Nearby beaches.......to the east

San Agustinillo and Aragón. To the east of Mazunte, you will find this beach. A protected area provides good swimming and boogie-boarding waters, surrounded by palm-thatched restaurants and cafes. The long main beach is ideal for surfing, strolling and watching the sunset, this beach eventualy leads to Aragón - a wild, open beach. The village of San Agustinillo is even more laid back than Mazunte. Check out the foreign language section in the volunteer-run lending library. Volunteers and materials are always welcome: www.

Zipolite. A slow ride on an open-back truck will bring you to the centre of Zipolite and Roca Blanca. Here you will find more bars and restaurants than anywhere else on the coast, as well as gift and clothes shops. The long, wide beach of Zipolite is infamous for it's hippies, drugs and nudity, although over the years, the place has become more mainstream and attracts tourists from all walks of life. Swimming here can be dangerous - look out for the flags or ask a local. Pina Palmera is an important rehabilitation centre, run on donations and by volunteers. They have an excellent gift shop at the entrance to Roca Blanca.

Puerto Angel. The sleepy fishing village of Puerto Angel has passed it's prime and dozens of huge, crumbling hotels remain empty for most of the year. However, it's a good place to pick up fresh fish, use the ATM (often empty) and use as a base to visit the beaches to the east: Estacahuite (excellent for snorkelling, fresh seafood and swimming), La Mina (snorkelling) and La Boquilla (snorkelling, swimming and eating at the classy Bahia de la Luna hotel.)

Mazunte. Mazunte boasts calm, clear waters - ideal for swimming during most of the year. Protected by the rocks and Punta Cometa, the bay lacks the strong currents of nearby beaches. For this reason, outcrops of coral can be discovered by the practised snorkeller. The long, sloping main beach offers several low-key palm restaurants offering shade and tasty treats. The Rinconito beach has the calmest water and a few good cafes.

Mazunte itself has a laid-back, bohemian feel about it with an intriguing mixture of people, all with a story. Mazunte town still has a sleepy feel to it, but offers facilities and services including grocery shops, several internet cafes and a few gift shops. Mazunte is a place for those that love to coinhabit with nature. A walk to Punta Cometa is a must, this protected headland is considered by some to be a very spiritual place, especially to see the dramatic sunset or to take a dip in the natural jacuzzi.

The area includes many beautiful and intriguing sights, all within a day-trip for the slightly adventurous..........

Nearby beaches......to the west

Mermejita. A 20 minute's walk west will bring you to Playa Mermejita, a spectuacular beach with a few low-key private houses, all run on solar electricity. This long, open beach is ideal for a leisurely walk, perfect for dramatic sunsets and look out for signs of turtle egg laying.

La Ventanilla. 5km west of mazunte you will find La Ventanilla, a small village dedicated to eco-tourism, fishing and coconut and palm plantations. The wide, open beach stretches 70km from here to Puerto Escondido and this is the most important breeding ground for the Olive Ridley turtle in Mexico. "Servicios ecoturisticos de la Ventanilla" offer hand-paddled canoe rides through the mangrove to observe crocodiles, iguanas and bird life. you will be taken on to a palm-fringed island where you can enjoy a cool coconut, visit the crocodile museum and learn more about their conservation projects including: reforestation, turtle, crocodile and white-tailed deer conservation and habitat management. At dawn, specialist bird-watching tours can be arranged and towards evening, tourists can take part in the baby turtle release and horse riding tours up the beach. Contact the Posada del Arquitecto for more information or www.laventanillamx.org