Puerto Escondido (English: "Hidden Port") is a Mexican city-port and tourist center in the municipality of San Pedro Mixtepec Distrito 22 in the state of Oaxaca. Prior to the 1930s, there was no town. The bay had been used as a port intermittently to ship coffee, but there was no permanent settlement due to the lack of potable water. The name "Puerto Escondido" had roots in the legend of a woman who escaped her captors and hid there. The Nahuatl word for this area was Zicatela, meaning "place of large thorns". Today, it refers to the area's most famous beach.

Puerto Escondido is one of the most important tourist attractions on the Oaxacan coast. It caters to a more downscale and eclectic clientele than neighboring Huatulco, mostly surfers, backpackers and Mexican families. The main attractions are the beaches: Zicatela Beach hosts major surfing competitions, while other beaches have gentle waves. A large lagoon area to the west of the town is popular for fishing and birdwatching.

Some weeks before, he and his crew kidnapped a young Mixtec woman from the village of Santa María Huatulco and took her prisoner. While in the bay, the woman escaped the cabin in which she was being held, and being a good swimmer, jumped overboard to get to shore and hide in the jungle just beyond the beach. Since then, the pirates referred to the woman as "La Escondida" (the hidden one) and every time the ship returned to these waters, the captain ordered his crew to search the area around the bay, however, they never found her. Hence, the area became known as the Bahía de la Escondida. then later, Puerto Escondido. Back then, Puerto Escondido suffered from a lack of potable water, although the Colotepec River ran nearby. This caused people to settle in other places. Some did stay, including Nazario Castellanos and Escolástica Valencia, who were the night watchmen for the nearby coffee plantations and considered to be the town's first residents.

From the 1940s to the 1960s, a church was constructed and the first school was built. Wells were dug to alleviate the water supply problems, and generators bought to supply electricity to the pumps and the few streetlights. However, there were still problems getting needed outside supplies such as sugar. These commodities only arrived when a merchant ship entered the bay to sell its wares. Sometimes, this would not happen for months. Residents got by with local products such as fish, poultry, iguanas, chicken and turtle eggs. After the Sola de Vega road to the capital of Oaxaca was constructed, this problem was alleviated somewhat. As of the 2009 census, Puerto Escondido had a population of 20,178

On 30 July 2009, the state congress declared Puerto Escondido to be a city. However, the declaration did not resolve the boundary dispute between San Pedro Mixtepec and Santa María Colotepec.

The city

300px|thumb|A view of the city

thumb|300px|right|The morning routine on Playa Principal

Puerto Escondido is mostly located in the municipality of San Pedro Mixtepec in the western portion of Oaxaca's coast

Puerto Escondido is mostly downscale and rustic, with many small and mid-sized hotels and restaurants, and a few upscale hotels. Most cuisine is based on seafood and local plants, which include eleven species of banana, chocolate and coffee.

Each year, the city celebrates Carnival which begins with the "quema de mal humor" or the burning of bad mood. This is done with an effigy with the purpose of ridding the people of bad thoughts and moods in order to enjoy the festivities.

Education

The Universidad del Mar has one of its campuses here.

Beaches

The main attractions of Puerto Escondido are its beaches, which have become internationally known. The area also is attractive to scuba divers because of the variety of fish, large oysters, lobsters and manta rays. A number of international competitions such as the ESPN X Games, and the MexPipe Challenge have taken place. A water taxi ride from Playa Principal is another option for accessing Carrizalillo. This road reduces the motor vehicle travel time from Oaxaca to around two and a half hours.

Media

There are an AM and FM radio station and Spanish language weekly newspapers. ¡Viva Puerto! http://vivapuerto.com is the local, bilingual magazine.

Fiestas de Noviembre

The Fiestas de Noviembre (Festivals of November) are held during the month into the beginning of December. Events are scheduled in the San Pedro Mixtepec and Santa María Colotepec jurisdictions and there is little coordination between the events. This usually means a large number of events, with several held concurrently. Zicatela events are often staged on Playa Zicatela while the uptown events are often on Playa Principal or the municipal plaza west and above the main beach. Some of the major events include a motocross event, a sailfishing competition, a festival of coastal dance and a surfing tournament.

Laguna de Manialtepec

About 10 km west from Puerto Escondido is the Laguna de Manialtepec. There is a small village on the way called Bajos de Chila. as well as a small archeological zone of the Chatino culture. This site has a Sun Stone which represented the solar deity and a statue of a high-ranking priest. The lagoon is full of mangroves and many birds such as pelicans, seagulls, ibis, storks, cranes, jacanas, buzzards, kingfishers, swans and other species. Other wildlife here includes raccoons, weasels, deer, wild boar, foxes and crocodiles. A number of these are in danger due to poaching. In the middle of the lagoon is an island named Isla del Gallo, on which according to legend, a rooster can be heard singing every year on December 24.

See also

  • Lagunas de Chacahua National Park
  • Alejandra Robles

References

  • Manialtepec Lagoon
  • ¡Viva Puerto! magazine
  • El Sol de la Costa magazine
  • Guide to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca