Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga

Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga Review

The Centro Mexicano de la Tortuga is at Playa Mazunte, west of Zipolite. The local economy was based on catching the golfina (olive ridley) turtle until the government put a ban on turtle hunting in 1990. Poachers aside, Mazunte is now devoted to protecting the species. The beach's name derives from the Nahuatl word Maxonteita, which means "please come and spawn" and, indeed, four of the world's eight species of marine turtles come to lay their eggs on Oaxaca's shores. A dozen aquariums are filled with the turtles that flourish here.