San Agustinillo

The Pacific coast of the state of Oaxaca stretches from the “Bahías de Huatulco” in the east to the border to Guerrero at Pinotepa Nacional in the west.

12 km west of the fishing village Puerto Angel you will find the small village San Agustinillo, whose beaches are very suitable for sunbathing and swimming. To the west is the bright sandy beach of Mazunte. An attraction is the museum dedicated to the endangered sea turtles, which also includes a small research and breeding station serving the same purpose.

Behind the open Pacific beach of Playa Ventanilla, named after the window-like rock washed out by the surf, a lagoon stretches out. It is home to numerous species of reptiles and birds, including woodpeckers, kingfishers, diving ducks and various herons. The nutrient-rich mangrove swamp favours the reproduction of small crabs and micro-organisms, which serve as food for sea turtles, dolphins and fish during the rainy season, when the lagoon opens to the sea. A communal ecotourism initiative offers various activities such as boat trips in the lagoon, visiting a crocodile farm and also horse rental.

In the tranquil fishing village of Puerto Angel time has not stopped, but the clocks seem to be slowing down here. Tourism is only modestly developed and fishing is still the main source of income for the majority of the population. While the local “Playa Principal” is less suitable for swimming due to the surf and the heavy boat traffic, the neighbouring “Playa Panteón”, connected by a concrete jetty, is popular with swimmers, snorkelers and divers because of its calm waters.

From here you can also visit more remote beaches by boat, which are difficult to reach by land. One of these beaches is “Playa Estacahuite”, which consists of three small bays with a variety of marine life including sea turtles and manta rays. About 6 km west of the village you will find the “Playa Zipolite”, an open, one and a half kilometre long beach with dangerous currents, which is popular with surfers and European tourists as a party beach. As compensation there are terrific sunsets to experience here. The eastern end of Playa Zipolite is the small nude beach “Playa Los Amores” with calm waters.