Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

Puerto Escondido
City
View of Puerto Escondido from the air
Puerto Escondido
Coordinates: 15°51′43″N 97°04′18″W / 15.86194°N 97.07167°W / 15.86194; -97.07167
Country	Mexico
State	Oaxaca
Municipality	San Pedro Mixtepec
Area
• City	12.06 km2 (4.66 sq mi)
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2020 census)[1]
• City	29,903
• Density	2,500/km2 (6,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
Website	Official website

Puerto Escondido (English: "Hidden Port") is a small port and tourist center in the municipality of San Pedro Mixtepec Distrito 22 in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. Prior to the 1930s, there was no town. The bay had been used as a port intermittently to ship coffee, but there was no permanent settlement due to the lack of potable water. The name "Puerto Escondido" had roots in the legend of a woman who escaped her captors and hid here. The Nahuatl word for this area was Zicatela, meaning “place of large thorns".^[2] Today, it refers to the area's most famous beach.^[3]

Puerto Escondido is one of the most important tourist attractions on the Oaxacan coast. It caters to a more downscale and eclectic clientele than neighboring Huatulco, mostly surfers, backpackers and Mexican families.^[4] The main attractions are the beaches: Zicatela Beach hosts major surfing competitions, while other beaches have gentle waves.^[5] A large lagoon area to the west of the town is popular for fishing and birdwatching.^[3]