Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence The universal In Mazunte, they ensure that protocols are respected; no items arrive at Zipolite . Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence El Tijuana and El Pochu, as well ...

 

Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence The universal In Mazunte, they ensure that protocols are respected; no items arrive at Zipolite . Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence El Tijuana and El Pochu, as well ...

Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence

In Mazunte, they ensure that protocols are respected; no items arrive at Zipolite

Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence The universal In Mazunte, they ensure that protocols are respected; no items arrive at Zipolite . Beaches, waves, bathers and police presence El Tijuana and El Pochu, as well ...

STATES  04/04/2021 03:48  Roselia Chaca / Correspondent  Updated  03:49

Pochutla.— Of all the beach destinations in the Oaxaca Coast region, Mazunte, located in Santa María Tonameca, is the only one with a police presence, this at the request of the municipal authority, so the few bathers observe walking by the small beach to the elements of the state police loading their rifles.

The uniformed men are attentive to disturbances, to verify that safe distance measures are followed and to react to an incident at sea, which translates into confidence for visitors, who do not exceed 40% of influx.

Mazunte, like the rest of the beaches, has an alert flag due to the strong waves that have reached up to four meters in height, which puts people's safety at risk. Perhaps because of this situation, few visitors have come to this beach recognized by the Mexican Turtle Center and its work.

For this reason and because long before the coronavirus health crisis arrived, there were already official limitations in Mazunte.

It seeks to lessen the effects of tourism on the local population, something that has now become a necessity, due to the risk that coronavirus infections will spill over in the Oaxacan town.

The other face

In Zipolite, on the contrary, the police are not present neither to monitor nor to assist tourists. This beach is the only one where tourism is officially allowed. There is only one group of three volunteer lifeguards, led by El Tijuana, a young surfer who came to his best friend's wedding on the beach three years ago and has stayed in the area ever since.

But El Tijuana and El Pochu, another of the lifeguards, carry out this work out of vocation: they do not receive support for what they do, neither money nor food. They only support themselves with the rental of surfboards.

Tijuana affirms that until before the pandemic, each year the presence of tourists was increasing in this nudist destination.

"It is fashionable," he assures, but that is not why they are officially named as a rescue group. On the contrary, they are the ones who manage to support themselves, to the extent that the equipment they own was given to them by altruistic people.

The increase in people has also led to more accidents being recorded at this site, formerly known as La playa de los muertos.

So far this Easter there have been two drowning episodes, one died, an American, the other they managed to save. Another person died in January, after Zipolite had had a white balance for two years.

Although here the visitors do not exceed 40% of influx, the few people who occupy the beach insist on challenging the raging waves, despite the warnings of the authorities.