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Puerto Escondido is a natural bay along the Mexican Pacific coast, located in the state of Oaxaca in the south of Mexico. Because of its lush natural foliage and its cultural traditions, Puerto Escondido is an unforgettable destination. This earthly yet mystical town is typically Mexican and has captivated travelers from around the world, many who decide to reside here permanently.
The colossal elevation of its waves has transformed Puerto Escondido into a sanctuary for surfers, which happens to be helpful in the development of the tourism industry. The constantly growing infrastructure has not, however, undermined the rustic feel of the town and in fact has helped increase its potential as a paradisiacal destination.
Puerto Escondido, as with many Mexican beaches, was inaccessible by land for years. It was disconnected from civilization until the 1920's when it became a town for fishermen and a coffee loading port was established. During the colonial period, pirate ships used to threaten these waters and it was during these times that the bay's name was born: La Escondida or Bahia de la Escondida.
In 1520, the Basque navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. Fifty years later, Sir Francis Drake achieved the same journey. This Englishman captained a constantly growing fleet, feared by all water-faring vessels. Drake's pirates used to kidnap merchant ships after murdering its crew. They especially liked to chase after Spanish galleons with Borgona crosses flying at their masts. They were sailing in Mexican waters when Andrew Drake, Francis's brother, decided to set sail on his own and in charge of a different ship.
According to the legend, Andrew Drake and his crew were passing by Santa Maria de Huatulco when Andrew fell in love with a beautiful Mixteca woman. After burning and robbing the city, pirates captured and locked the young woman in Andrew's cabin. When they left and were a few miles offshore, Drake saw this deserted bay where they could anchor and rest. The spot had an ideal view: from the bay, the sadistic crew would be able to see any unfortunate Spanish galleon crossing by the area.
The woman, however, escaped and swam to shore. She ran away through the jungle and never was seen again. Drake's followers searched for her vigorously but had no success. They repeated the futile search every time they anchored there and from then on became La Escondida (The Hidden Girl), as pirates began to call her. The beach was named after her as Bahia de la Escondida (Bay of the Hidden Girl).
A highway was constructed during 1970's in order to connect Puerto Escondido with other coastal towns, such as Acapulco, Guerrero. The highway led to the opening of the port as a tourist hotspot and, in time, travelers began to visit. It was during this period that surfers discovered a natural phenomenon which they called The Mexican Pipeline.
Surfers from all over visited Puerto Escondido before tourists discovered this new sunbathing spot. They would come seeking to be rewarded by these magnificent waves. There were waves for everyone: small waves for beginners, mid-size waves and even massive waves for professionals looking for a thrill. As time passed, the talk of the 15-foot waves reached surfers around the world, making Puerto Escondido one the best places for surfing on the planet. Many legends have surfed here and even today there is a feeling of freedom attached to the surf culture in town; which clearly reflects in the local's lifestyle.
Nowadays, Puerto Escondido's economy is partly based on fishing, cultivation of mangos, coconuts, papayas and watermelons but above of all, tourism. The beaches preserve their natural beauty. The population is an eclectic mix of people, from locals to foreigners. The official language is Spanish but German, Italian and French are spoken as well. Local indigenous groups of the area still speak pre-Hispanic languages such as zapoteco and chatino.
