Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca

Puerto Ángel is a tiny fishing village of some 2,500 permanent residents on the Oaxaca coast. It\'s far and away from nearly everything and for many visitors, that\'s exactly why they come. Founded in the 1850s as a port town, some 20 years later it was actually, briefly, the busiest port in the state. By the 1870s, the port at Salina Cruz took over, and Puerto Ángel has been a lot more tranquil ever since.

Some 80 kilometers from Puerto Escondido, most visitors will arrive from the airport there. The Huatulco airport is a little closer at just 50 km down the same coast. And many visitors will take in nearby Mazunte and Zipolite during the same trip. Once called Bahía del Ángel, the town is beloved for the near perfect bay, for the endless beaches and for the rocky coast where turtles still come back every year. They share the sea with barracuda, bonito fish, red snapper, sailfish, dorado, marlin, roosterfish, tuna, and skipjack all of which make it prime fishing country.

But people come to walk Pantheon and Cueva del Oso beaches and for the swimming and snorkeling in the extra placid waters. The famous light house is just up the coast and during the winter months the humpback whales can be spotted from just off the point where the light house shines. Other nearby highlights include: 

• La Playa del Muelle: for swimming in its calm waters, boat rides, and kayaking. 
• El Rostro de Cristo: the famous rock formation discovered in 1907 after a devastating hurricane, it still shows the profile of the face of Christ.
  
• Estacahuite Beach: with a famous coral reef, it\'s especially for scuba diving and snorkeling. 
• Playa la Boquilla: for swimming and free diving.
  
• Playa la Mina: for snorkeling in famous clear water and often for camping.
  
• Playa Tijera & Zapotengo Beach and Lagoon: for wildlife and whale watching in the winter months although crocodiles and plenty of birds will be visible year round.

Visitors get to Puerto Ángel via the airports at Puerto Escondido or Huatulco. A variety of transfer services are available from either airport. From Escondido, it takes just over one hour. From the capital of Oaxaca, most guests will arrive in about 4.5 hours by bus to nearby Pochutla.