Travel Guide Puerto Angel

Legend has it that a pirate decided to stop in this bay, dazzled by its beauty. Then an angelic-looking child appeared in front of him and asked him to repent for his bad deeds. The pirate was used to giving orders, but he was moved by the child's words, and wept until he filled a whole vase with his tears. This child, who had managed to move this cruel pirate, was none other than an angel, hence the name "Puerto Angel". One kilometer south of Zipolite, the port of Puerto Angel was already used in the 19th century to export wood and coffee from the Sierra de Oaxaca.Puerto Angel is first and foremost a traditional fishing village, whose daily comings and goings can be seen on the main beach or Playa Panteòn, at the end of this magnificent bay. It was the first place in the area to welcome visitors, both national and foreign, before being gradually supplanted by Zipolite beach during the 1970s to 1990s. Nevertheless, the place will delight those who are looking for a more authentic exploration base and not only focused on tourism: Zipolite, San Agustinillo and Mazunte are only a few kilometers away and easily accessible by public transportation.Recently, in order to reconcile the fishing activity with swimming and lounging tourism, exclusive swimming areas have been created. Children from the village have also joined the Guardianes del mar association, in order to raise awareness about the protection of the marine and coastal environment; women, gathered in the community organization Manos Voluntarias de Puerto Angel, sell several tons of plastic waste collected each year for the benefit of local schools. We are still waiting for a small gesture from the male community, which is also very active every1st October, when it is a question of adorning the fishermen's boats with a thousand ornaments to take the statue of the village's protector out to sea.