Oaxaca's Pacific Coast Lagoons/Planeta.com

Oaxaca's Pacific Coast Lagoons
by John Noble

April/Abril 2000

Editor's Note: The following is based on an update by John Noble for the next edition of Lonely Planet's Mexico guide, to be published this year (2000). The current edition is available for online purchase.

Laguna de Manialtepec

This lagoon, 6-kilometers long, begins about 15 kilometers west of Puerto Escondido along highway 200. It's home to ibis, roseate spoonbills, parrots and several species of hawks, falcons, ospreys, egrets, herons, kingfishers and iguanas. The birds are best seen in the early morning, but even at midday in January birders we know logged 40 species. The lagoon is mainly surrounded by mangroves; there are also tropical flowers and palms on the ocean side.

Hidden Voyages Ecotours (http://www.wincom.net/~pelewing/hvecotur.html), run by knowledgeable Canadian ornithologist Michael Malone, is operated through Turismo Rodimar (tel 582-15-51), Perez Gasga 905B in Puerto Escondido. It charges US$32 per person for excellent early morning or sunset tours (four or five hours) to Manialtepec, from early December to April 1.

Ana's Ecotours (tel 582-20-01, tel 582-12-71) run by Ana Marquez, an excellent English-speaking local guide and knowledgeable amateur ornithologist, leads Manialtepec trips for US$20 per person. Ana's Ecotours is based at the Internet cafe Un Tigre Azul, above El Son y La Rumba bar on the Adoquin (Avenida Perez Gasga) in Puerto Escondido.

To do it independently, take an Estrella Blanca bus or drive to either of the small villages of La Alejandria or Restaurant Isla de Gallo at El Gallo, on the north shore of the lagoon, just off the highway. Both have restaurants with boats for hire. La Alejandria has a shady beach, camping space and some basic caba–as. at El Gallo does good grilled fish and has a shaded boat for up to eight people, with a knowledgeable captain. He charges around US$30 for the boat for a trip of up to 2-1/2 hours, with a stop on the sandbar on the ocean side.

Lagunas de Chacahua

The area around the coastal lagoons of Chacahua and La Pastoria forms the beautiful Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. In the northern winter birds from Alaska and Canada migrate here. Mangrove-fringed islands harbor cormorants, wood storks, herons, egrets, ibis and roseate spoonbills, as well as mahogany trees, crocodiles and turtles. El Corral, a mangrove-lined waterway filled with countless birds, connects the two lagoons. From the lagoons you can see huge flocks of birds skidding across the water and soaring in big blue skies, while inland mountains shimmer in the distance.

Zapotalito

About 60 kilometers from Puerto Escondido, a 5-kilometer road leads south from highway 200 to Zapotalito, a small fishing village on the eastern edge of La Pastoria lagoon. A cooperative here runs lancha tours of the lagoons, which cost about US$55 for a boatload (about six people) for two hours. Some trips stop for a swim at Cerro Hermoso beach or the beach near Chacahua, a fishing village at the western end of the park. Colectivo boats (about $5 per person) also link Zapotalito with Chacahua village; when there are seven or eight passengers, they head off. The journey is about 25 kilometers one way and takes about 45 minutes. In Zapotalito you'll find the colectivo boats (with canopies for shade) a short walk straight ahead from the lancha tours departure point. There are a few simple restaurants beside the lagoon.

Chacahua

Chacahua village, a five-minute walk from a wonderful ocean beach, is a perfect place to bliss out - for the day, or longer. There are good waves here for surfers but also strong currents - ask where it's safe to swim. Several places to stay, such as the Siete Mares, facing the lagoon, offer basic caba–as for around US$10 a double. Cheaper caba–as can be found right on the beach, where there are restaurants with hammocks strung in the shade. The friendly , on the beach, has big breakfasts for US$1.50 and cooks up {huachinango} or {camarones} for US$5 or so. You can walk round the end of the lagoon to a crocodile-breeding center with a sad-looking collection of creatures kept for protection and reproduction. Chacahua's croc population (not human-eating) has been decimated by hunters.

Getting There & Away

The easiest way to visit the Lagunas de Chacahua is an all-day guided tour from Puerto Escondido with the same operators as for Manialtepec (US$25 to US$35 per person). But it's an adventure to go independently: from Puerto Escondido take an Estrella Blanca bus to Rio Grande (45 minutes, US$1.50 to US$2). They go about hourly. Colectivo taxis (US$0.75) and vans operate between Rio Grande and Zapotalito, about 15 kilometers west. Complete the independent mode in a colectivo lancha from Zapotalito to Chacahua, and return!

Chacahua village is linked to San Jose del Progreso, 30 kilometers away on Highway 200, by a sandy track which is impassable in the wet season and hard going at the best of times.

This article is an excerpt from John Noble's chapter on Oaxaca for Lonely Planet's popular Mexico guide, of which John is the coordinating author. Lonely Planet can reached via email at: talk2us@lonelyplanet.com.au. Please mark all personal messages for John 'Please forward to John Noble'.

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