El Copal: Traveler Reviews

El Copal: Traveler Reviews

AlejandroLuna

2 reviews

 Reviews in 2 cities

 1 helpful vote

“The location is in front of the Mermejita...”

Reviewed July 3, 2010 via mobile

1

 

person found this review helpful

The location is in front of the Mermejita Beach, near of Mazunte, Zipolite and Ventanilla Beach in wich 7 of the 8 spices of sea turtles arrive to make their nests. I did love my 2 weeks there. The place it's wounderfull, you never are going to regret. Things they you have to know, they have dry toilest which it don't use wather, the shawer it's just perfect, you can do it the old Mexican way( which consist in fill a litle tub and pour wather whit a half coconut ) or whit regular shawer. The cabins have a fan and mosquito net and also give you mosquito repellent that it's made in the comunity call Mazunte.

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Eva_Crasnow

LondonUK

1 review

“superb recharge place!”

Reviewed April 19, 2010

I stayed at El Copal with my partner and friends for 4 nights and 5 days. I highly recommend it: food is fresh and fantastic, much better than other places we ate in Mazunte and down the coast. Bedrooms are clean and a hammock and table means we could hang out there if we wanted, though we spent most of our time on the terrace, lounging on sofas and watching the waves below. If you like birds, you can see pelicans, hawks and vultures from the terrace - amazing! The owners and staff were really friendly and helpful. This is much more than a hotel, its a way to share in Carl and Nadia's vision of free trade and eco- responsible tourism.

• Stayed April 2010, traveled with friends
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ALLUCAN-BIGOTE

Quebec

2 reviews

 Reviews in 2 cities

“Bigote florissante”

Reviewed March 7, 2010

We found that piece of paradise on our way to see the stunning sunset at La Punta Cometa, the southernmost point of Oaxaca.
Everything from the cabanas, home cooked meals, desert beach nearby, was a delight.
Owners are friendly and gracious people.
Breakfasts are relatively expensive for what you get but are worth the try.
If you have chance go and try the little Café at la Posada del Arquitecto on the next beach down south. Best espresso coffee, adventurous guacamole and all kinds of fresh fruits smoothies at a very cheap price.
Nous reviendrons!

• Stayed March 2010, traveled with friends
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roadtripping_mexico

Mexico

2 reviews

 Reviews in 2 cities

“Unbelievable sunset in Oaxaca”

Reviewed January 24, 2010

The most extraordinary place to stay if you're looking for a quiet and romantic spot. Leave your computer and cell phone behind and just relax and enjoy the sound of the sea crashing against the beach. On top of everything, excellent service from the owners & amazing food.

• 

• Stayed December 2008, traveled as a couple
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moremexico

Mexico City

2 reviews

 Reviews in 2 cities

“Everything about it is just great”

Reviewed January 7, 2010

We loved El Copal, we loved everything about it.
The reason why I picked this place was because of its environmentally friendliness (solar energy, composting toilets, local materials, etc), but we were very surprised as soon as we got there.

Our cabaña had a lovely view to the ocean, where we actually saw whales one morning. The rooms are clean, comfortable and very private. And the open air shower is pretty cool.
We also liked that the hotel is not situated _in_ the little town of Mazunte, which means that you're at once removed from the bustle and yet it's only a short walk to go into town.
The thing we loved the most about El Copal, though? The food and the staff. Their chef is a member of Slow Food and he plans the menu for each night, all really delicious. It's a fixed menu, but you can tell them your preferences (in our case vegetarian).
We just loved it, we want to go back every year.
Nadia, Karl and Lucía, thanks for a wonderful stay!

P.S. Bring cash, no credit card terminals at El Copal and no atms at Mazunte

• Stayed December 2009, traveled as a couple

Bahía de San Agustinillo Oaxaca

Bahía de San Agustinillo

Oaxaca

Bahía de San Agustinillo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Oaxaca · San Agustinillo ... title="Bahía de San Agustinillo by Sergio Tohtli, on Flickr">...width="500" height="333" alt="Bahía de San Agustinillo"> ...
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A visit to Huatulco, Mexico – part 1

Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico

A visit to Huatulco, Mexico – part 1

I recently spent a couple of days visiting the Cosmo Residences in Huatulco, Mexico – what a beautiful place.  Quiet, serene with the most outstanding beach and ocean views and the town was beautifully clean and welcoming of the ex-pat community.

Getting there … I was travelling ‘off  season’ so there was no direct flight (that is about to change in the next couple of months which is great news) I flew to Mexico City & then caught the Interjet flight to Huatulco.

When I was making my reservations through Carlson Wagonlit, my consultant Annette advised that I should allow  around 2 hours between flights, I thought was a little odd especially as I was only going with carry-on luggage, etc.  However – thank heavens I listened!

Mexico City airport, whilst easy to navigate it is HUGE!  Everything went smoothly through the very efficient & friendly Mexican customs and immigration process (I didn’t have to wait for luggage so you would need to allow time for that).  I then had to get from the International to the Domestic terminal which was quite a hike and then check in for the flight with Interjet.  Being on the late afternoon flight was far less stressful – I knew that I had plenty of time to do everything without breaking my neck. I had time to relax and enjoy a late lunch before catching my next flight.  So a word of caution when you plan your trip if you have to make a connection – don’t even think of ‘cutting it fine’!!

Interjet was a great airline – I had not travelled with them before – I was able to book on-line, friendly staff at check-in and onboard, spacious cabin & seats, generous luggage allowance, plenty of leg room plus complimentary beverages (including alcohol) and snacks.  I would highly recommend using them if you aren’t able to get a direct flight into Huatulco.

The 1hr 10 minute flight had me arriving in Huatulco just before 6pm.  Huatulco was a very efficient airport.  It is undergoing expansion – new terminal being built and the runway has been lengthened to accommodate larger direct flights from Europe & Canada scheduled to begin later this year.

I was met by the concierge from Cosmo – Barbara.  She drove me to the hotel that was to be my home for the next couple of days the Camino Real Zaashila on Tongalunda bay – the adjacent bay to Arrocito bay where Cosmo is situated.

The drive took approximately 30 minutes from the airport to my hotel.  The drive will be shortened with the opening of the new 4 lane highway that is under construction and scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Barbara dropped me off at the hotel shortly before 6.45 pm – letting me know that Shaun (the owner/developer) would be picking me up at 8 for dinner!

My room at the hotel (Camino Real) was upgraded!  The bell boy loaded me & my ca bag onto the golf cart and we went careening off into the sunset on a golf cart, winding around and down towards the beach.  In a couple of minutes I found myself being escorted into my room and the drapes being pulled back to show me a fabulous beach front view complete with my own private splash pool!  WOW – however, no time to enjoy the view or the pool – I needed to shower and get myself presentable for dinner!

Right on schedule,  Shaun picked me up and we went to dinner at the Viena Restaurante & Bar, owned by a couple of ex-pats (Austrian I believe). It was wonderful to sit on the raised patio, enjoying the much needed breeze as we enjoyed an excellent meal – it wasn’t Mexican but wonderful none-the-less!  Judging by the number of ex-pats at the restaurant it is obviously very popular with the ex-pat community.  Throughout the evening members of the ex-pat community would come over and say hello – Shaun is obviously known in the community – everyone enjoys living in Huatulco; it was fun to listen to each of them tell their stories; some were retired, some in the process of establishing businesses, some with young families, some living part time others living there full time – all obviously enjoying the lifestyle that living in Huatulco affords as well as the year-round almost perfect temperature.

Huatulco enjoys 6 months with no rain; in May the humidity starts to build as it signals the approach of  the rainy season – which lasts a couple of months.  It is not a constant downpour – a good storm once a day for a couple of hours – good time for a siesta. Nobody seems to be bothered by the approaching rainy season – they look forward to the ‘greening’ of everything – most of the surrounding area was certainly showing signs of needing rain – except of course for the golf course (5 minutes from Cosmo) which was a lovely shade of green where ever you looked!

Stay tuned for more  of my adventure in Huatulco…

Sue                                                                 Sue ColemanBROKER I.R.E.S. CLRA
Venture Real Estate Corp. Brokerage
Member of FIABCI
Office: 1-905-850-9488
Direct: 1-800-209-3214
Direct fax: 1-866-632-1297
E-mail: sue@suecolemanrealtor.com
Website: www.liferichrealestate.com
Website: www.suecolemanrealtor.com
Skype: suecolemaninternational

San Agustinillo: Traveler Reviews

“About to be discovered”

San Agustinillo

AlegreVancouverBC  

3,620 contributions

Vancouver BC

12

people found this review helpful

San Agustinillo is one of the “cinque terre” of Oaxaca’s coast between Huatulco airport (50km south) and Puerto Escondido airport (75km north). The five towns from east to west are Puerto Angel (the largest of the five and perhaps the least vacation-like by comparison), Zipolite (2008 pop approx 1000) another 8 km to the west and a throwback in time. A walk along the Zipolite 2km beach is a walk into the late 1960’s. There are plenty of pony tails, pot (be very careful), some nudes (most of whom should stay covered) and plenty of 30-50 peso/night hammocks to rent. The pretty, yet risky, beach is an Aussie type with plenty of rip-tides and necessary elevated lifeguard shacks. It is lined full length with accommodations and restaurants. You’ll find multi hammocks with communal toilets/showers to rooms with private toilet/shower. Food covers the whole range from corn-chips and beer at the corner store to pizza, burgers, sushi or fresh seafood on the beach. There is cell phone coverage and there are a couple of internet cafés. Next west about 5km (40/50 peso taxi) is San Agustinillo (pop approx 400) then a 10 minute walk to Mazunte (pop approx 650) and finally a 40/50peso taxi to tiny Playa Ventanilla and its crocodile lagoon to tour. Mazunte is a lovely swimable, but unguarded beach lined with inexpensive restaurants and a few places to rent a hammock or room. The town is larger and spreads inland a bit more than San Agustinillo as the topography is a little flatter. Like Zipolite, you’ll find internet cafes, ice, food, and accommodations although at a slower pace, especially after dark. Playa Ventanilla is not more than a nice but strong beach with limited services other than lagoon tours. Transport by colectivo (back of a pick-up truck) is quick and cheaper than a taxi. You can have your taxi give you a colectivo rate as well, meaning he adds passengers to your ride. These five towns are separated by headlands that cut off a continuous beach walk. (If surf conditions are OK you can get between Mazunte and San Agustinillo and east of San Agustinillo by beach). The coast here is hundreds of miles of sandy beaches and many lagoons punctuated by headland separations. This area lies east-west rather than north-south so the sun’s there earlier but you won’t see the sun set into the sea. The topography is mountainous so often the beaches are far from main coastal highway 200 if there isn’t a natural flat town site near the beach. There are many rivers draining the interior between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido and they all have riverside communities although most are a distance upstream from the beach. These five towns are the main exceptions in the area. (calling Playa Ventanilla “a town” is being generous). San Agustinillo is a one km long town that lines both sides of the paved roadway that connects the five towns and runs just west of highway 200, the west coast highway that runs the length of the coast. The businesses are small stores, accommodations and restaurants. Once a turtle processing area, the town is now supported mainly by small scale tourism. It’s on the cusp and about to be discovered. There are about 30 restaurants and you’d guess that someone held a cooking school because the flavourful food is superbly prepared at all the restaurants. Meals are similar at most restaurants although a few have specialized. Two across from each other specialize in wood-roasted chicken. Two or three have wood fired pizza fornos and at least one more has a conventional metal pizza oven. Most serve pasta as well as shrimp, octopus, chicken and fish. Breakfast and good Oaxacan coffee is everywhere. It’s unlikely you’ll find a bad meal anywhere, but you will find some price differences. Most beer is 15 pesos and margaritas are around 45 pesos. A dinner might be 70-80 pesos (2008). Pizza a little less. Wine offered is often Chilean at about 150 pesos/bottle. The small stores sell beer for a little less and wine for half that. Tequila in the stores is cheaper than the Mex City duty free. These stores have pretty much everything you’ll need. That includes canned goods, fresh fruit, yogurt and packaged juices including Clamato (across from the library) for Canadians who can’t go without a Caesar fix. There are a few fresh juice stands along the roadway. If you want cheaper beer you have to find the deposito. Ice is available at Restaurante Lupita for 20 pesos for a large bag of cubes. Bring a cooler bag or buy a 20 peso plastic bucket which can be used for everything from a beer cooler to a laundry tub (or take laundry to the laundromat behind the very popular Un Secreto café.) The beach is the main draw in San Agustinillo (28C/82F water temp in Dec). There is no night life at all. This is a safe beach about 2km long. The sand is darker and a wee bit coarser than the coral coloured powder of the east coast, but certainly a delight. The ocean changes every hour with the tides and the offshore conditions. The waves, at least around New Years, were thunderous and large but the shallow configuration between the headlands eliminates the riptides and undertows that intimidate along much of the west coast. Some days were good for board surfing, some for boogie boarding (both available to rent) or for body surfing. All days were good for being in the water all day. Keep in mind that the sea will change with the seasons and the strongest seas appear June through August. For 150 pesos/person you can take a guided 25 foot panga and explore nearby beaches, go fishing or swim with sea tortoises. Accommodation runs from very rustic to quite elegant particularly with a mini building boom taking place. Some nice looking accommodations include Cabañas Punta Placer and its brand new next door neighbour La Termit. Nearby are El Pelicano restaurant’s new rooms and there are rooms above the internet café (internet is 15 pesos/hr). See http://www.tomzap.com/atinillo.html#hotels for more hotel info. See the Trip Advisor reviews under San Agustinillo hotels for Un Sueño, a particular favourite. (http://www.unsueno.com/html/index.html) Sports Bar? None that I found, but as tourism expands someone will set up World Cup, NHL and NFL via satellite. Bugs were not a big issue in December as mosquitoes are not around. Ankle biting fleas or gnats stay away in the day, but can be a nuisance after dark. There are numerous sources for bug spray and all SPF’s of sunscreen about town. There are a couple of small pharmacies for over-the-counter meds. There is a library and that’s a good place to drop off books you are through with. It is also a good information source about the town. Cell phone coverage is restricted to Puerto Angel, Zipolite and the main service centre town of Pochutla. Pochutla is 30 minutes away by taxi for 100 pesos. It is a hot and crowded but interesting non-tourist business town of approx 15,000 and has everything from full groceries, ice chests to meat etc. It has a hospital and its two or three ATM’s are the only ones between the ATM at the Huatulco airport and those at Puerto Escondido. The closest airport is Huatulco airport located halfway between the Huatulco resort and golf centre and Pochutla. The airport has fixed taxi rates and San Agustinillo fits between the Mazunte posted 1100 pesos and Zipolite’s 900. That means $US100 (2008) and compares to 300 pesos from the taxi stand (sitio) just outside the airport gate 100 feet from the terminal. The drive is an hour whether it is by way of Zipolite and the bouncy but more interesting secondary road or doubling back via Mazunte on the smoother highway 200. The airport, by the way, has a bar, restaurant and a few shops outside. Once past security there is an air conditioned room and a limited chips and drink cart. The airport has cell service and Wi-Fi. Bottom line? San Agustinillo is a special place that is about to be “discovered” and a huge welcome contrast to the routine of an all inclusive resort.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Get the Gringo – Viva Veracruz & Viva Puerto Escondido

Musings from and about living in Mexico

Get the Gringo – Viva Veracruz & Viva Puerto Escondido
From here to Puerto Escondido (500 miles to the southwest) we have never been approached for mordiada. Although I have heard stories about the city of ...
www.vivaveracruz.com/blog/?p=3625

Surfline Announces Wave Of The Summer: Puerto Escondido

PRWeb – Sat, Jun 2, 2012

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Nike expands Wave of the Winter for summer-long contest at Mexican Pipeline

Huntington Beach, CA (PRWEB) June 02, 2012

Surfline is pleased to announce the inaugural Wave of the Summer event, presented by Nike, taking place at Puerto Escondido’s Playa Zicatela in Oaxaca, Mexico. Riding off the Wave of the Winter’s successful first two years, Surfline and Nike are mirroring the same concept from June 1st – August 31st, 2012 at the Mexican Pipeline.

Wave of the Summer awards the single-best ride of the season at Puerto Escondido captured on video. And with no shortage of local chargers and tube-hungry international talent consistently gracing the Zicatela waters, we’re in for a memorable first season.

The Wave of the Summer judging panel includes longtime Puerto charger/visitor, Peter Mel, local surf legends, Roger Ramirez and Roberto Salinas, and iconic Zicatela photographer, Ruben Pina. The judges will rank their top ten entries and a single winner will be determined from their collective votes.

The winner will receive $15,000 and the videographer who captures the noteworthy ride will receive $5,000. Additionally, a special Overall Performance Award, presented by the State of Oaxaca Tourism, will recognize the season’s top standout with a check for $5,000.

Nike’s Peter Jasienski explains, "It's time to elevate this very special region of the world where so many ground-breaking performances occur year after year."

Entries will be posted on Surfline.com throughout the entire contest period and a winner will be announced in early September.

Stena Chang
Surfline/Wavetrak, Inc.
(714) 374-0556
Email Information

SURFLINE ANNOUNCES WAVE OF THE SUMMER: PUERTO ...

SURFLINE ANNOUNCES WAVE OF THE SUMMER: PUERTO ...
Surfline is pleased to announce a new event -- Wave of the Summer Presented by Nike -- at Puerto Escondido, the Mexican Pipeline.
www.surfline.com/.../surfline-announces-wave-of-the-summer...

Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude June 2, 2012 1:03 pm

Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude

June 2, 2012 1:03 pm

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By DAMIEN CAVE / The New York Times

EAGER young men waving us toward empty parking spaces by an eco-tourism kiosk, two excited toddlers in the back seat, and no way to turn back: tourism hell seemed to be upon us. After a long sigh, and a glance at the pristine Pacific in front of us, we gave in.

And then the Costa Chica, as this region of Oaxaca is known, surprised us. "It's 400 pesos for a private boat tour with a guide," one of the young men said. "But if no one else shows up, you can just pay the group price."

My wife and I looked around; we were completely alone. So we ended up with a chartered boat for the price of a crowded one -- paying the equivalent of about $10 for a 90-minute trip through mangroves teeming with mating birds, lazy crocodiles and neon-green iguanas. Our guide paddled the boat quietly while identifying the animals. Our children squawked with delight, and as we re-emerged to stunning views, my wife and I stared in awe.

This stretch of surf was one of those rare places -- extremely hard to find in Mexico and the Caribbean -- with natural beauty and tourists, but not a squeeze-the-tourist attitude. There was no charge for the beach chairs at the waterfront; no waitresses waving plastic menus to coax us inside. Instead, chefs in open-air kitchens offered to cook us affordable food not on the menu if it meant our kids would eat. Then toys, a cat or a playmate (same age as our children, occasionally nude) would often magically appear as we were seated.

The friendliness seemed unforced during our four-night stay at a rented house in San Agustinillo this spring. And it was a counterpoint to the monstrous waves and dangerous undertows that have kept the area from being overrun. Indeed, the Costa Chica was once hardly fit for tourists. For decades, the four small neighboring towns here -- Zipolite, San Agustinillo, Mazunte and Ventanilla -- were nearly empty except for fishermen hunting sea turtles or harvesting their eggs. Residents said the golden sand was often covered with turtle entrails, and with roads that were rocky at best, boats were the preferred form of transportation.

That all began to change in the 1980s, as the turtle population dwindled and the first mass of Italian tourists arrived. When the Mexican government banned turtle hunting in 1990, the coast here became a test case for how to shift from an industry that created environmental degradation to others that are eco-friendly. And now, with investment from government, nonprofits and green-minded businesses (like the Body Shop founder who helped establish a cosmetics co-op run by local women) the shift is nearly complete.

The fishermen here still occasionally pull in sharks despite pressure from the government and locals to end the practice; we saw (and smelled) carcasses from our table at La Termita during an otherwise enjoyable dinner of brick-oven pizza. But mostly, the area has found its sustainable groove. Much of the new construction is built to blend in with the surroundings, walkers outnumber drivers, and several business owners are now raving about plans for solar-powered streetlights.

"They're doing a good job," said Hugo Ascención López, 37, the owner of Arte Sano, an artisan shop in San Agustinillo. His story was a typical one. He came here for a brief visit from the city of Puebla 10 years ago, then quickly decided to move here. "In the city, there is no time for anything," he said, as his dog and 2-year-old son showed my own children around the store. "I wanted a different take on life, and this is something simpler."

Local residents who have been here longer are equally proud, showing off their cooking ingredients, or the parrots that seem to be the favored mascot. San Agustinillo has more charm than the other three towns on the coast, with its smaller beach, its preference for cafes and its handful of newer, upscale hotels like Punta Placer (Pleasure Point) and El Sueño (The Dream). From our perch in our two-bedroom house up a steep driveway -- with doors that did not lock and a terrace that lacked any sort of barrier -- we could see that the little village fell dark and quiet before midnight.

Mazunte, a 10-minute walk away, was busier. Live music blared until a loosely enforced closing time -- some said it was midnight, others guessed 2 a.m.

At sunrise, on the main road between the towns, women in baggy pants appeared with yoga mats in their arms. One of them, a young New Yorker, offered to whisk our children away for a class that would help them find their "Eye Center." (After I realized that my 3-year-old son would be more likely to scream than stretch, I turned them down.)

Breakfast seemed to extend into the afternoon at the restaurants on Mazunte's main drag, where young backpackers finished their eggs and hitched rides to Puerto Escondido or Huatulco, the two nearest cities -- each about an hour's drive away. The cosmetics shop was filled with day-trippers from those two cities as well, some Mexican, many from colder places like Canada. But the main attractions here are the beach and the area's totem of green conversion, the Mexican Turtle Center.

As for swimming, the waves simply require caution. We swam with our children in the small coves near a series of large rocks in San Agustinillo, starting shallow then slowly moving out a little deeper. It was a great way to show my son, who had been taking swimming lessons, why the ocean needs to be respected.

The visit to the turtle center was more worry-free. An aquarium and research center showing off five of the seven turtle species found on the Mexican coast, it opened in the early '90s near what used to be a turtle slaughterhouse. The goal now, of course, is to encourage conservation, and when we visited, fresh paint suggested its recent renovation and expansion. David Armando Rojas, a biologist at the center, told us that the welcome center and all the turtle displays would be upgraded by the end of the year.

What we found was simple but satisfying. Giant sea turtles, known as golfinas in Spanish and olive ridleys in English, raced around an aboveground pool just a few yards from crashing waves. Tourists mingled with a staff that interacted warmly with the crowd. At one point, a volunteer guided a blind man, his blind wife and their two children through the hatchery, placing 15-day old turtles the size of biscuits into their hands. The children, who looked to be about 8 and 6, giggled with delight.

"A lot of people in Mexico still see turtles as food," Mr. Armando said. "It's easier to convince the kids, to make them more conscientious, and then they will convince their parents not to eat them."

THERE was definitely no turtle on the menus we saw. We ate almost as well as anywhere else in Mexico, but for less money. The dorado steamed with cheese and Sacred Herb (no, not that herb) at Olas Altas in San Agustinillo was fresh, simple and heavenly. Lunch for all cost 315 pesos, or $23 at 13.70 pesos to the dollar; beers were less than 20 pesos each.

Italian cuisine a few doors down, the pizza at La Termita and the fantastic risotto with Gorgonzola and guava at Punta Placer, also made us want to come back for a longer stay, without the children. Both restaurants offered views of the water at sunset, while reminding us that wherever Italians show up (we found them in Zanzibar too) good food, wine and coffee usually follow.

The lodging options also made us long for a second trip. Pan de Miel, sitting on the cliffs between San Agustinillo and Mazunte, has rooms for about 1,500 pesos a night that allow travelers to take in amazing views without interruption from children. (They aren't allowed.) Rooms costing far less are at least as common at other hotels, many within earshot of the waves.

And the waves are important -- loud and large, they define this place. We arrived with a healthy respect for them, or maybe fear, having read about the young Mexican wife of Francisco Goldman, a well-known author, who died in 2007 from injuries she suffered during a bodysurfing accident in Mazunte.

But for us, the threat of the beach could not be separated from the area's appeal. The tubes of green surf rolling along the empty beach at Ventanilla and the undertow at San Agustinillo that pulled heavy rocks out to sea with ease were a perfect match for the cactus plants and palm trees, and even the fishermen hunting sharks. They all reflected a Mexico in (less sanitized) form, rough and raw, still dominated by nature and the struggle for identity.

This is not the Mexico of Cancún, or even fashion-friendly, high-end Tulum on the calm Caribbean. We swam mostly at low tide. We met people we saw again and again. In a country filled with resorts emphasizing tourist convenience and the hunt for tourist dollars (I'm looking at you Ixtapa, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta), the Costa Chica is a mix of risk and reward well worth making.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
First Published June 2, 2012 1:01 pm

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/life/travel/mexico-without-the-crowds-or-attitude-638652/#ixzz1wpmrNHSN

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Really the best place in San Agustinillo

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Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude

Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude - BajaNomad Forums - "Peace ...
The friendliness seemed unforced during our four-night stay at a rented in San Agustinillo this spring. And it was a counterpoint to the monstrous waves and ...
forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=60439 






Mexico Without the Crowds, or Attitude


From The New York Times

"EAGER young men waving us toward empty parking spaces by an eco-tourism kiosk, two excited toddlers in the back seat, and no way to turn back: tourism hell seemed to be upon us. After a long sigh, and a glance at the pristine Pacific in front of us, we gave in.

And then the Costa Chica, as this region of Oaxaca is known, surprised us. "It's 400 pesos for a private boat tour with a guide," one of the young men said. "But if no one else shows up, you can just pay the group price."

My wife and I looked around; we were completely alone. So we ended up with a chartered boat for the price of a crowded one - paying the equivalent of about $10 for a 90-minute trip through mangroves teeming with mating birds, lazy crocodiles and neon-green iguanas. Our guide paddled the boat quietly while identifying the animals. Our children squawked with delight, and as we re-emerged to stunning views, my wife and I stared in awe.

This stretch of surf was one of those rare places - extremely hard to find in Mexico and the Caribbean - with natural beauty and tourists, but not a squeeze-the-tourist attitude. There was no charge for the beach chairs at the waterfront; no waitresses waving plastic menus to coax us inside. Instead, chefs in open-air kitchens offered to cook us affordable food not on the menu if it meant our kids would eat. Then toys, a cat or a playmate (same age as our children, occasionally nude) would often magically appear as we were seated.

The friendliness seemed unforced during our four-night stay at a rented in San Agustinillo this spring. And it was a counterpoint to the monstrous waves and dangerous undertows that have kept the area from being overrun. Indeed, the Costa Chica was once hardly fit for tourists. For decades, the four small neighboring towns here - Zipolite, San Agustinillo, Mazunte and Ventanilla - were nearly empty except for fishermen hunting sea turtles or harvesting their eggs. Residents said the golden sand was often covered with turtle entrails, and with roads that were rocky at best, boats were the preferred form of transportation.

That all began to change in the 1980s, as the turtle population dwindled and the first mass of Italian tourists arrived. When the Mexican government banned turtle hunting in 1990, the coast here became a test case for how to shift from an industry that created environmental degradation to others that are eco-friendly. And now, with investment from government, nonprofits and green-minded businesses (like the Body Shop founder who helped establish a cosmetics co-op run by local women) the shift is nearly complete.

The fishermen here still occasionally pull in sharks despite pressure from the government and locals to end the practice; we saw (and smelled) carcasses from our table at La Termita during an otherwise enjoyable dinner of brick-oven pizza. But mostly, the area has found its sustainable groove. Much of the new construction is built to blend in with the surroundings, walkers outnumber drivers, and several business owners are now raving about plans for solar-powered streetlights.

"They're doing a good job," said Hugo Ascención López, 37, the owner of Arte Sano, an artisan shop in San Agustinillo. His story was a typical one. He came here for a brief visit from the city of Puebla 10 years ago, then quickly decided to move here. "In the city, there is no time for anything," he said, as his dog and 2-year-old son showed my own children around the store. "I wanted a different take on life, and this is something simpler."

Local residents who have been here longer are equally proud, showing off their cooking ingredients, or the parrots that seem to be the favored mascot. San Agustinillo has more charm than the other three towns on the coast, with its smaller beach, its preference for cafes and its handful of newer, upscale hotels like Punta Placer (Pleasure Point) and El Sueño (The Dream). From our perch in our two-bedroom house up a steep driveway - with doors that did not lock and a terrace that lacked any sort of barrier - we could see that the little village fell dark and quiet before midnight.

Mazunte, a 10-minute walk away, was busier. Live music blared until a loosely enforced closing time - some said it was midnight, others guessed 2 a.m.

At sunrise, on the main road between the towns, women in baggy pants appeared with yoga mats in their arms. One of them, a young New Yorker, offered to whisk our children away for a class that would help them find their "Eye Center." (After I realized that my 3-year-old son would be more likely to scream than stretch, I turned them down.)

Breakfast seemed to extend into the afternoon at the restaurants on Mazunte's main drag, where young backpackers finished their eggs and hitched rides to Puerto Escondido or Huatulco, the two nearest cities - each about an hour's drive away. The cosmetics shop was filled with day-trippers from those two cities as well, some Mexican, many from colder places like Canada. But the main attractions here are the beach and the area's totem of green conversion, the Mexican Turtle Center.

As for swimming, the waves simply require caution. We swam with our children in the small coves near a series of large rocks in San Agustinillo, starting shallow then slowly moving out a little deeper. It was a great way to show my son, who had been taking swimming lessons, why the ocean needs to be respected.

The visit to the turtle center was more worry-free. An aquarium and research center showing off five of the seven turtle species found on the Mexican coast, it opened in the early '90s near what used to be a turtle slaughterhouse. The goal now, of course, is to encourage conservation, and when we visited, fresh paint suggested its recent renovation and expansion. David Armando Rojas, a biologist at the center, told us that the welcome center and all the turtle displays would be upgraded by the end of the year.

What we found was simple but satisfying. Giant sea turtles, known as golfinas in Spanish and olive ridleys in English, raced around an aboveground pool just a few yards from crashing waves. Tourists mingled with a staff that interacted warmly with the crowd. At one point, a volunteer guided a blind man, his blind wife and their two children through the hatchery, placing 15-day old turtles the size of biscuits into their hands. The children, who looked to be about 8 and 6, giggled with delight.

"A lot of people in Mexico still see turtles as food," Mr. Armando said. "It's easier to convince the kids, to make them more conscientious, and then they will convince their parents not to eat them."

THERE was definitely no turtle on the menus we saw. We ate almost as well as anywhere else in Mexico, but for less money. The dorado steamed with cheese and Sacred Herb (no, not that herb) at Olas Altas in San Agustinillo was fresh, simple and heavenly. Lunch for all cost 315 pesos, or $23 at 13.70 pesos to the dollar; beers were less than 20 pesos each.

Italian cuisine a few doors down, the pizza at La Termita and the fantastic risotto with Gorgonzola and guava at Punta Placer, also made us want to come back for a longer stay, without the children. Both restaurants offered views of the water at sunset, while reminding us that wherever Italians show up (we found them in Zanzibar too) good food, wine and coffee usually follow.

The lodging options also made us long for a second trip. Pan de Miel, sitting on the cliffs between San Agustinillo and Mazunte, has rooms for about 1,500 pesos a night that allow travelers to take in amazing views without interruption from children. (They aren't allowed.) Rooms costing far less are at least as common at other hotels, many within earshot of the waves.

And the waves are important - loud and large, they define this place. We arrived with a healthy respect for them, or maybe fear, having read about the young Mexican wife of Francisco Goldman, a well-known author, who died in 2007 from injuries she suffered during a bodysurfing accident in Mazunte.

But for us, the threat of the beach could not be separated from the area's appeal. The tubes of green surf rolling along the empty beach at Ventanilla and the undertow at San Agustinillo that pulled heavy rocks out to sea with ease were a perfect match for the cactus plants and palm trees, and even the fishermen hunting sharks. They all reflected a Mexico in (less sanitized) form, rough and raw, still dominated by nature and the struggle for identity.

This is not the Mexico of Cancún, or even fashion friendly, high-end Tulum on the calm Caribbean. We swam mostly at low tide. We met people we saw again and again. In a country filled with resorts emphasizing tourist convenience and the hunt for tourist dollars (I'm looking at you Ixtapa, Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta), the Costa Chica is a mix of risk and reward well worth making." 

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain

"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna

“…for he who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealing with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”
—Immanuel Kant