Visitors' Comments on
Puerto Angel

Cyber Vacation

Macas

Yann Bellec
camping.les.mouettes@wanadoo.fr
December 2000

Looking for Polo and Mari   FOUND

Matteo, Juuli and Alfred
Juuliali@aol.com
December 2000

Reservations in Puerto Angel

JPLibera2@gateway.net
December 2000

Booking for Christmas/New Years or Easter holidays should be done about 3 months in advance. However, in the Puerto Angel area, many hotels do no have telephones and so they don't take many reservations. It will be difficult to find a room, as it will in any location in Mexico that is attractive to tourists, but not impossible. You can try in Puerto Angel and if you have no luck, then try in the communities to the west (Zipolite, Mazunte, Agustinillo, etc.) There is a new posada in Agustinillo that may have vacancies. You can email the owners, Jeff and Ana, at tierrapin@hotmail.com. -Tom

Posada Cañon Devata

We want a "getaway" experience away from crowds with nice beaches for snorkeling and swimming. Smallish village environment to walk in maybe some nice mountain areas for hiking, etc. And to eat avocados, fruit and fish! Also looking for a simple and pleasant affordable place(s) to stay while there in the area for 2 weeks. Having never been to Mexico I want to arrive and enjoy an uncomplicated enjoyable holiday.

Can you recommend anywhere in particular? What about up in Yelapa? Too touristy? I appreciate anything that you can share. Thanks so much.

Marie
USA
mariemadrone@hotmail.com
December 2000

Posada Cañon Devata Update

Ann Dunstan
London
mailto:ann.dunstan@bbc.co.uk
December 2000

Looking for Apartment of Condo

Jon De West
j_dewest@hotmail.com
December 2000

Two Strikes for Hotel Soraya

Another good place to stay is Hotel Buena Vista. I was there in November 2000. They gave me a room for 200 pesos and I upgraded to an even better one with a view for 250. Very nice restaurant as well.

I also checked out Canon Devata again. It is quite a bit more low key than last year. How could it not be, considering they have no phone or mailbox. Kali is gone, but Mateo and an American guy are running it. Some of the amenities are missing which bothered one guy there, but I liked it. It's not as new agey which is fine by me. Still very cool.

Another place I like in PA is the restaurant in the middle of the sea wall, up the stairs. Great food, great view. I don't know the name.

I love this part of the world. And thanks to Tom for providing this web site.

Bruce Conrad
baconrad@mindspring.com
November 2000

House for rent or sale

francoise
FREMORDET@webtv.net
November 2000

I read the visitors comments on Puerto Angel from your site. The latest comment was from Francoise Fremordet who wanted to sale or rent the place he has in P.A. Maybe his e-mail address was wrong or something but I just couldn't send the message, it always came back with the note: error this, error that. do you have the address? me and my fellow students (6 person) are going to Oaxaca in December 30th and are desperately trying t find accommodation in P.Escondido or P.Angel, but it's very hard at that time. Do you have any tips for us? We would very thankful from anything... greetings from cold and dark Finland. -Jan, jkondo@ladybird.helsinki.fi

No No No to Hotel LaCabaña

Louise
nyclucrc@capital.net
November 2000

Charter Fishing?

Hotel Soraya? Hotel Hell!

Frankly, we went there based on your comments on the web site (which we otherwise found to be very informative) and that this is where you said you stay when in Puerto Angel. To our mind, camping under a boat at Playa Principal would have been preferable.

We were charged $450 pesos for one of the air-conditioned rooms, which we felt a bit high, but acceptable. Of course that was before we understood that we would be charged for a bottle of water (and charged more than the tienda next door charged), that the food in the restaurant was as poisonous as it was unpalatable, or that the place was grossly mismanaged by the most hateful, surly couple we've ever encountered. The room was quite large and because we were tired and wanted to spend more time snorkeling than hanging out in the room, we decided to overlook the exposed light bulbs, the fact that there were no drinking glasses and only one towel and bar of soap for the two of us, and only one lock of marginal function on the main door, the dark hallways, and the dimly lighted steep driveway.

Almost as soon as we checked in, we noticed that the seat of the toilet was broken (actually, a rather large piece of it fell in the toilet when I lifted the lid). Because it was Saturday night, we decided that we could cope with this inconvenience, so we didn't demand another room. This was not our first mistake; our first mistake was checking in at all.

We decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. Puerto Angel is a fishing village so one would anticipate succulent, fresh fish. Not at Hotel Soraya! Our unrecognizable fish tasted as if it had been cooked in aging, nearly rancid oil and seasoned with some unknown, equally aged spices; the tortillas were burned; the sopa, unpalatable. What little we ate made us sick (causing the broken toilet seat to become more of an issue than we had anticipated). During dinner, the ancient owner of the facility came up to our table and, instead of welcoming us to the establishment as one might expect, demanded to know if we were staying at the hotel and when we replied that we were, he rudely informed us that we must give him our key since we were out of the room. (One would hardly think that a trip to the hotel restaurant would require detouring to the office to drop off the key, but apparently so.) He then came back a few minutes later and even more rudely demanded to know which vehicle we'd arrived in. At that point, we decided to write him off as "eccentric."

The next day, after some terrific snorkeling at Playa Estacahuite, we picked up the key and were told by a woman at the desk (who by then had the broken piece of the toilet seat) that it would be replaced the next day. She professed not to speak English and frankly our Spanish doesn't cover fixing toilet seats; we figured it was Sunday and possibly the part wasn't available.

The next morning we were leaving early (needless to say, we did not eat at the restaurant in the hotel again) and wanted to get some breakfast and decided to check out. The woman from the day before -- whose English had remarkably improved during the night and who, by the same miracle, had acquired a whole new toilet seat -- accused us of breaking the toilet seat in our room, called my sister a liar(!) when she explained that it was broken when we arrived, and demanded $100 pesos to replace the thing. (We aren't even sure how one could break a toilet seat without standing on it -- and we certainly did not stand on the toilet -- we had to put up with it being broken for two days, when she had a replacement that was not installed during our stay, and then suffer the indignity of paying more than the replacement cost of something that was obviously falling apart from age -- as was everything else in the place.) We ended up giving her the money so that we could get our passport wallets, which we had checked at the desk, and get out of that horrible place.

We are hardy travelers and we've stayed in some pretty challenging situations, but never have we had to confront such miserable accommodations coupled with such hateful, inept and surly management. There is absolutely no redeeming merit to this place (from the door that kept unlocking itself, to the sand in the bedspread, to the lizards that lived under the sink, to the poisonous food, the inadequate lighting and dangerous, exposed electrical wiring, to the blatant exploitation and verbal abuse of guests).

Please, please reconsider your recommendation of this place.

N. Donnelly & E. Ford
San Francisco, California
nisa.donnell@ucop.edu (email doesn't work)
November 2000

Any New About Posada Cañon de Vata?

Whilst I am pleased to see it has re-opened its doors, is there any news on when we can book and what other changes will be taking place - I think I understand Kali to be leaving??

Waiting and wondering in London,
Helen
Helen.Kasparian@bskyb.com
November 2000

Returning for New Years

We are planning to return to Puerto Angel for New Year's again this year accompanied by two close friends. After telling them about the incredible beauty and laid back atmosphere of the Posada, we were devastated to learn it was closed. Today, while exploring your info on the internet, I read the good news that it has reopened. However, I also read your note that they are not taking reservations at this time. We are reluctant to take a chance on availability at that time of year without a reservation or some form of contact with the Posada.

Bob Lacroix
bergy@platinum1.com
October 2000

Dear Wes, Ever since your email first appeared regarding a 200usd monthly rental budget, I've been waiting for someone else to write with the bad news. Since noone has, I guess I'll have to break it to you. That accommodation budget might have sufficed a decade or two ago, but not now. At best, it might get you a shared bath room in a palapa on Zipolite, but even the Casas de Huespedes are going to be more than that in Puerto Angel, forget Huatulco. I hope that budget was room only and not food too, or you'd best be looking for a hammock to rent under a palapa roof. Inflation...-John M. Williams, sharkbait69@yahoo.com

Looking for a Place to Rent

I am visiting Mexico for the first half of next year and I am after information regarding the renting of accommodation on a monthly basis in areas surrounding Puerto Escondido and Zipolite. My budget will be up to US$200 per month.

Wesley James
wesolegend@hotmail.com
October 2000

Chepe - or Juan Jose de Nova Reyes?

Anyone know of what happened to Chepe - or Juan Jose de Nova Reyes? I'm an old friend who has lost touch since I returned to Scotland and got married. I think he's also married - perhaps to Kali - I just wanted to say hello and find out how he is doing.

Thanks for a great web site.

Mandy McCulloch (nee Hamilton)
mandy.mcculloch@dunedin.co.uk
October 2000

Posada Cañon Devata Reopens

Darshan Lopez
janedarshan@yahoo.com
October 2000

The Posada Cañon Devata is not taking reservations because there is no way to contact them at this time. Please do not contact Darshan for reservations at the Posada. -Tom

We Did It!

Jeff and Ana
tierrapin@hotmail.com
October 2000

Looking for a Place to Stay

robert sutton
rjsutton@telusplanet.net October 2000

Memories and Daydreams

I hope to return to Mexico soon, and maybe take in the rest of Central America too. For now, my memories and photographs, as well as your website will have to do!

Andrew Ellis
aellis80@hotmail.com
September 2000

La Posada Cañon Devata

There are a couple of realtors you could contact: Saa-Iba and Ideal Properties. And there is a bungalow for rent in Puerto Angel. -Tom

Audiobook: Out of the Blue

David Kendall Grant M.S.Ed., Ph.D.
dgrant@sowega.net
www.mp3.com/davidkendallgrant/
August 2000

See David's Visitor's Comment at the time of Hurricane Paulina. -Tom

Looking for Paradiso

Tina
Tina.Siebenmann@mediacom.de
August 2000

I don't know about that place. If it is in Zipolite then it may not have a telephone. Maybe someone else can help. -Tom

Could they be looking for the Paraiso Escondido in Puerto Escondido? -jembra@silk.net

Luggage storage in Huatulco or Puerto Angel

Now I am preparing to return to Mexico later this year. I am planning to spend a week on the Oaxaca coast after climbing Orizaba and do not look forward to lugging around my climbing gear. My plans to sleep in a hammock on Zipolite would be out of the question. Do you know of a safe place to store things in Huatulco or Puerto Angel? Thanks.

Evan Dorward
edorward@hotmail.com
August 2000

Want to Rent in Mazunte/Augustinillo

Michael and Kate Kelley
beachkak@adsnet.com
August 2000

Posada Cañon Devata Closed

Dear Tom, Why did La Posada Canon Devata close?

Tom Sheforgen
trswwbda@itis.com
August 2000 I too would like to know why La Posada is closed down. I've been visiting there for more than 15 years, I spent three weeks there in February, 2000, and am concerned. Is Kali or Darshan sick or has some natural disaster of one kind or another beset them? I'll miss them as much as the hotel. I just hope its nothing too bad. Roger Doyle
roger@port-columbus.com
August 2000

My friend, Carlos, in Huatulco has checked this out for us. The Devata is closed for renovations. No word on when it will reopen. -Tom

The French are Coming

Patricia
matesco@cybercable.fr
July 2000

Puesta del Sol Bungalow

All this for $400 a week. We spent a week there in May and had a difficult time coming back!

The house is in a neighborhood off the main road, so it's best to have private transportation. We managed without, by walking to the main road (10 min) and catching cabs or colectivos to either town or Zipolite. Or you can just walk the whole distance, of course.

Highly wonderful. Go to the website at http://www.puertoangel.net/

Stefan Frazier
stefann@sfsu.edu
June 2000

Not Too Gaudy

When we arrived in PE, we shared a cab with a man who had a house in PE and told us somewhat disparagingly that we were headed for the touristy part of town. It was night, and we were driven to the end of Perez Gasga, which was blocked off to automobile traffic. I couldn't believe how horrible it was at first sight: it was lit up, gaudy, lights strung across the street. I hated it immediately. We walked down to the Hotel Casa Blanca in the middle of Perez Gasga, didn't like it much but had no choice since that was where the airline would be delivering our bags. Perez Gasga is gaudy and commercial. We walked on the beach which was depressingly lit up with flood lights. This was hardly our idyllic beach vacation come true. Commercial, loud and gaudy. The next morning we had breakfast at a mediocre restaurant on the beach, that served us instant Nescafe (!) We went to a beach away from the main beach towards Zicatela, and had a nice couple hours lounging on the beach and playing in the waves, though I was thinking the whole time: as soon as our bags arrive I have to leave. It was horrid. I thought: Puerto Angel would be much better.

We went to the travel agency in town to see about renting a car to drive to Puerto Angel. We talked to a fellow traveler and I told him I hated PE. He assured me I would like PA, and advised us to bargain with a taxi driver to get a ride to Puerto Angel for 300 pesos. He told me I would like Posada Canon Devata in PA. (He was right on all accounts.)

We went back to Hotel Casa Blanca, our luggage arrived, and the people working there tried to get us to hire a friend of theirs to drive us for 450 pesos. We hailed a cab, got the price of 300 pesos and left PE behind. I was thrilled.

We had a wonderful time in Puerto Angel and back again in Oaxaca. I hear that there are nicer areas to stay in PE, and maybe our experience would have been better.

Louise
New York
Dupreee@aol.com
April 2000

Do You Know Pato & Julio Cabrera?

Tomaso Gobbi
gubash@freesurf.ch
April 2000

Need a Hotel

Mireya Escalante
mireya@dsi.com.mx
April 2000

Water Too Cold

The water temperature listed on your website for Oaxaca is 80 degrees. As you must know, right now it is not even close to that. I couldn't believe how chilly it was. Not much better than California in the fall. We still had a great time on our vacation, but the water temperature was one of the single most deciding factors for us to venture down to your area instead of Hawaii, our favorite vacation spot. We were quite surprised when we got in the water. Everyone told us while we were there that it was a freak of nature, that the water had never been this cold in all the time they had been there- some for 30 years plus.

It would be great if your website reflected the true current water temperature's and had an explanation to go along with it that helped better informed a person who was planning a trip down there. Thanks for the work and beautiful layout that you have put together on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.

. PS. Why don't you have pictures of your place in La Boquilla on the website?

Rahman D'Amato
rahman@tdl.com
April 2000

According to my source, The Weather Underground, the water temperature is now up to 85°. Of course, I don't think they've actually tried swimming in it--they do it with satellites or something. At any rate, that's the best I can do with the temperature.

The reason there are no pictures of La Boquilla is because no one has sent me any.

Tom

Humberto?

Jessa Morrison
Calgary, Canada
jessamorrison@hotmail.com
April, 2000

Phil & Dave's "Mexcellent" Adventure

When it was time to go Hubert offered us a ride to La Crucecita to a place his friend owned for our last night. It was hotel Las Palmas and his friend and owner was a gentleman by the name Willem or Memo. Well this guy knows everybody and everything. Deluxe rooms-hot water-air cond. and even toilet seats. The restaurant rivals some of the best I've seen in Chicago for quality and service. Again Willem knows where everything is and speaks perfect English. Took Dave and I another 5 days to leave this party. This is a must for anyone looking to stay away from the ugly Americans at the large resorts. p.s. the women are still fine in Zipolite but so are the thieves.

Also beat the large Mexican school teacher arm wrestling at Shandors palapa 3 times. Thanks for the web site.

phil(hoss)chicago
PSFLEETMAN@aol.com
March 2000

In Response to a Question about Beaches ...

If it's your first time in the area, I'd stay at each beach a few nights (the are no more than 1 to 20 miles from each other) and enjoy the variety. The best beach (there are 2) in Puerto Angel is Playa Panteón and not the Playa Principal which is steeper - therefore more turbulence - and since it's where the fishing commerce goes on it's dirtier. I'd even recommend staying at one of the hotels that are on the Playa Panteón side of the bay which is Puerto Angel. While in Puerto, don't miss a day at Playa Estacahuite just up the road towards Pochutla about 150 yards past where the town ends you'll see a dirt road drop down off to the right and there's usually a sign with the beach's name on it. Go about 500 meters and the road ends (at this point no more than a wide trail) at the sea and you turn left down some steps to the beach - we like the first little beach and the first little palapa hut restaurant... fresh fish fillets and fries and tostadas and a soft drink for about $2 US dollars.

In Zipolite you will find more of an 18 to late twenties crowd and it's got kind of a hippie/backpacker feel to it... drugs are definitely there if you are looking for that... which we aren't so we just hang out there during the day... and even then not frequently. But, Zipolite is beautiful no debate there :-)

Mazunte is our favorite... that's mostly due to the Alta Mira... we love it. It's incredibly beautiful and charming and I've never heard anyone not let out some sort of positive exclamation when they first look out from the registration area toward the sea. The last time we were there - late Oct. 1999 - it still didn't have hot water, but then we used that as leverage to get the price lower and it was such a nice temperature outside that a brisk shower felt good.... usually :-) Again if you are planning on staying at the Alta Mira during March a high season, make sure you call or contact the Hotel Buena Vista (958) 958-43104 (voice/fax) for reservations... or if that is not possible, you could always get lucky and just walk up and see if there's any space. The Buena Vista is in Puerto Angel (it's nice, but not RIGHT on the beach - their website http://www.labuenavista.com). Mazunte has little in the way of nightlife... but there are always interesting people from all over the world to talk to and the dinners at the Alta Mira are long and relaxed so there's plenty of time for conversation and exchanging travel tales.

Tim Gulick
timgulick@usa.net
February 2000

Fishing for Roosterfish?

Lach
lelting@colliers-lomelin.com.mx
February 2000

Dogs in Hotels, Renting a House

- Since we are going to travel with our dog (a black lab name Georges), can somebody who had this experience tell us if it's possible to rent hotel or motel rooms for a night with a dog?

- Does anybody know how we can find a house to rent for a period of 3 months that is cheaper than those usually announce on the internet?

Michel and Christine
Quebec, Canada
michel.leduc2@sympatico.ca
February 2000

I would like to help people connect with budget home rentals, but I don't know of any. I hear they exist, but I don't have the specifics. - Tom

Buying Property

Tony
staltari@quixnet.net
February 2000

Puesta del Sol

Enlace
enlace@pobox.com
February 2000

Where to Run

Does anyone have any suggestions for routes around the area, without TOO much altitude gain? Also, any comments on safety for a gringo running the back roads alone? I'll only have my water bottle, and night school Spanish to defend myself with = )

chris-farquhar@home.com
February 2000

Bussing from Acapulco

I then went to look for a bus. There are two terminals in Acapulco, one just north of Parque Papagayo and one N of the Zócalo on Avenida Ejido (Estrella Blanca). The Ejido station has the ONLY buses heading to Escondido or Pochutla. They leave at 3:30 AM! Buy your tickets in advance for $189 Pesos ($21). This is for an 8-9 hour 1st class "semi-directo" bus. It is an older bus with no toilet and stops at a few towns to pick up passengers but there will be no food break or bathroom break unless you ask, and then be quick. Going back west from Pochutla there are five of the same buses going to Acapulco daily and for the same price (there are other "ordinario" second class busses also; not recommended unless you are broke).

Contrary to what the map says this is not a scenic trip, a night journey is best and seemed to be safe and secure. The 1st class semi-directo leaves daily at 6AM, 10AM, 3PM, 7PM, and 10PM. The road west of Escondido is rough for about 100K. You can go to Oaxaca and other points from Pochutla and Escondido. There is a daily bus from Oaxaca to Puerto Angel that arrives and leaves at around 9-10 PM. This rough, winding but scenic route is still quite popular and I heard no bad comments about it. There were quite a few travelers in PA for the New Year and also at playas Zipolite, San Augustinillo, and Mazunte. The Mazunte turtle museum charges $P30 and is a nice tour. The laguna tour further west at playa Ventanilla is $P20 and quite pleasant; be sure to make time to walk this endless stretch of deserted beach. You can get there and back by cab at great expense ($10-15US from PA or Zipolite) but it is a long way and they will pick you up again at a designated time. Besides taxis most travelers use the pick-up truck "collectivos" which will get you from beach to beach ($P3) or beach to Pochutla ($P5) they can be quite crowded but are fun and efficient.

Zipolite is still alive and kicking. The New Year celebration was amazingly calm and well behaved. I saw fewer of the bothersome beach drunks and scarier/hairier ganga bums than in the past. The clientel seems to have gone upscale a notch but is still quite hip. There was not quite as much nudity as last year but thankfully it is still very much allowed. Rooms are becoming more plentiful from $10 and up $US. Hamaca spaces were $1.50-2.00 US per person. Tent space $4-5 US. These should be lower during the less popular times of the year. The vibes were very nice and the rumors I heard of crimes were few. Just use your head. Zipolite is still a beautiful and powerful beach that I would recommend to anyone who can let their hair down, get out of their clothes, watch the sun rise and then do nothing until its time to watch the sunset. If that sounds boring, please stay home.

We used cash machines and travelers checks in Pochutla with no problem. You can get by for $10-15 per day for food, maybe less if you cook your own. Sadly, beers are now about $1-1.25 US. Thanks for letting me post all this. Chao for now.

C-dog
dontfallonme@hotmail.com
January 2000

Puerto Angel Parties

Harald Ferber
Hotel "Puesta del Sol"
Fax + Tel : (+52) 958 - 43096 puesta_del_sol@puertoangel.net
January 2000

Hwy 175 Report

Dan Ellsworth
dellsworth@spersaoaxaca.com.mx
January 2000

It's A Party!

I enjoy long day rides on these routes, spending the afternoon at favorite spots around Puerto Angel. I also like to ride northwest on the coastal highway to Roca Blanc and to the summit on 131 near the Juquila cutoff. I like long hard rides followed by consumption of vast quantities of food and drink. I enjoy the heat, but this does tend to temper the pace somewhat.

At any rate, I have two questions to ask the internet community:

• Could anyone out there give me information about the current state of the pavement on the routes described above? I am a road biker, not a mountain biker, and need at least a semblance of asphalt. Funkiness is fine, and I can always walk the bike across relatively short, washed out stretches. My bike is of good quality but is old and banged up...I'm not too worried about it. The wheels are on the heavy side, and I use pretty heavy tires. I have ridden on the unpaved stretch of road from San Gabriel to Nopala which is basically hard packed dirt with occasional rocks.
• The second question is: is there anyone out there who would like to accompany me on my journeys? Years ago a friend came down, and we rode to Oaxaca via Pochutla (this was before they paved 131). We left at dawn and made it to Miahuatlán at sundown. We rolled into Oaxaca the next day at about noon. A great adventure! This year I would like to go over 131 to Oaxaca (I guess doing it in one day might be extreme) perhaps over-nighting in Sola de Vega.
• (There's a 3rd question): does anyone know of a relatively decent place to stay in Sola de Vega?

Micky Bloom
2234 Roosevelt Ave.
Berkeley Ca 94703
510-548-2572
tantes@concentric.net
November 1999

Best Way to Drive?

masunte@yahoo.com
rinconcita@yahoo.com
November 1999

The Rains in Mazunte

Mail service was interrupted by the weather, so no mail was going into or coming out of Pto Angel for awhile.

Bill Brecheen
whbassoc@earthlink.net
October 1999

Ayuda con Tesis de Robalo

Actualmente estoy en proceso de hacer mi tesis con robalo (Centropomus nigrescens) y le solicito de la maneramas atenta me diga si sera posible que me envie información que usted pueda tener de dicho tema, ya sea de su ciclo de vida, de su crecimiento, de todo lo que usted me pueda ayudar y claro, en caso de que no lo pueda hacer pues tambien le suplicaría me respondiera.

Le agradezco de antemano la atencin prestada al presente y su contestacion.

Erika Cabrera Neri.
neri@pochutla.umar.mx
Universidad del Mar
Puerto Angel, Oaxaca
Tel: (01-958) 43049
October 1999

Rincon Sabrosa, Mazunte...

We also hiked down to the beach at La Mina....beautiful! We rented a car and drove up to the waterfall near Toltepec and later up to Candelaria. The rain forest in that area is wonderful. I was impressed by the aquariums at Mazunte...much better than I expected.. Well worth the 20 pesos.

I was relieved to hear that all was well after the earthquake at the end of last month. I'm looking forward to returning soon to visit all the charming people we met on our visit to paradise.

John Mills
johncmills@earthlink.net
October 1999

The Hotel Soraya

Best food at Italian restaurant, Hotel Soraya, and on beach at cabana just around the cliffs. Got sick in Zipolite, probably from Salsa sitting out. Worst part, I hated seeing all the hungry dogs. Call me silly, but with any scraps I would venture through the town and find the starving animals. People were wonderful. Such life, such happiness. Will venture down again, and again. Loved visiting the visitor comments as we used a lot of the information before our journey. Thank you.

JL
jlprod@pacbell.net
October 1999

My God, don't pay for an armadillo! I have several that are digging up my yard as I type this. You can come take your pick for free.

The Hotel Soraya has special meaning for me because it is the first place I stayed when I first visited this area in the early '70s. Thank you for mentioning it. -Tom

Scuba Diving........Buceo en Puerto Angel

María del Carmen Porras Pérez-Guerrero
mcporras@yahoo.com
Octubre 1999

Earthquake of 9/30/99

It's incredible, isn't it, just when we think that we have it all beat, something like this comes along to put us squarely back in our place. I pray that everyone is OK. See you all soon.

Glen
gpowell@axion.net
October 1999

Close Encounters

I was stopped by Zapatista rebels (They had Zapatista on their sombreros.) just outside Oaxaca city while they surrounded my car holding up rocks and machetes. I .was the first to arrive so they calmed down after they secured the road with big trucks etc. It happened so fast--very disorienting. I was able to take pictures [5] after I calmed down and they as well . They show everything (the pictures). Funny, Mark Leyes the US consular agent in Oaxaca, insists that it is very safe here in Oaxaca State but then he owns numerous rentals that he rents to us so it is pretty difficult to rent them if he tells the truth about all the crimes against foreigners here. Hope this helps someone. Personally I think Oaxaca is the perfect place to loose your life savings and your life--more later if you print this.

Pamela Darling
padarling@hotmail.com
September 1999

Driving From Oaxaco to the Coast

Jan Tynan
(email address was not valid)
September 1999

I drove Hwy 75 last march. There were a few places where either the road was partially washed out or partially covered by a landslide, but there was always a lane open. This is typical for Hwy 75 and that is the highway I would recommend you take. Travel in the daytime only. A washed out place in the road just looks like a shadow at night. Start early in the morning so you can take your time and enjoy the beautiful scenery. It takes about 8 hours.   -Tom

Same Daniel?

JSieg10599@aol.com
September 1999

How to Contact Gundy y Tomas?

Byron Rempel
byron@CAM.ORG
September 1999

I don't know; can anyone else help? -Tom

Looking for Daniel

Siobhan & Joe
London
hgp@btinternet.com
September 1999

Puerto Angel a Paradise

In this village we met only nice local people: friendly and helpful. Unfortunately the Turtle Center was closed (on Monday), so we didn't see any turtles. After this stay we had gained energy again to continue our trip to Oaxaca.

Roel de Jong
Netherlands
rodejo@worldonline.nl
September 1999

Interes en Terreno

Mil gracias,
Diana Georg
Bubydania@aol.com
August 1999

Adventure Link

rubygro@asis.com
August 1999

Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido by Bus

Heading from Oaxaca to Puerto Escondido we took La Estrella Roja del Sureste from the second class bus terminal, hoping to duplicate the "trip" in the Oaxacan Bus adventure. Twenty years have changed things - it was a brand spanking new red Mercedes bus with padded reclining seats. Seven hours and 70 pesos and we were in Puerto Escondido.

We stayed at Beach Hotel Ines which was an excellent deal. There were no problems encountered at Puerto Escondido by my group, although I sure heard about them from others. The beach at Zicatela was pretty empty, the whole place somewhat devoid of tourists. I don't know if at was all the bad PR Puerto Escondido had been receiving or just the fact that everyone may have been in Oaxaca at La Guelaguetza.

Next we headed over to Puerto Angel using Estrella Blanca. I found Puerto Angel to be much more exotic than Escondido, the circular bay and surrounding hills creating an impressive vista. Contrary to some of the guidebooks, the beach was spotless and the water crystal clear. We stayed at Posada Canon Devata a naturalistic tropical paradise. It is highly recommended.

While at Puerto Angel I talked to a number of the locals - all assured me that there was a conscious effort on the part of the community to keep the problems out. At no time did we ever encounter any difficulties - we even walked back from Zipolite at night, something the guide books recommend against.

At Levyis and Vicente, Playa Panteón, we arranged for a boat to take us east along the coast - some of the most spectacular scenery I've every seen anywhere.

Just wanted to point out some positive things about Oaxaca to counteract so much bad publicity.

Gene Paull
Brownsville, Texas
paullgj@UTB1.UTB.EDU
August 1999

No Flooding

Hasta pronto,

Kali López
La familia López
lopezk@spin.com.mx
La Posada Cañon de Vata
TEL/FAX (52) 958-4-30-48
July 6, 1999

How Bad was Flooding in the Mountains?

John
jjsins@jps.net
June 1999

Want Budget Accommodations

Having kept track of this web site and particularly the feedback from recent visitors, we are determined to spend some time in Puerto Angel and Puerto Escondido.

As we have to stretch our money (which we don't have a lot of) over quite a long period of time, we can't afford to stay in the more luxurious accommodation that is usually recommended on the internet. I am hoping you might have recommendations as to cheap accommodation - preferably clean and safe. I have found several recommendations in guide books, but would appreciate more current information as to prices and standards (including places not to stay, if applicable).

Any responses would be much appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Jane Aitken
jane.aitken@mailcity.com
June 22, 1999

English Teachers

Eric and Nina
indigoazul@hotmail.com
June 1999

Twisty Road to Oaxaca

The Turtle Museum in Mazunte is open. If you don't speak Spanish, be sure to read up on it before you get there, as the guided tour is in Spanish only.

There is no sign that points to Playa Estacahuite. But it's pretty easy to find the road: it's the second dirt road on the right after you pass the post office/visitor's center leaving town. (The first dirt road is just before the first guardrail.) If you get to the cross at the top of the hill, across from the sign that says "Puerto Angel" and lists the town's amenities (food, beach, etc.), you've gone too far.

We took first class buses to Puerto Angel from Oaxaca via Salina Cruz, and back to Oaxaca via the more direct route (Hwy 175, I think). I can't say these are recommended, particularly if you get even slightly motion sick, as both are extremely twisty. The fact that the buses are first class doesn't make the roads any better. If you're planning on visiting both Oaxaca City and Oaxaca coast, it might be worthwhile to fly into and out of Huatulco, where I suspect you can get competitive airfares, and book a roundtrip from Huatulco to Oaxaca (which is purportedly cheap if you book in Mexico). We didn't do this, but I think it might be worth investigating. This would also avoid a flight into Mexico City, which remains as polluted as ever, and cannot be avoided if you fly from the US to Oaxaca City.

Greg Barnes
gsbarnes@teleport.com
http://www.teleport.com/~gsbarnes
April 1999

Puerto Angel Visit

Does anyone know the email or phone number of MLT Tours? Eloisa Saldana
eloisa@mail.utexas.edu
April 1999

Mexicana Airfare Monopoly

I enjoy your readers' comments on favorite places and would like to add my own. In addition to Tres De Decembre restaurant (Great music and so clean!) and Lo Cosmico, both in Zipolite, which many people are already familiar with, I would like to suggest people try Javier's Hard Times Pizza in Puerto Angel, just up from Panteón beach. Don't let the name fool you, you'll have no "hard times" when you eat here. Javier is a master chef and the food is both excellent and inexpensive. After the first meal, I ate there almost every day. Be sure to say hello to his pet Owl sitting up in the rafters. What makes these places so enjoyable is that the owners both cook and wait tables with a personal sense of pride in their restaurant. In contrast are the numerous 'meal with a scowl and an attitude' places in Zipolite, a place that is in dire need of a waiter training school.

Unfortunately I will not soon be able to return to Oaxaca thanks to the excessively high rates Mexicana charges to get there. Meanwhile the small business owners blame the lack of tourists on the bad press of hurricane Pauline when in reality we can't afford to get there because of of Mexicana's strangle hold on the area. I encourage other readers who feel that Mexicana is bad for both tourists and the people of Puerto Angel to e-mail Mexicana at dirgenmx@mexicana.com.mx and the govenor of Oaxaca at gobenador@oaxaca.gob.mx and express your concern for what Mexicana's greed is doing to the local economy. I would appreciate if someone could send me or post the e-mail address for Mexico's tourist agency Fonatur. With restaurants empty and the streets of Puerto Angel and Huatulco almost deserted of tourist, Mexicana has a lot of questions to answer.

[Yes, airfare is a big problem for travelers to Oaxaca. From Texas, airfares to Huatulco have ranged from $99 to $460, and are currently close to the top of this range. Meanwhile, the regular fares to any other Mexican resort are about half that. Of course this has an effect on tourist traffic to Oaxaca. I don't think it is so much a monopoly situation as other airlines are not so interested in competing in a limited market. However, on my recent trip down, when Mexicana had lowered their fares, every seat was filled and some passengers had to be "bought out" due to overbooking. -Tom]

jim reinders
jimreinders@hotmail.com
April 1999

Hwy 175 Update

Marks@sover.net
Bellows Falls, Vermont
March 1999

Father Searches for Sons

If you can help us locate them, please contact me at tom@tomzap.com. Sr. Sucar or his wife, Hortencia, can be reached at 011-52-958-43009.

Tom Penick
The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca
tom@tomzap.com
March 1999

Anybody Know Russ?

From Pochutla we found another bus to Puerto Angel for 2 or 3 pesos. In Puerto Angel, we stayed at the magnificent Buena Vista Hotel. Beautifully set back from the town, on a hill, this hotel had it all, without being too decadent or swanky. Beautiful rooms with balconies and great views, delicious food, hammocks to snooze in, lush gardens, 3 pet parrots, and a dog named Rambo.

We found a great restaurant in Puerto Angel that I wanted to mention to you. It's called Rincon del Mar, and is situated on the top of a small cliff overlooking the main beach of Puerto Angel (where the pier is). If you go to the western most corner of the beach, you'll find a stone staircase that leads up to this restaurant.

The fare here is, to no surprise, no different from most of the area's restaurants - fresh fish, some salads, creamy soups, and Oaxacan specialties (enfrijoladas, entomatadas...). However, the food was outstanding, and the setting is breathtaking; you watch the waves crash below as you feel the cool breeze. In addition, the margaritas were the best we had anywhere during our trip.

Another place that you may know about but I thought I would mention is a small retreat/hotel that has just been opened on Playa La Boquilla. You can get there by boat from Puerto Angel, or by foot (about 4 km). The owner is a Belgian man, and he has built a beautiful set of bungalows, and plans on having a holistic retreat there. I think the name of the place is Bahía de la Luna.

And now I have a question for you. On our plane trip back to Mexico City, we met a man named Russ who has a house between Puerto Angel and Zipolite. He rents this house out, and I would like to contact him about renting it. Unfortunately I lost his number/email, and was wondering if you might have it. He said he knew of your site and was planning on advertising his house there. So maybe you know him?

Also, if you have *any* contact information for any other people who rent houses on the Oaxacan coast, please pass those on to me. I am looking for anything in the P.Angel/Zipolite/Mazunte/Augustinillo area, but no Huatulco. Also, do you know of any properties on that seemingly desolate, long strip of beach between Mazunte and Escondido?

Thanks in advance.

Nat Rahav
New York, NY
NRahav@ixl.com
February 1999

Hwy 175 Info Request

Steve Young
SYoung7515@aol.com
February 1999

Looking for Patricia & Jennefer Hill   FOUND

Playa Estacahuite

Mary Ann
mfeller@compuserve.com
December 1998

Driving Oaxaca to Puerto Angel via Salina Cruz

We stayed at Hotel La Cabaña for about 250 pesos a night for two. The room was clean and comfortable but it was very hot at night and there was a mosquito who, having found his way into the room, was determined, regardless of spray, to dine out. The deck was nice to sit out on and watch the moon rising. We also ate in Cordilia's on the beach one night and (though pricey for Puerto Angel) had the most delicious red snapper a la Veracruz. Also a great rice soup.

Puerto Angel was beautiful and quiet and on one day we had the whole of La Boquilla to ourselves and the water was warm and full of fish. We were advised by a local worker fixing up La Luna to get off the beach by dark as there had been attacks on tourists recently but we were back in town by six with no problems. Best tuna ever was the house fish in the Buena Vista. Along the coast you can see where Pauline wrecked many of the trees, but other than that our virgin eyes could notice no signs of damage.

Quite a lot of military on 195 and especially 200. We were stopped once and they searched the car and baggage but were polite and friendly and we were on our way in five minutes. I could go on forever but I'd just get sad and miss it...

Thanks again for the tips, Tom.

Thomas.Hennigan@barclaysglobal.com
December 1998

Oaxaca to Puerto Angel

After having several flights canceled and rescheduled on Mexicana (operating via AeroCaribe) we flew from Oaxaca to Huatulco. Your website was very helpful in preparing for the experience at the Huatulco airport. All the transportation people in the airport were very aggressive. They wanted $50 US dollars for a taxi to Pochutla. Your website alerted us to the fact that if we leave the airport and catch a cab we can get one for a fraction of the cost. This was correct. Although, several airport cabs followed us out of the airport onto the highway and were very obnoxious. We did, however, flag down a private cab and paid a much lower price. Additionally, the bus to Pochutla stops right outside the airport on the right side. It was US $1.50.

Puerto Angel was very beautiful and very uncommercial. We stayed the Posada Cañon Devata. It was a wonderful hotel with bungalows directly in the hills. Very tropical and very beautiful. The food was also wonderful and the setting was very much like a retreat.

Weather was great. We didn't see one cloud. Although it was pretty hot, around 95 degrees, and there were mosquitoes biting. The town and beaches were very quiet. All the restaurants were trying to lure us to come in and eat. We were a little more cautious in traveling around Puerto Angel and the nearby beaches than we were in Oaxaca but didn't have any trouble.

Went to Zipolite, and Mazunte. Very beautiful uncrowded beaches. It was fun to take a Corona and hammock break in one of the palapas during the afternoon heat. The people were very happy and appreciative to get some business.

If you are looking for a quiet tropical place to get away and don't want a place with a lot of tourism I would recommend Puerto Angel. Would definitely return to Oaxaca and Puerto Angel.

Gary
gary@ssw1.com
December 1998

Looking For A Place To Rent

Hank Rudin
PO 1776
Onset, MA 02558
hveer@aol.com
November 1998

A Cool Drink Paves the Way

Bill Brecheen
whbassoc@earthlink.net
September 1998

Universidad del Mar

Brent
Macsonell@aol.com
August 1998

Taxi to Pochutla

Missing Person: Michael R. Barker   FOUND

Puerto Angel and Points South

Things are pretty good in the Puerto Angel area. Not many signs of storm damage and lots of rebuilding has been done. Mazunte is better than ever. The government provided building materials, so the locals have better homes than ever before. They've managed to keep the "flavor" of the area by building the usual one or two room structures out of concrete blocks with palm front roofs, and a couple of large homes are under construction with very modern designs with traditional features. All in all, the area looks good.

The Turtle Institute is still closed to the public. Lots of damage to the buildings and research areas. Not certain what the schedule is for official reopening.

The highway from Pto Angel to Oaxaca City is still pretty much of a mess with lots of construction, but very passable. The other road from Salina Cruz to Pto Angel IS a mess. Trucks and busses used it when the other route was closed for a couple of months, and they really beat the hell out of the pavement. Massive pot holes, etc. Also quite a bit of work being done on the road.

The military is out in force in Chiapas. We were stopped about 16 times by army, immigration, narcotics and vehicle officials, but experienced the usual courtesy in all cases. Only one guy hinted at La Mordita, so a few pesos saved us a thorough vehicle search. He was one of the narco guys. All other officials were very professional and courteous. We had planned to take a secondary highway to San Cristobal, but it was closed by the army because of the Zapatista activities - so they said - and we did not have time to back-track the other way. Sorry to have missed that city as it was one place I really wanted to visit. Perhaps next time. I guess things are really heating up there. One of the young soldiers told us that the locals were not interested in land reform but just wanted to cause trouble. Sounds like the "party line", but most of what I've read or seen on television has a Zapatista slant, so who knows? The government does not seem to be to interested in debating the various points of contention in public, so the news tends to be a bit one sided. Anyhow, good trip all around. Thought I'd give you some of the highlights.

Best regards
Bill Brecheen
Mazunte@aol.com
March 1998

Discovering Puerto Angel

Puerto Escondido was bittersweet. I was glad to return but saddened by what has happened on Zicatela beach. The changes there support my theory that given something beautiful, folks will find a way to ugly it. Geez! What is in the minds of the city fathers? I will not be returning until I hear that mess of palapas and shacks across the road from the hotels is gone. Going down to Puerto Angel was a relief, even though the horror of the hurricanes is still fresh there. This was my first time there. I liked it and wished to be able to stay longer. I'd love to return. The beaches are more inviting to my taste, and I'd rather spread American dollars around to people so much in need. I do love Mexico and want to explore more of it in the future.

Skdrennen@aol.com
January 1998

Poor Road Conditions in Mountains

Stan and Jackie
sdenhoed@hardenv.com
January 17, 1998

Anyone Been Bird Watching in the Mountains?

James Ownby
Jdown@aol.com
Oklahoma
January 1998

Reflections on Pochutla and Comments on the Web

When I was in Pochutla there was no prison or black coral. There was a small jail which I avoided becoming a guest of by paying the local lieutenant ten pesos (eighty cents). My crime was being in Mexico for six months on a one month tourist card. My "present" given in an envelope bought me precious extra time for me to nurse my health back to the point where I could face the 12 hour bus ride back to Oaxaca.

I would like to comment on three letters in "Readers' Commentaries". One letter was critical of the "Black Coral Prison" article. I did not find this article particularly offensive. The topic has great possibilities but the prose needs polishing. I do think it is disrespectful to local culture for an American tourist (or any tourist for that matter) to try to enter a prison dressed in a bathing suit. Which is strange behavior? The tourist in a bathing suit or the prison "comandante" waking up from a nap?

The letter from Teresa Cruz writing in Spanish about the shortage of good articles about Mexico in Spanish was relevant. Unfortunately for those who do not read English, at least ninety percent of the WWW is in English. I find the same situation in Portugal, where I live, and in Spain, a country which I love. The best articles about tourist sites are written in English. Not French, not German, sometimes in Spanish, but almost always in English. I am writing my own homepage about the north of Portugal and it will be in English. What Teresa can do--if she knows English-- and this is what I am doing for people that write in Portuguese or Spanish and want their site to be read outside their country, is to translate the websites.

Finally, the best letter of all in the Puerto Angel site is the one called "Saw too much on bus tour". This is a classic. It is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time. I copied it and used it in an advanced class in English (I have an English language school in Portugal). The students loved it. In a Catholic and conservative country like Portugal the students thought it was perfectly natural for people to sunbathe in the nude at a nudist beach in the tropics. (Obviously this is not done at the beaches in this area, although topless for women is very common) The comments about "cancerous breasts" and "nasty, little hanging penis' (sic.)-- would the plural be "peni"?--tell us more about the observer than the observed.

Why would a woman think that another woman's breasts (when naked) would necessarily be "cancerous"? It seems that nakedness equates dirtiness. And the reference to the male sex organs, which are called "nasty" and "little", leads us to believe that this American tourist must have spent quite some time observing to be so aware of such intimate details. As the Brazilians say "if you do not want to see the stars, then do not look at the sky".

Ray Vogensen
tvogensen@mail.telepac.pt
30 December 1997

Questions, Questions

Thank goodness no one was there (at the Posada) during the hurricane, but what may happen to it? I would never be able to rebuild after that without a great deal of faith and help, I'm afraid. To see all those years of careful nurturing of the trees and plants in the canyon simply disappear...well, I can't begin to understand it. But I can imagine. I send prayers to those at the school and follow their progress also. It is very difficult to leave this part of Mexico and not carry a lot of it with you, in your heart.

When I first logged on to this part of Mexico there was a website which gave what I thought was a much clearer story of the political situation in Chiapas than we get from any news service here. Mexican events manage to make one small bit on the third page of the Globe and Mail. The US news services are only slightly biased. Is there any site you can tell me about where I can find this reporting again?

In the meantime, we approach the New Year, and we are enjoying a lovely quiet snowfall here in Oakville. My thoughts and best wishes go out to all of you in Puerto Angel, with hopes for renewal of lives and homes and faith in the future.

Irene McGeary.
mcgeary@interlog.com
December 1997

Didn't like Prison Article

This is merely my opinion and maybe this man is numbed by nyc life.

Tena Vincent
tena@clearwater.net
December 1997

Tom replies:

Thank you for your comments. My web page is much different from the typical "brochure format". Articles such as this one make it clear that readers are getting the whole story and not the glossy trifold. You are not the first to take offense at this particular article though.

I believe this was something that Mr. Malmed did in his youth and I suppose he was laughing because it was such a powerful and unusual experience. I did not detect that he was laughing at the men or passing judgment at all. He did visit the prisoners, seemed to be well received (by the prisoners at least), and bought coral, which is probably more than I would ever do for them. I appreciate his reporting the experience. I hate to think how else one might find out what a Mexican jail is like.

Tom Penick
The Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico
tom@tomzap.com

No Trees

The pedestrian walkway between the two beaches is broken in many places and is closed. The other eating places are all doing well. Villa Florencia seems to get most of the sparse tourist trade. Everyone says " send tourists, we can handle them"

A few closing words about Puerto Escondido. La Gota de Vida is no longer in the pedestrian mall, it has moved to the corner of Hotel Acuario in Zicatela. Had a hell of a time finding La Posada restaurant. When I found it the La Posada is in very small letters and the word Tiberon is very large. Excellent food and it's such a nondescript looking place. Loved it. While we were eating lightning struck the hotel across the street and also the hotel Escondido up the hill. Hotel Escondido was destroyed.

We had a really great time on this vacation. Stayed at the Santa Fe, Ines and Kndel@aol.com. The last one was too far away from the action and I wouldn't do that again. If I remember anything important I will E-mail again.

Ken DeLoach
Kndel@aol.com
November 1997

Hurricane Rick

Tom Penick
tom@tomzap.com
November 10, 1997

Hurricane Rick in Puerto Escondido

"Everything is normal," he said. "We had very little damage. Everything in Escondido is normal this morning, power, telephone. It is nothing like Paulina a few weeks ago."

Brian J. Larkin
Washington, DC
BJLarkin@juno.com
November 10, 1997

First Pauline, Now Rick

After packing we had a big meeting where we decided where everyone were to spend the night. All the disabled children went to Adalberto's house that since last hurricane proved itself to be a safe place. All the others decided to stay in "casa nueva" because even if we were going to be flooded again we now know that if we wait, the water-level will sink as soon as the "barra" opens. (The barra is the sand from the beach that builds up and closes the river's opening to the ocean.) Everybody is fine. Although I thought that this hurricane was scary (the noise is terrifying) others, that went through Pauline, said that this was less than half as bad. It didn't last as long either,

Carlos and Marlene lost their car in a river-bed when they tried to reach the Palmgrove last night. They escaped unharmed and we will try to save the car. It is a VW so I am sure it will survive. Many newly repaired roofs flew off again, both in the Palmgrove and everywhere else. We have no electricity as our own internal temporary installation was damaged and several electrical poles outside are close to falling down. But we do have plenty of drinking water, food and blankets since the last storm. Now I will go back to the Palmgrove to help cleaning. It looks like a garbage dump again... Love to you all and I will try to communicate as much as I can but this is keeping me buzy.

Anna
Piña Palmera
November 10, 1997

Hurricane Pauline

You may remember that I emailed you during the summer to inquire about rain in Pto Angel because I was planning a trip in Oct. Well.....

I have just returned from what will always be a memorable "vacation!" We stayed in a condo in Pto Escondido, but decided to take a day trip (for lunch!) to Pto Angel on Wed, the day of Pauline. We of course had no idea a hurricane was predicted (or was it? I still don't know). Our VW bug had a canvas roof that wouldn't shut, making the trip a bit difficult as the rain increased and we considered pulling over for shelter on the way. Thank goodness we didn't, b/c of course it only got worse. Wind & rain were quite strong when we got to the little restaurant in town where we had lunch to wait out the storm(!). Soon of course, the wind was howling, rain was spraying through windows like a hose, and eventually the sea was coming under the doors. We experienced the "eye" when darkness suddenly became light, and having seen a documentary on hurricanes, I knew that this was the real thing, and that the other side of this light could be worse. It was harrowing, and luckily we were able to get to higher ground, moving upstairs of this building, by this time feeling very vulnerable. The owner of the little restaurant/hotel was wonderful. We had a room for the night, candles, water and candy bars! The town was in incredibly bad shape - power lines down, trees down, and most roofs off homes. Many homes completely destroyed, roads blocked, mud everywhere. Local people lost so much, but were immediately working to clear roads of debris and assist each other.

We decided to try to get back to Pto Escondido, although there were conflicting reports about road access. Our VW had been submerged in water and had thick mud on the floor and in the gear shift, but characteristically, it started up when jumped (finding cables was another adventure!) The trip took over 3 hours, but w/the help of local people who moved power lines and trees out of our way, we got through.

Pto Escondido was also hit and had no power or water, so we decided to try to fly out Fri AM. We were very lucky to get a flight to Mexico City that day. Much activity at the airport...supplies of food, water, & medications had already begun.

I wanted to give you an update and thank you for your info which was quite correct. You mentioned that this was hurricane season....

Thanks again,
Julie Strudlowski
psyclib@earthlink.net
October 13, 1997

¿Porque Solo en Ingles?

Agradezco infinito su atención.

Teresa Cruz
tcruz@mext.clubinter.net
September 1997

Long-time Visitor

You certainly have done a stupendous job on your web site and I congratulate you!

J. Silver
JSilver425@aol.com
September 1997

Travel Companion Wanted

This is the first time that I will be traveling that far into Mexico. If anyone has any info to contribute on this area it would be appreciated. I am going alone if I have to but would prefer to have a companion along.

Denton (Denny)
drjordan@ns1.iswt.com
July 1997

Saw Too Much on Bus Tour

Now this may be just hunkydory in Europe, but where I'm from people have a little more respect for other people. To say the least, I was very uncomfortable especially since we did have kids with us and I didn't particularly appreciate other women bouncing their probably by now cancerous breasts in front of my husband. Not to mention the nasty "little" hanging penis' everywhere.

Now I'm all for everyone having their right to be and do their own thing, but there are designated places and I think people should respect that. I also think this is not only the tourists fault but also that of the beach security people. If they are aware that a certain beach is a family beach I think it is their responsibility to make it known to the tourists and enforce it. It's totally unfair to a common tourist like myself who is going to a beach for the first time and has to come back with a bad impression of a trip that could have been fun and memorable.

Of course I'm only sharing my own feelings, but I do know that the rest of the family was feeling just as uncomfortable as I was and the only reason we stayed was because the other bus that was with us had to stay behind due the fact that one of the passengers became ill, and that was where the bus drivers/tour guides had agreed to meet. I'm not saying nude beaches are bad. All I'm saying is that that particular beach was not intended to be one but some people took it upon themselves to impose their nudity upon everyone else disregarding their feelings completely.

Another thing that I noticed that I couldn't believe was that smoking marijuana seemed to be acceptable on and around this beach. The smell was really terrible. I'm not a native Mexican, but I do love Mexico for its beauty, its culture and its people. I'd hate to see all these beautiful tourist spots become anything less.

icc_rxe@shsu.edu
April 1997

Anyone know Playa San Benito?

Many thanks.

Sincerely,
John Lawrence, Professor of Biology
University of South Florida, Tampa.
lawr@chuma.cas.usf.edu
April 1997

Can anyone help out Mr. Lawrence? -Tom

Character of the Towns

> > I am interested in getting information about people's
> > experience with this resort site. I am considering
> > travelling to this area (Huatulca, Peurto Escondido, etc.
> > in late may to mid-June. Any information would be
> > appreciated. Thanks, Daniel J. Dugan.
>

What type of trip are you looking for? Big resort? Small towns? All beach? Personally, I'm a big fan of Puerto Angel which is about an hour north of Huatulco. Small town on a bay with other beaches fronting open surf. Escondido is also nice with a long beach on open surf and other smaller coves to the north that are used for snorkeling, etc. There is little nightlife in Angel. Escondido has a fair share at certain times of the year. Huatulco is good for a day or 2, but it's so sanitized, you might as well be in San Diego. (Actually, it has less character than San Diego!) There is little to do outside the major hotels themselves.

If you're looking for the real Mexico, Oaxaca is a long bus ride or car trip (9 hrs?) over the mountains from either Angel or Escondido. Good market and close to the ruins of Monte Albán and Mitla.

Bob Entwistle
rentwis@inxpress.net

The Place Grows on You

It's definitely a quiet town, with not a lot of night life, but some beautiful beaches nearby. I suggest Playa Mazunte and Playa San Agustinillo as two great choices. You can catch a bus, cab, or independent cabbie for a few pesos to these great beaches, as well as Zipolite if you're into surfing and the nude thing. Playa Estacuite is a beautiful, but small beach that you can walk to from Puerto Angel (10 minute walk tops). There is good snorkeling here because you can walk right off the sandy beach and snorkel over rocks and coral reef immediately. This beach is in a cove, so you won't be hit with alot of waves while you're snorkeling or swimming. There are also a couple of restaurants on this beach. I don't believe there are any accommodations here. Another note: We traveled just after Christmas, and the place was fully booked! We had made a reservation at the Hotel Soraya before we left, and we got the last room. This hotel is okay, charges around 200 pesos/night for a double room, but there are definitely better hotels there. Book well in advance when traveling in high season, because you're competing with Mexican tourists as well as European tourists and the odd North American. If traveling there, check out these hotels:

• The Buena Vista (lovely hotel; has a 3rd floor restaurant with a view of the port. Check this year's Fodor's for details.)
• Angel Del Mar (beautiful view, but quite a hike up the hill to get to it.)
• Cañon de Vata (nice cabanas, near Playa Panteón, and good VEGETARIAN restaurant-alot of North Americans stay here.)

We had a great time at Puerto Angel, mainly because even in high season with a hotel accommodation crisis, there still didn't seem to be alot of people on the nearby beaches. If you want to get away from people, check this place out!

Catrina Warner
catwar@interlog.com
January 1997

Fishing for Sailfish

Huatulco, Coffee, Turtles

DRogoski
DRogoski@ual.com
December 1996

Last Stop, Paradise

After a couple of hours sleep, I decided to meet the locals on the beach, and became very, very acquainted with the scuba divers, Cheyenne, Umberto, and Norton who took me out to dinner in Pochutla, and fishing every day. I hope they are reading this as I cannot thank them enough for giving me the best time of my life!! After nearly being attacked on the Playa Panteón beach whilst strolling around at 5 am, I ran back to the Puesto Del Sol and upset the owner again!! So I thought it was time to leave and head for Zipolite. Beautiful, beautiful. All I did is collect loads of shells and ogle the gorgeous tanned bodies swimming ahead of me.

After a few drinks I headed back to Playa Panteón [photo] and met up with the scuba divers (Cheyenne, Norton, and Umberto) and hung out with the locals. They invited me to a party in Zipolite, and which point I thought I better go back to the Hotel and pay the money to the owner of the hotel. Well, she decided to discharge me and basically told me to get out!! So, I gathered my belongings and yet again I was alone, until Cheyenne told me not to worry and he'd sort something out. Anyway after laughing, and splashing in the cool Zipolite water, I had my cheap British bag stolen, which probably had everything except my passport, though I was not that bothered!! I laughed and thought well, for all the ups you have in life, you always have the downs, don't you agree?

I'd definitely recommend PUERTO ANGEL for anybody who wants to forget about tourists for a while. You can always escape to San Cristobal or Mazunte if you want total peace and quiet. Apologies for those who adore commerciality, McDonalds and Holiday Inn's. Forget it, Puerto Angel is for those with a bit of scope to life.

The real beauty of the place, is quite obvious--it's pretty natural and untouched. The people are stunning; varied mixtures of Indian and Spanish resulting in real coffee brown complexions. Quite like my self as part of my heritage is Indian. Puerto Angel is one of the few places in the world which comprises such a diverse set of people, nature, and most of all hospitality, which I can thoroughly confirm. Thank you Cheyenne, Norton, and Umberto!!! Bye

Jamila Patel
j.patel2@uclan.ac.uk
November 1996

Loss of Protection of the Turtles

Arribada means that the turtles come together in two or three nights to the beach only for nesting. The numbers change but there are thousands. In fact the Escobilla beach is one of the principal nesting beaches in the World.

Gerardo Esteban Leyte Morales
Marine Biologist, Universidad del Mar
leyteg@angel.umar.mx
September 22, 1996

Following is a description by Sr. Leyte of his research on the area reefs:

In the last 3 years my research has been focused on the coral reefs of the Huatulco Bays. This area is the southernmost place where these communities have developed in the Mexican Pacific. Their great importance is supported by the fact of their extension, the number of species found and their conservation. In addition, these communities are located in an area of strong upwelling (Tehuantepec Gulf), the place is the frontier between the Mexican and Panamic biogeographic provinces and from Tehuantepec to the Gulf of Fonseca where there is a biogeographic barrier called the Central Pacific Faunal Gap. In the Huatulco Bays the Mexican government is developing a megaproject of tourist infrastructure that has affected some areas. However there are many places that can be protected. The three goals of the research are 1) to complete taxonomic inventories and ecological descriptions, 2) protect these coral communities from ecological damage and 3) inform local people of the value of their conservation and rational use.

Hotel Angel del Mar

I and my girlfriend were in Puerto Angel during August 4-7, 1996 and stayed at the Hotel Angel del Mar and had very mixed feelings about the establishment. After reviewing information at this web site and other resources I found the hotel had a 3-star rating and thought that would probably make it the best in the area-so I called and made a reservation. The hotel sits on a steep hill above the bay which does make for a hot 10-15 min. walk up and down cobblestones to get to the beach and back, but it also has a stupendous view. We rented their only suite, a large two-room affair with a decent (firm) king-size bed and separate living room/kitchen area. It came with a functional refrigerator and a huge balcony about the size of the room. All this for N210 or $30 or so. However, according to cab drivers and other locals this hotel has seen much better days and it shows. The sheets had holes in them right to the mattress; there was no purified water available in the halls or in the rooms, the swimming pool's water looked a questionable shade of green and the only time we ate in the hotel my girlfriend's breakfast arrived a full 10-15 minutes before mine and was cold while mine, which arrived later was warm. Hmmm? I must add, however, that the staff was very pleasant and warm and at night the stars shone very bright above the small town as we sat on our immense brick balcony enjoying a cooling marine breeze and cold beer from the fridge.

The truly delightful meals we had were all at La Posada El Canon de Vata, where we were treated to vegetarian soups, pizzas, lovely salads, etc. in a very "new-age" environmentally friendly retreat in a deeply shaded canyon. Other meals at the restaurants on the beach were all very similar and featured very fresh seafood--lobster prices were also very reasonable and the lobsters were relatively large compared to Pto. Escondido and Huatulco.

We spent one day in Zipolite and noticed, as we left at night that a sign from one of the bars announced in Spanish that the night before they had been robbed by an armed gunman at 7:30pm so they were closed for the day. There does seem to be a little more crime in Zipolite so be more aware. The locals blame it on Chulangos from Mexico city and other non-native Oaxaquenos.

Other tidbits. The ride from Huatulco in Colectivo leaves from La Crucecita and costs 7 pesos to Pochutla (1-1/2 hrs.). From there you can take a cab for a couple of bucks to Pto. Angel. We had a cab take us from Angel to Pto. Escondido for US $20.

Joseph Paul Parker
jpparker@scf-fs.usc.edu
August 1996

Fly or Drive to Puerto Angel?

>On Mon, 22 Jul 96 20:08:43 GMT, TedBrill@ix.netcom.com (Ted Brillhart)
>wrote:

>Please answer a few questions for a nervous groom. Where can I get info on air
>travel between, say, Puerto Angel and Oaxaca? Is driving a advisable, scenic,
>arduous? Would anyone suggest other similarly situated locations (ruins are
>imperative)? Does this sound like a good plan, IOW are we likely to encounter
>both romance and culture?

My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary a couple years ago in Oaxaca and Puerto Angel, and we've returned a number of times since. I rate it highly on both romance and culture.

I've always had the best luck arranging air travel to/from Puerto Angel on site in Oaxaca. This is because it is difficult, and expensive, to deal with most of the local Mexican carriers from the U.S., and these local carriers are who you'll be flying with. So I generally arrive in Oaxaca and visit a local travel agent (there's a good one across from Cafe Morgan) to book a flight to the Huatulco airport. Once there, one can travel by bus or colectivo (a sort of shared taxi going point-to-point for a few pesos) to Pochutla, and from there to P.A. You can also use the airport taxis, although they're quite expensive, for convenience. Once you get away from the airport (walk to the crossroads) prices for taxis drop by a factor of 5-10, and the buses and colectivos cost at most a few pesos.

If you must have your air-travel scheduled before you go, I'd recommend booking it with one of the major Mexican carriers, Mexicana or Aeromexico. They both have 800 numbers in the US and contract with the regional carriers. You'll end up paying a little more, but it may well be worth it, and you can book your passage into Oaxaca de Juarez at the same time.

I haven't driven in this region... I do drive extensively in the Northern half of Mexico, since I like taking my own vehicle. Whether it's advisable depends on a number of things. It does take some acculturation, since driving laws and customs are quite different. I doubt that you will find renting a car less expensive than traveling by other means, and it may well cost you more. If you're thinking of driving to Puerto Angel...that's a pretty rough road if you're not used to driving in Mexico. I traveled it by bus once and it took 12 hours to cover what takes 30 minutes by plane. This is because of the topography. You seem to be always going straight up, down, hard left, or hard right on this road.

Between buses, colectivos and taxis, there are few places that you can get to by driving that you can't get to by other means. You're bound to meet and interact with quite a few folks when traveling by these means, which can be quite pleasant. You will interact with just as many people when you're driving, and the pleasantness of these interactions will be directly proportional to how acculturated you are as a driver.

I'm not saying don't drive...I plan on driving to Oaxaca sometime in the next year. I'm just saying don't drive because you think it will be easier or cheaper, or because you think you'll get to see places you would otherwise miss out on. A little adventurousness and a willingness to learn the local means of transport takes care of that. After all, your average campesino has no car, and yet travels quite easily from pueblo to city to pueblo.

Have fun! and congratulations!

Russ Somers
rsomers@onr.com
July 1996

Robbed at Playa La Mina

Anyway, I'm almost regretting the info posted about Puerto Angel on the net because, while everyone has a right to know how wonderful it is, I personally go there to get away from the tourists and enjoy the solitude of a small fishing village in Mexico. Advertising and posted info has a way of changing all of that. (personal opinion of course)

Keith Russell
keith@enrich.com
July 1996

Shopping for black coral at the Pochutla Prison Prison Piece Stirs Controversy

Scuba, etc.

I spent 10 days in Puerto Angel scuba diving and gathering information for this web page. The water was very warm. Surface temperature was 86 and I didn't need a wetsuit down to 80' where it started to get a little cooler. I tend to get cold easily too. Saw a 4' nurse shark, a turtle, several morays, including the tiger- striped variety, and lots of reef fish. Visibility was about 50'. Dive sites were La Tijera, which is so named because the formations of rocks jutting out into the water resemble scissors, and La Boquilla.

This is the rainy season and it was cloudy almost the whole time but only rained briefly once.

There's still a shortage of change here. The only place that can take a 100 peso bill is the supermarket on Avenida Principal near Palo Bello.

Tom Penick
tom@tomzap.com
May 1995

Quick Trip

The $99 round trip direct Dallas/Huatulco offered by MLT Tours was too good to pass up, so my wife, her father and I headed down for a long weekend in Puerto Angel. This being the busy season, there were no rental cars available so we took a taxi. The Hotel Soraya [photo] was unusually full due to a busload of Mexican tourists, but they had a room for us. I talked for awhile with the owners, Sr. & Sra. Tanus.

I inquired about the recent earthquake, whose epicenter was at Puerto Angel and was felt as far away as Veracruz and Mexico City. Sra. Tanus explained that they barely felt it because the ground is so solid there. She said that earthquakes are not unusual in the area but they never do any damage because of the solid rock subterrain. A scientist periodically comes from Pinotepa to study this and will be setting up a seismograph nearby in the future.

The waves in the port were unusually large and I inquired about that also. Sra. Tanus said it was caused by the moon. The fisherman said that this was a phenomena which occurred once a year in July or August and only lasted about 5 days (the days we were there).

I asked Sra. Tanus about Internet access in the area and found her surprisingly knowledgeable about this, considering that at this time Puerto Angel only has 3 telephone lines. She said that at this time UMAR (Universidad del Mar in Puerto Angel) [photo] did not have a connection. In the city of Oaxaca they do have a connection via satellite, but only to other universities. In Mexico City and Monterrey, full Internet access exists.

I introduced my father-in-law, who was a glider pilot in WWII, to the Tanus' and found out that Sr. Tanus had been in the United States at that time and was a tail gunner in the war. He is of Lebanese descent. The name of his hotel "Soraya" means evening star in that language.

I asked about the origin of the population of Puerto Angel. They said that before the roads were built, Puerto Angel was very small. Then the pier [photo] was built for the export of coffee and people came from the surrounding area (many Zapotecan) and from abroad to work there. Perhaps this is why the area seems better known to Europeans than Americans.

The following day we visited the Turtle Museum, which is a couple of miles west of town. Admission was 10 pesos (exchange rate 3 pesos to the dollar). The museum is operated by an association for the protection of animal life. [Turtles were once plentiful here and turtle fishing was big business. Sr. Tanus was a turtle fisherman until the turtle population declined, when he turned to hotel operation.] There is a cactus garden out front and numerous turtles and fish inside plus other displays. We saw the kind of fish (blanquito) that we'd just had for lunch.

The next day we went to a nearby beach, Estacahuite, by boat and spent a few hours swimming and snorkeling and ate ceviche at the little restaurant there. The waves were not so big here. We saw moray, puffer fish, an octopus, and some of those blue iridescent fish that hang around the coral. I saw an unusual moray with tiger-like markings.

After we got back to Puerto Angel, we went down to the little restaurant below the Soraya. I'm not sure of the name. We call it Lala's because that's the name of the owner. We stuffed ourselves silly on tuna steak, red snapper, potatoes, rice, sopa con fideos, and aquacate salad.

Tom Penick
tom@tomzap.com
August 1994

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