Puerto Ángel, Mexico

History

The community was founded in the 1850s when, through the efforts of Benito Juárez, the government built a wharf. At that time, this was a very isolated part of the country and the port was designed to help the area develop its coffee and lumber industries, by giving it a means to ship these products to other parts of the country. The port reached its height by 1870, when it was the busiest port in the state of Oaxaca. However, after this time several developments lead to the port's decline. A rail connection and road connected Salina Cruz to the capital and it emerged as a port. Also, federal sponsorship of the wharf at Puerto Ángel faded after Juárez's death.

In the 1960s, tourists began to take interest in this part of Oaxaca's coastline. Highway 175, which has been only a dirt trail, was paved. Highway 200, which links most of Mexico's Pacific coast towns was built in the 1970s and 1980s, connecting Puerto Ángel with more popular beach destinations to the north. Gradually, small hotels were built to accommodate tourists, who come from inside the country due to the lack of amenities such as hot water, air conditioning, or other modern conveniences that most Western tourists desire.

Hurricane Pauline made landfall at Puerto Ángel on 8 October 1997. Damage to this town and many other coastal areas of Oaxaca was extensive.

From the History section of Puerto Ángel on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.