Sunset over the rocky headland of Punta Cometa, with people watching from the ridge

A village that chose a different path.

Mazunte is a small village on the Pacific coast of Oaxaca, about an hour from Huatulco airport. It has no chain hotels, no franchise restaurants, no traffic lights. What it has is a long, uncrowded coastline, a strong local community, and an unusual history.

Photo: Elgabilove, CC BY-SA 4.0

10 min walk
to the beach
1 hour
from Huatulco airport (HUX)
25-32°C
year-round warm climate
Pueblo Mágico
designation since 2015
No chains
no hotels or franchises

In the 1960s, Mazunte was a turtle-processing town. Thousands of sea turtles were harvested every year. When the federal ban came in 1990, the village had to reinvent itself overnight. The former hunters became protectors. They founded the Mexican Turtle Center, built a conservation economy, and turned Mazunte into a global reference for sustainable tourism.

Today Mazunte is a "Pueblo Mágico" (Magic Town), the only community in the region with construction codes that require buildings to harmonize with nature: local materials, palm roofs, native gardens. It is also home to Punta Cometa, the southernmost point of Mexico's Pacific coast, where humpback whales pass from December to March and sunsets are a daily event.

View from a Casa Maradi terrace over the Mazunte hillside toward the ocean

Where to find us

Calle Caoba, in a residential part of Mazunte, less than 10 minutes on foot from the beach.

Hand-drawn map of Mazunte with Casa Maradi and the nearby beachesCasa Maradi sits on the hillside at the west end of the village, above Playa Rinconcito and Playa Mazunte. Punta Cometa is the headland to the south-west, with Playa Mermejita on its far side. San Agustinillo is the next bay to the east.

Along the coast

Hand-drawn map of the coast from La Ventanilla to EstacahuiteEast of Mazunte along the coastal road come San Agustinillo, Zipolite, Puerto Ángel, and Playa Estacahuite. The Ventanilla lagoon lies to the west.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors
  1. Playa Mazunte10 min walk
  2. Playa Rinconcito8 min walk
  3. San Agustinillo1.5 km
  4. Playa Estacahuite12 km
  5. Playa Mermejita1 km
  6. Zipolite3 km
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Beaches

Playa Mazunte seen from the hillside, with palapa restaurants along the sand and forested hills behind the village

Playa Mazunte

10 min walk

The main beach. Golden sand, palapas, sunsets. Swim, eat, do nothing.

Photo: Ospreyvineyard, Public domain

Two people walking in the shallows at San Agustinillo, with dark rocks breaking the waves offshore

San Agustinillo

1.5 km

Small beach protected by rocks. Best for families and easy swimming. Surf lessons available.

Photo: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0

Small sandy cove at Playa Estacahuite with clear green water and rocks on either side

Playa Estacahuite

12 km

The best snorkeling on the coast. Three small coves with coral reef just meters from shore. We have free snorkel gear for guests.

Photo: Javier L.G., CC BY-SA 4.0

Playa Mermejita at sunset, with waves running up the dark sand and a headland in silhouette

Playa Mermejita

1 km

Volcanic black sand, dramatic waves, total solitude. For walking and contemplation, not swimming.

Photo: 10sefirot, CC BY-SA 4.0

Palapa huts on the east end of Zipolite beach, with a large rock in the sea

Zipolite

3 km

Bohemian, famously free-spirited. Big waves, great restaurants, Mexico's only recognized nude beach.

Photo: Mike Brown, CC0

Things to do

Dirt trail through dry scrub along Punta Cometa, with Mazunte beach below

Punta Cometa

Sacred headland, 180-degree ocean views, the best sunset spot in Mazunte. Whale watching December through March. 15-minute hike from town.

Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hawksbill sea turtle swimming in a tank at the Mexican Turtle Center

Mexican Turtle Center

Research and conservation center for 5 species of sea turtles. In season (March-November) you can release baby turtles into the ocean.

Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Visitors in a rowing boat marked Ventanilla on the mangrove lagoon

Ventanilla Lagoon

Mangrove boat tour through a community-run nature reserve. Crocodiles, iguanas, deer, migrating birds.

Photo: Adam Jones, CC BY-SA 2.0

Sunday Organic Market

Local produce, handmade goods, and community gathering every Sunday in the center of town.

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Come see it for yourself

It is quiet. It is real. And it is one of the best places on the Oaxacan coast to just be.

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