The Pacific Coast of Mexico

This website features information on the Pacific Coasts of Oaxaca, Jalisco, and Colima Mexico, including the towns of Huatulco, Puerto Angel, Zipolite, Puerto Escondido, Barra de Navidad, Melaque, and Manzanillo. There is information about hotels, travel, food, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, fish, turtles, history, native dances, and the Spanish language. There are maps and aerial photos. Travelers and residents share their knowledge and experiences in the Visitors' Comments sections. There you will find advice from many sources on what to enjoy and what to avoid.

Quick Links:

Main Index
Beach Index
Visitors' Comments
Barra de Navidad
Melaque
About tomzap.com
Puerto Escondido
Oaxaca
Huatulco
What's New?

Oaxaca

The Oaxacan Coast is a region of rugged, tropical beauty set against a background of mountainous jungle. For the traveler, it offers a variety of settings from the plush resorts of Huatulco to remote, low-key beachfront hideways. An inland excursion can take you to a coffee plantation or to Oaxaca's capital, a unique cultural center surrounded by craft villages and archaeological sites.

Jalisco

Jalisco has a lengthy coastline known as Costa Alegre that stretches from Puerto Vallarta at the northwest end to Barra de Navidad to the southeast. It's many resorts and villages offer a variety of settings for the visitor.

Colima

The tiny state of Colima is where you find the city of Manzanillo, an important seaport and resort area. Manzanillo is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World. Inland cities offer volcano tours and feature botaneros, a type of bar/restaurant offering a stream of appetizers with your drinks.

Please note that this page may be updated frequently. If you are revisiting this page checking for updated information, you will probably need to use your Refresh or Reload button on your web browser to see the current version. Otherwise you may be viewing cached material on your hard drive.

What's

New?

Added a new page for Manteleria Santo Domingo in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, where you can watch cloth being woven in wooden looms and purchase clothing and other items made from that cloth.

Posada del Arquitecto offers cabañas, dormitory, and hammocks right on the beach in Mazunte, Oaxaca.

Pico de Orizaba as seen on the Flight to Puerto Escondido
This doesn't happen very often. Flights to Huatulco or Puerto Escondido $150 from several U.S. cities, $180 to Oaxaca. See Vista Worlod Travel.

Casa in the Barrio is a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom home for sale in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco.

New Nonstop Flights from Los Angeles to Oaxaca City. Mexicana has just started a nonstop flight between LAX and Oaxaca. Southbound it is a "red-eye" departing just after midnight. Northbound the flight departs in the morning. Introductory fares start at $262 roundtrip plus fuel surcharges ($40), international taxes, and service fees. The flights operate three times per week on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays. Call Vista World Travel for complete information and reservations 1-800-880-8068,

Casa de las Olas, a 3-bedroom, ground floor oceanfront condo, is for sale in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco.

Mexican Folk Art From Oaxacan Artist Families by Arden Aibel Rothstein & Anya Leah Rothstein, a book review by Alvin Starkman

Restaurant review for La Catrina de Alcalá in Oaxaca City by Alvin Starkman.

Casa de Playa is a beachfront 5-bedroom, 6-1/2 bath, house with pool for sale in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco.

Added another page of aerial photos of Oaxaca beaches, Lagunas de Chacahua.

Added another page of aerial photos of Oaxaca beaches, Cerro Hermoso.

Para traducir esta página, seleccione una bandera.
I have added pages of aerial photos of the coast of Oaxaca for La Palma, Roca Blanca, Llano Grande, Manialtepec, and Bacocho.

Junto al Mar is a luxury oceanview bed & breakfast in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca.

The Camino Real Huatulco offer for a 4th night free through June 30 has been extended to December 18th. See Vista World Travel.

Week-long Mezcal tasting and dining tour offered by Alvin Starkman and Jon McKinley October 2 - 10, 2009.

. . . always something new in the Visitors' Comments

This page has been visited

times since July 11, 2000.
Send comments, corrections, contributions to: Tom Penick: tom@tomzap.com