Two of the biggest buzzwords in today's media-dominated culinary world are "fresh" and "local," and on a recent visit to Mexico's southern Pacific coast, we found the food to be both. Taking advantage of the region's abundant fresh ingredients, we shopped, cooked and ate our way through the beach town of Puerto Escondido. read more

General Comments Puerto Escondido is a travelers' and vacationers' market right now. Tourism is down this year to perhaps a third of its normal level. One government official told us that if it were n... read more

In Spanish, Puerto Escondido means 'hidden port', and the little beach town tucked away in the southern part of Oaxaca certainly lives up to that name. Part of its elusiveness is because there are no d... read more

To annotated Photo Strip 191 (Each image below clicks to an annotated enlargement.) ... read more

Your cab deposits you outside the arched entrance to the pastel stucco hotel, and as you pass through its main portal, you are transported to another dimension, another time, to a village in Spain perh... read more

In December 2000, I watched the sleepy fishing village of Puerto Escondido wake up from its summer slumber. When I arrived during the first week of the month, this beach town south of Oaxaca city hadn'... read more

"Port of the Angel" is a little known fishing village and beach getaway on the south coast of Mexico. Six hours from Oaxaca City and midway between Huatulco and Puerto Escondido, this beautiful little ... read more

Tequila Sunrise is a disco in Puerto Escondido, owned by a couple of Californians. This sign belongs to them. I just thought it ironic that "drugs" apparently does not include booze, which they are in ... read more

Gina is a "good deal older" than her circle of "newly retired women with educations, raised in the United States of America but now living in Mexico.

She helps her gardener with his English, takes pleasure in her garden, is fascinated by the old Mayan legends, grateful for the sacrifices of their gods, and holds sacred the food she receives.

A principle she lives by is this: "be thankful and say so regularly." She feels in her heart that this religious attitude is "much easier to grasp than the more intellectual, less sensory religions…." read more

There's more to the Mexico seashore than skimboards, seafood and sun-bathing bronzed bodies: there is solitude. There are vast stretches of uninhabited or unfrequented beaches lounging serenely beside a roiling sea that stretches westward seemingly into infinity. read more

Officials of the beach community of Puerto Escondido, in the state of Oaxaca, threw a December party to celebrate foreigners. A few hundred attended. Free food and drink remains an exciting lure. Mexican dignitaries were there and many immigration personnel worked the crowd, nice to meet you, so glad you are here. There were music, smiles and handshakes. A good time was had by all. How's that for welcome? read more

Clickable interactive map of Oaxaca state, Mexico: Oaxaca city, Puerto Escondido, Puerto Angel read more

Located in the southern part of Mexico, the state of Oaxaca is bordered to the north by the states of Puebla and Veracruz, to the east by Chiapas, to the west by Guerrero, and to the south by the Pacif... read more

Hotels in the city of Oaxaca Link to detailed interactive map of Oaxaca Basic map of Oaxaca state, Mexico Huajuapan *** CASA BLANCA 83 Rooms Amatista 1 69000 Huajuapan, Oax. (953) 209... read more

 With thousands of miles (9,330 kilometers) of coastline, Mexico offers everything one could want in the way of ocean-living, relaxing, exploring and water sports. From soft, gentle breezes over... read more

I. Preparation The Boat. If you're going to sail to Mexico, the size of your boat isn't nearly as important as the quality. Make sure the boat was designed, built and has been maintained for open-... read more

"Is it always this bad?" I asked, panting in the heat. "Oh no! Sometimes it's much worse," the grandmotherly woman across the aisle assured me. "It can be much hotter...and a lot more crowded." The b... read more

Jacobo Ángeles' work is prominently displayed in The Smithsonian, Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art, and elsewhere throughout the continent and further abroad, in museums, art colleges and gall... read more

This indispensable guide for campers exploring Mexico (and Belize) - using RV or tent - and now in its third edition is loaded with practical information.

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I’ll break your jaw! (Chalco) In the umbilicus (Xico) Place of the squashed serpent (Coapatongo) [1] Mexico’s place names or toponyms provide a rich and fun source for linguistic analysis. In... read more

Who does the best job promoting Mexican tourism on the web? Not surprisingly, it's a cadre of talented individuals as well as city and state agencies. Last month's review of larger institutional websit... read more

You'll find AA throughout Mexico, even in small towns. NA has a sizable presence in the larger towns. Alanon is almost everywhere. OA, SALA and other programs are less likely to be encountered outside major cities. AA is very visible. I have noted where there are meetings in many cases, but like here, they move or change. We urge readers to help us keep this list current.

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Update posted by Richard Ferguson February 4 2000 There are several web sites with security information for travelers and tourists. The ones that I am aware of are listed below. I urge people to rev... read more

"Don Luis, aquí. Aquí, Don Luis," yelled a group of white-shirted men. They were calling for passengers in the camionera central in Pinotepa Nacional near the border of Oaxaca and Guerrero. We had d... read more

I adore travelling Mexico by bus. Mexico's bus system offers travelers an economical, efficient and effective means to explore the entire country. The routes are highly organized and the connections a... read more