Though it has grown in recent years, the tiny village of Mazunte remains a languid, laid-back destination with a dazzling beach, a peaceful stop on any Mexico coast trip. It’s quieter than Zipolite and lacks the party vibe, though it still carries a distinctly alternative feel. The surf here is gentler, and at the western end of the beach, beyond the rocky outcrop, a smaller bay offers even calmer waters and safer swimming.
The village’s name comes from the Náhuatl word maxonteita, meaning “please come and spawn,” a reference to the Golfina turtles that once bred here in great numbers. Mazunte was once the site of a large turtle industry and abattoir that, at its peak, reportedly slaughtered three thousand turtles a day. In 1990, the Mexican government, responding to international pressure, banned the industry overnight, a move that wiped out the community’s primary livelihood and pushed villagers briefly toward slash-and-burn agriculture.
Since then, Mazunte has been declared a reserve, and sustainable, long-term ecotourism programs have taken root, helping the town evolve into the calm, conscious coastal haven it is today.
