local dishes, as well as the most sophisticated
of international cuisine.
The beaches
Zicatela Beach
Zicatela means “place of big thorns” and stretches for
3 kms. This beach became a tourist attraction for its beauty and
for its surfing. It is considered number one nationally, and number
three in the world, because of its incredible waves.
Main Beach
An open beach, with tranquil turquoise waves, suitable for fishing,
swimming, and diving. A good place to learn to surf and watch incredible
sunsets.
Playa Bacocho
This beautiful beach is located a few meters under, surrounded by
high rocky walls covered with an exuberant vegetation.
Playa Carrizalillo
An enclosed beach, fine sand and waves, it has a rocky zone suitable
for scuba diving.
Playa Puerto Angelito
A natural swimming pool. This beach is also suitable for swimming
and scuba diving, where this activity is taught.
Playa del Embarcadero
Ideal for boating and sunbathing.
Puerto Manzanillo
An attractive beach, with white sand and little pendant, its mild
temperature water is favored for swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing.
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Sports
Surf
The great Zicatela beach is considered one of the best in the
world for surfing due to its spectacular waves. In November and
August tournaments draw surfers from all over the world o compete
against each and the awesome force of nature.
Fishing
Puerto Escondido offers excellent recreational fishing. Among
the most common species are Sailfish, Marlin, Tuna, Dorado and
Red Snapper. International tournaments are held during February
and November, at 10 miles open sea.
Scuba Diving
This is mainly practiced in areas with light waves, offering a
beautiful variety of brilliantly colored fish. You can also find
lobsters and manta rays, dolphins and whales, interesting to watch
as they leap out of the water. Also, worthwhile visiting are the
unique black coral reefs.
Boating
In some beaches you can rent a boat for a trip around the bay,
Water Ski or practice any other water sport. You can usually see
dolphins or sea turtles that greet visitors.
Places to visit
Chacahua Lagoon
Three lagoons make up this 30 km expanse of National Park: La
Pastoria, Chacahua and Las Salinas. Recommended is a boat tour
through isles covered with mangroves. It is home to dozens of
different seabird. This is one of the last bird sanctuaries in
Mexico. During the tour there are two exotic beaches where the
lagoons meet the sea, you can also visit a fishing village and
you can enjoy a variety of fresh fish and seafood as well as visit
the crocodile farm.
Manialtepec Lagoon
Located s few kilometers away from Puerto Escondido, and having
a contour of 15 km, it is surrounded by mangroves that house sea
birds, and iguanas. Great for watching the sunset at the “bocabarra”,
where the lagoon, the river and the sea meet. Here you can swim
in salt or fresh water. You can also rent a kayak and placidly
row in the lagoon.
Ventanilla
A community concerned about its environment, it has started and
ecological rescue program that includes reforesting of the mangroves
and repopulating the crocodile. Watch the newborns crocs at the
farm, swim and sunbath on shore, it is also a good bird watching
site. On the way to Ventanilla you can visit the ranch “El
Potrero”, a private reserve to raise and repopulate the
iguanas.
Mazunte/ Mexican center for the turtle
Specialists work here in a government project studying the behavior
and way of life of the marine turtle, as well as harvesting it
for its repopulation. Visitors can see the turtle farm and the
cactus garden.
Atotonilco / Thermal waters
A horseback riding ride through Manialtepec River along the mountain
sides will take you to sulfurous waters where you can enjoy a
relaxing and soothing bath. Afterwards, you can follow the riverside
in a place totally away from civilization.
Culture and Traditions
Puerto Escondido is surrounded by many typical towns, where you
can find churches and buildings both antique and incredible. Worth
noting are the great variety of handcrafts produced by the locals.
Each town has its own legends and traditions, as well as their
own festivities offered to each town’s Patron. Most notable
are the towns of Nopala, Bajos de Chila, Jamiltepec and Mixtepec.
You cannot miss their colorful marketplaces where you can find
pottery, textiles and leather goods to name a few.
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