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    Boat on the mangrove lagoon of La Ventanilla, Oaxaca

    Photo by Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Beach at La Ventanilla on the Oaxaca coast

    Photo by Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Mangrove channel in the La Ventanilla lagoon, Oaxaca

    Photo by Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Turtle in the La Ventanilla lagoon, Oaxaca

    Photo by Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    East end of La Ventanilla beach, Oaxaca

    Photo by Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    La Ventanilla

    Nature reserve Santa María Tonameca, Oaxaca Municipality of Santa María Tonameca Oaxaca Coast

    A community-run mangrove lagoon where local guides row you past crocodiles, iguanas and herons.

    From Salina Cruz: 2 h 35 min by car (200 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to La Ventanilla

    Where to stay near La Ventanilla

    Cocolia Hotel Hotel · ★★★ · 1.3 km from the center Prices Casa Ofelia Hotel · ★★★ · 1.6 km from the center Prices
    Hotels in Mazunte Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to La Ventanilla

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include La Ventanilla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    4-in-1 Tour - Mazunte,Cacao Factory, La Ventanilla & Turtle Spawn ★ 4.6 (23) · From US$218
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Mazunte

    How to get to La Ventanilla

    • From Salina Cruz: about 2 h 35 min by road (~200 km)
    • 2 km west of Mazunte
    • Nearest airport: Huatulco (HUX), 44 min by car to Mazunte
    Rent a car at HUX Flights to HUX

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Popular tours to La Ventanilla

    4-in-1 Tour - Mazunte,Cacao Factory, La Ventanilla & Turtle Spawn ★ 4.6 (23) 10 h From US$218
    4 in 1 Tour - Mazunte, Cacao Factory, La Ventanilla National Park & Turtle Spawn ★ 3.0 (2) 12 h 30 min From US$218

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About La Ventanilla

    La Ventanilla is a small community a couple of kilometers west of Mazunte, in the municipality of Santa María Tonameca, where a river meets the sea and spreads into a lagoon lined with mangroves. In the 1990s, families here formed a cooperative to protect the lagoon instead of clearing it, and it has run as an ecotourism project ever since, recognized by Mexico's environmental authorities as a wildlife management unit.

    The main reason to come is the boat trip. Guides from the cooperative row wooden boats through the channels, explaining the mangroves and pointing out American crocodiles sunning on the banks, along with iguanas and many kinds of herons, egrets and other birds. The crocodiles live in the lagoon freely; the guides keep a respectful distance.

    The cooperative also keeps an area with deer and other animals that are being cared for, and in season it takes part in sea turtle protection on the beach, where visitors can sometimes join a hatchling release. The beach itself, a long, open stretch with strong surf, is said to take its name from a rock with an opening in it, the "little window" of La Ventanilla.

    How to get to La Ventanilla

    Drive from Salina Cruz: 2 h 35 min, 200 km

    La Ventanilla is about 5 minutes west of Mazunte by car or taxi: take the coastal road toward the highway and follow the signed turnoff to the sea. Colectivos heading from Mazunte toward Highway 200 can drop you at the turnoff, then it is a walk of roughly a kilometer and a half to the lagoon. Tours from Huatulco and Puerto Escondido often stop here too.

    2 km west of Mazunte

    Directions from Mazunte on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to La Ventanilla on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to La Ventanilla

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to La Ventanilla: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    The boat trip through the mangroves takes about an hour and a half. Zona Turística · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    The lagoon is visited on guided boat trips run by the community cooperative Servicios Ecoturísticos La Ventanilla, an environmental management unit (UMA) recognized by SEMARNAT and CONANP. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Uno TV (Aug 2025) · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting La Ventanilla: what to see and do

    Take the rowed boat tour through the mangrove channels with a cooperative guide.
    Look for crocodiles, iguanas and wading birds along the banks; early morning is best for birds.
    Visit the area where the cooperative cares for deer and other animals.
    Ask about joining a turtle hatchling release on the beach in season.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in La Ventanilla

    Cocolia Hotel Hotel · ★★★ · 1.3 km from the center Find on Expedia Casa Ofelia Hotel · ★★★ · 1.6 km from the center Find on Expedia Las Almas Petit Hotel Hotel · ★★★ · 1.9 km from the center Find on Expedia Casa Xalli Hotel · 10 m from the center Find on Expedia Cabañas Magicos Hotel · 1.7 km from the center Find on Expedia Oceano Mar Hotel · 1.8 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Mazunte often include La Ventanilla; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at HUX (Huatulco): about 44 min by road to Mazunte, then 2 km more to La Ventanilla, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Huatulco (HUX), about 44 min by road from Mazunte, the base for La Ventanilla.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at La Ventanilla, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Mazunte: download a map of the way to La Ventanilla before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

    Photos

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    When to go to La Ventanilla warm

    La Ventanilla shares the climate of Mazunte, 2 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Mazunte

    Make Mazunte your base

    Sunset over the bay and headland at Mazunte, Oaxaca warm
    Oaxaca Mazunte

    La Ventanilla is an easy trip from Mazunte, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Closest to La Ventanilla

    All 6 towns and sights around Mazunte →

    Near La Ventanilla

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with La Ventanilla

    Nature Parks in Oaxaca · 8 Nature Parks near Mazunte · 4

    Something wrong or missing on this page? Suggest a fix or addition

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.